Evening star., 1925-04-14
Harmony in the Garden.

Luther Burbank is not only a man
of science, but a lover of the beauti-
full as well. and in the midst of count
less experiments in plant breeding he
has found time to enjoy flowers in
their more ethereal aspects of color
and perfume and to perfect their love-
liness with new variations. He has
indeed painted the lily and cast per-
fume on other less happily endowed
blossoms.
He has found time as well to plan
the beautifying of home grounds and
TO offer valuable suggestions to home
gardeners.
With unerring taste he has consid-
cred color and combinations, and has
put into words his vision of a garden
picture-all posed in the sunlight
against a background of shrubbery
and lawns and each color calling TO
the other in a diapason of harmony.
He says:
The gardening practice of bank
ing flowers around the foundations of
house, provides a setting. softenS
harsh angles and makes for beauty,
just as vines give grace to the lines
of house, blending colOrs that might
otherwise clash.
'Perenniais are better grown near
building, as they become a part
the architecture, letting the ANIMALS
come and go in the garden beds with
out disturbing the general harmony.
In planning house beds, shrubs and
tall perennials should be planted next
to the building, and in front may go
smaller plants, with perhaps d bor-
der Of ANNALS.
AT the same time it is we'll to avoid
massinS too many plants in groups in
front of the house, as a better effect
IS produced by the use of single
plant here and there, its position aC-
centuatinS some feature Of the build
ing. Also If tall plants are set out
near sidewalk or road, il is well to
select those whose foliage is not too
dense TO permit of glimpses of the
house beyond.
In regard TO color, it is we'll not
to make red too prominent a feature
as well as purple or crimson, which
do not blend with other colors"
1t might be added that white is
always peacemaker, and colors that
are not naturally harmonious may be
with advantage separated and blended
with white and with green. Magenta
is color particularly difficult TO
handle, although some daring artistic
effects have been achieved through a
combination of magenta and light
blue, with perhaps a dash of white for
dilution and flavor.
In regard to vines Mr.. Burbank has
been much interested in various eX-
periments in crossing different yari-
cites of the ampelopsis, clematis, wis
staria and bignonia.
The best known species of the
genus ampelopsis are the Japanese or
Boston ivy and the Virginia creeper.
the first clinging closely TO walls and
stone, and the latter dropping away
from fiat surfaces.
An exception is found, however, in
the ampelOpsis engelmanni, which has
more of a clinging habit, grows more
rapidly and has more beautiful au-
tumn coloring.
II consider" said Mr.. Burbank. 'the
wild ampelopsis Of Colorado much su-
perior TO those varieties better known
in the Eastern states, and have
crossed this with other species, and
have also crossed the japanese ivy
and the Virginia Creeper.
This last experiment in hybridiza-
ton is as yet incomplete, but much is
hoped from 1t in the future. So many
varieties are possible, there is such
need for additions TO the short list
of vines now grown, that work along
these lines opens wonderful oppor-
tunity for experiment"
Mr., Burbank also conducted many
experiments with the clematis, pro