Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-05-16
Essentials of Beautiful Yard.

nVoAy uOuc buOulu Dc surrounded
by a beautiful and artistic yard. Al
most all Of us appreciate this fact.
and 1t will not bear argument, but
there Is considerable divergence of
opinion a to what can be done to
make the yard beautiful.
In order to assist our readers to Sc
cure the most gratifying results posi-.
BILE, we will try to outline the essen.
tial features to be borne in mind when
planning landscape gardening at
home.
The one most important feature In
planting operations Is harmony. This
Ia the keynote Of all beautiful scenes.
It does not mean that we may not
employ contrasting colors and forms,
but that these features give a pleas
ing general effect.
If your house IL Of any particular
architectural style. let the shape Of
your walks, roadway. flower beds.
shrubs and trees be of such a charac.
ter Is to carry out the lines and spirit
Of the house as far as possible. Ths
formal house should be surrounded by
natural things Of geometrical patterns
square corners, formal shaped
shrubs. straight walks, etc., rather
than the graceful forms. The bunga'
low and the less imposing and rigid
type Of building must be treated in
a decidedly different manner, as its
lines are more on the graceful and
beautiful order, and the lines of the
surrounding grounds should carry out
the same idea. Curved lines, even Of
a rather indefinite character, may be
used to advantage. Flowing shapes In
the trees and shrubs, profuse vines
beds and banks Of wild flowers and
related subjects should be adhered te
largely.
Do not attempt to mix these two
distinct styles of landscape art. Moth
ing can be more u~nattractive than q
formal square house set in a woodland
unless it be a graceful, unpretentious
| country home in the midst of an Ital
ian garden.
The house, while 1t Is not really g
part Of the yard, is still the most i'm
portant feature Of the whole scene
from the standpoint Of the person or
the outside. This is why we place
such special emphasis on the appear
ance and style Of the building.
We take for granted that the impor
lance Of the lawn is thoroughly under
stood. The arrangement Of the build
ings, walks, roads, and paintings will
determine its shape and extent, but Il
Is highly essential that the ground b.
covered by a smooth, velvety turf
where not otherwise taken up fol
some specific purpose.
City front yards are usually so small
that all we can hope to do with then
Is to keep them covered with a goot
lawn. Suburban front yards r mucl
more ample and are covered by the
general principles set down for cit!
back yards.
The first care is to join the house Il
to the ground in a natural and artistic
manner. The color of the house has
good deal to do with this, and the res
can be accomplished by a judicioul
use of flower beds, vines or shrubs
neal the house.
In planting for the small yard, d.
not put beds or shrubs in the middle
Of any stretch of lawn. Keep then
either along the walk and roadway, O
around the outer edges of the lot. B.
using taller and more distinctly color
ed and formal plants close to the hous'
and smaller and less prominent varl
cites farther away we can secure al
appearance of distance in the viey
from the house, and this Is q very i'm
portant feature in the effect Of an,
landscape picture.
For the small city back yard tn
house must be ignored to a consider
able extent and the planting Is larget
a question of the gardeners individua
taste. Much more effective result
will be secured even on the smalles
lot, II the few simple rules here give
are carefully borne in mind.
Xiii Prairie Wolves.