Evening star., 1926-10-02
Landscape Gardening
By ROSE GREELY,
Landscape Architect.

Designing a garden is a fasinat-
Ing pursuit. It offers so many pos.
sibllities. The garden may be infor-
mai. an open lawn with interesting
planting of trees, shrubs and flowers
or 1t may be a wild garden, where all
the loveliest Of wild flowers are col
lected in Il setting like their native
haunts. or it may be an oldfashioned
garden, with trim box-edged paths
and a medley of flowers. Whatever
its type, II must he studied in re-
lation to the lot and to the most i'm
portant feature of the lot. its house.
This does not necessarily mean
that the garden must be connected
with the house, II may be an entire
ty OF its own. | remember a famous
estate in New England where the gar
den is entirely secluded. The house
opens on a great grass terrace with
formal balustrade and stone seats.
Beyond the terrace, hidden from view
by a thickly planted grove of pines.
lies the garden, a space by itself. with
Its own garden-house. from which the
flowers can be enjoyed at ease. On
large estates such treatment is not
1nfrequent. Sometimes it takes the
form Of secret garden, for which
one must search or upon which one
stumbles unawares. But this is apt
10 he the case only when the place
IS elaborate and the hidden garden
j. only one of many. On the small
place there may he such a garden.
The owner may want 1t as a retreat
from the bosom of the family. He
may develop as lawn or orchard the
part of the grounds Immediately
around the house. reserving the far
end as a secluded garden spot. There
is feeling Of mystery in such
spot not to be found I'm a more open
garden close to the house. But the
owner of the house usually prefers
q garden close enough to the house
TO he always in sight, to be enjoyed
from the inside of the house as well
as from the outside.
The house garden is practically an
extension Of the house itself. an out
door room in which the family life can
be carried on in pleasant weather.
AS such, il must have the privacy of
the indoor rooms, and IL must be close
enough to the house to allow easy
access The first requirement can be
met by careful screening. either with
tall shrub and tree planting, or with
an architectural barrier. wall or fence
or lattice. The second can be met
by careful study of the garden in its
relation to the house.
If a new house is to be built the
of house and garden may be studied
together This will allow a closer con
nectiOn. of advantage to both But
ii the house is already built, and the
garden is TO be made, the connection
may often be made without change to
the house plan, or with only minor
changes. Dining room windows may
be cut down perhaps to make a glazed
door leading To an outdoor dining
court or a porch or terrace may be
added outside the living room lead
ing directly to the garden. When
even these changes do not seem feas-
ihle, the actual connection to the gar
den may have to remain an indirect
one. but Il close, yet apparent connec
tiou may he attained by considering
ming the garden. The views from
the windows are often quite as inn
portant as the more apparent axis
from the door.
If the living room oVerlooks the gar
den and the house is to be used all
the year round. the view in Winter
as well as In Summer must be kept
IN mind. for the Winter effects of
evergrecns and bright berries will be
as enjoyable as the flowers of Spring
and Summer and the vivid foliage of
Autumn. The necessity of planting
for all four seasons will mean cut
Ting down the quantity of bloom at
any one time. but 1t will not neCessari-
" lesson its effectiveness. Even in
midsummer. the background of ever
greens, which are TO form the main
effect Of Winter, will allow a delight
ful contrast of shadow for the brillian-
CN OF flower color. One will find that
II is not the quantity of bloom that