Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-10
GARDENS ON SLOP|NG GROUNDS

Spe, i,l methods are necessary IN
:he haniling Il Slo.IiIsg ground In gar
uen.making. While gardeu> on $, pcs
may be made picturesque. a;,rS>tI'e
and interesting. they u.C I u AVOID
cd as general rule. because they are
hardly desirable t,uM the gAldene. :
standpoint. especially when the Slope
Is steep and is in an. other direction
than south.
Where the slope II steep, the aim
should % 10 make the .:.li den as infor-
nal or natural as possible This may
he done partly by employ ing winding
walks whose direction runs across the
face Of the slope in IL. irregular. zig
gag fashion. The aCu," angles formed
by the walk should lie filled with
shrubbery and flowers. Other points
along the slope NAV be similarly
planted though where pos 'i0i'a grass
should be encouraged. to give an air
Ct restfulness and natUra'ueSs. Ter
aCing should be avoided. This is
mainly because OF the CuSt. but aisU
LecauSe OF the stiffness and the artt
fiCialness of terraces. eSpC tally when
SVCh llHllA iS"NA lS ''.'S'
Where the slope is v2ry steep, trees
and shrubs may be used With good ef-
feet to mask or hide artificial features
such as terraces. walls and banks. The
entrance drive or walk should be cal
ried across the slope where possible
and if banking and eVca 'ailng must
he done, enough space should he al
lowed on the inside Il thu walk or
drive to plant borGer OF snrubDery
or small trees 50 as to conceal the
higher ground behind. Where the
slope is slight. such difficulties Wiz
rot be SO pronounced. and vet the
same rule may be applied with minor
+ notifications.
When the garden o!np~s toward the
house a different melted must he em.
Dloyed than that just indicated because
the effect of looking from a low level
TO a higher one is that little or nothing
can be seen from bE.n%. II terrac-
ing is done in such CdIcS so as TO Sc.
cure level tops. the beds and borders
placed on these lev is Will not De sCt II
until an ascent is made an: they arc
approached by the observer For this
reason it is desirable that the terrace
parts of the slop: toward the house
should be tilted somewhat so at least
part of their uIfaces will be seen
from below. One disadvantage abont
slope descending from the house
is that the higheot point may lack
moisture. The OF p1sl;. is likely &c
he the case with : slope descending
toward the house. Verse still, tn
less provision Is NAL: for cisposing
of water by adequate drains, there IS
a possibility of flooding the side OF the
house next to the SLOPE.
DeScents from one level 10 another,
whether terraced or unterr1cei siol rs
are used, should Ie by means Of gras-
sy banks, retaining boards, or rock
faces as circumstances may dictate.
When the Slope ls Ov,:rG the south
the face of the bank may be used FOR
an alpine garden When it faces any
other direction. grass ana shrubbery
of a less resistant character may be
used. Wherever pu3sihie horizontal
margins Of slopes should always be
concealed, preferably by shrubbery.
When paths pass from one level to
another 1t is advisable 10 have them
descend gradually from tae house to
point where steps may re put in If
necessary and then another gentle
slope toward more steps. An econ I'M
ical way to provide steps IS to drive
stout pegs deeply into the soil, then
place strong boards bCAinl them, fill
in the space thus formed with gravel
packed down thoroughly to form q
comparatively smooth surface. 1t is
| advisable to have retaining boards
tISo at the sides.
When the slope is no; to or from the
house but is transverse, the problem
is not so difficult to handle Often a
change of levels can be effected at
the path line. For instance, on the
right hand Of the path the height Inlay
he one to three feet above the ievei
CT the path itself! on the left hand
only three or four inches. d is desir-
able in such cases to plant each side
Of the path with shrubbCIy or flow
ers so as to conceal any possible ar
tjficiality that might Cther"ise appear
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