The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-07-21
BEAUTIFYING The
HOME GROUNDS
Something Americans Should
Give More Attention To.
USE TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES


Map Out Area Where Decoration Will
Do the Most Good and Then get to
Work'-Try to Hide All Objection
able Buildings.
The appropriate use Of trees, shrubs.
vines and herbaceous plants in tho
adornment of city, village. suburban or
country home grounds gives a charm
and beauty which are interesting and
pleasing to the passerby as well as to
the occupant of the home, says L. G.
Corbett. horticulturist. Plants are a
means Of expressing restfulness and
beauty Their gradually changing as
pect with the succession of the sea-
sous heightens their pleasing effect
and relieves mOnotOny.
The changes which occur in the life
Of vegetation during the year have
caused man to speak Of the stages Of
human existence as the Spring"
Summer" and autumn" OF life The
leaf, the branch and the flower. as we'll
as the general form Of the plant. man
ifest grace and beauty which art en-
deavors to copy. While art cannot
take the place OF nature 1t neverthe-
less plays an important part in teach
Ing us to see and appreciate the beau
ties of nature After the eye has been
trained to see and the mind to inter
pref the beauties which the eye be-
holds then association with nature pro-
duces its greatest effect.
In the artificial adornment OF
grounds by means Of plants nature is
our best instructor From her we learn
the uses of grass. flowers, vines.
shrubs and trees and how TO combine
them to the best advantage. BY grow
ing together for ages the various class
es and species OF plants have develop
ed forms. habits and requirements
which enable them not only to live and
thrive in harmony. but actually to as
! SlSl one duOlHtI
Man should first provide for his ne
cessities. then for comforts and finally
| for pleasures. In new country such
as ours the expenditure Of time and
means for the adornment of grounds
has naturally received too little atten-
ton. The people have been necessari-
ly concerned with acquiring lands and
buildings But a stage Of development
has now been reached when Ameri-
cans should give more attention 10 the
establishment Of their home grounds.
The first essential in the adornment
of home area is the formation OF a
suitable plan. In making this plan the
principal things to be considered are
the size of the area. the amount which
the owner feels able to expend FOR The
purpose. the climatic conditions. the
soil. the exposure, the peculiarities Of
the site and the style Of treatment,
whether formal or natural
Small places, consisting Of an acre
or less. situated among others Of Ike
dimensions can only be appropriately
improved in formal style. on the
other hand. large suburban places or
country seats should, in order to main
tain unity and harmony with their
surroundings. be treated in the natural
style.
It is impossible to develop n forest
a park or even a grove on an area less
than an acre in extent, and II Is equal
" impossible to maintain fountains
terraces, sheared trees. hedges aud car
pet bedding over an area Of several
acres. Hence the two general styles
Of landscape gardening have been de
veloped. one Of these may be adopted
or both may be combined to suit the
circumstances.
Before tree or shrub is placed IN
Its permanent location an outline mar
of the area TO be treated should b,
made. This map should locate all ex
listing structures. indicate the direction
In which most pleasing outlooks are e
be had and also the contour OF th'
ground to be beauti6ed The ain
should be to hide by means OF tree
and shrubbery all Objectionable build
ings or portions Of the place and als'
to shut from view all unsightly oh
jects maintained by neighbors, TO 10
cate the trees and shrubs so as t
allow an uninterrupted line OF visiol
where the outlook is pleasing and L
so locate the paintings on large es
tates as to afford the greatest protec
ton from winds and undesirable SUI
roundlngs.