Evening star., 1931-12-30
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES z. TRACEYELL.

+ hedges, II they are thick enough. The
tall wall, either of unpainted or painted
brick, provides the finest setting in tie
world for the display Of such things
as dahlias, as they nod their great
heads over them, seeming for all the
world to be looking over the wall into
the world beyond.
A variety Of rock garden plants may
be grown in the crannieS Of stone walls,
or even on brick walls Then there are
certain lichens, moss and the like,
which love no place quite so well as
wall.
These considerations are minor,
however. in comparison with the two
essentials of background and privacy.
five or six foot wall, suitably thick,
maybe strewed with glass set in NOR
tar along the top, will make back
ground for a tiny garden or for an
estate.
Let no one shy at the glass atop
the wall No one has any business on
the top of wall, be sure of that, and
if he mounts there the glass serves
him right. One will admit, however,
that the glass is barbaric survival,
and fortunately is not needed very
much. The tall wall will be enough
! for all practical purposes of plant pro-
lection, But it must be tall, high
enough to block out the surrounding
gardens, no matter how beautiful these
latter may be. He who does not un-
derstand this need has not grasped the
philosophy of the wall or, better, the
philosophy of the boundary.
The boundary is basic, even more
so than the soil. Perhaps as much so
would be fairer way to put it. Then
all these gardens one sees everywhere,
,,-t4 hnAnn NF uta1l-oTa fhoU
not gardens, too? The answer to that
must be: From the standpoint of
what real garden may be they are
not gardens at all.
Gardens without boundaries are
simply spots of brightness in the gen.
eral countryside. If one rides across
a great field and suddenly comes on
patch of flowers he does not call the
colony garden" No more are most
of our gardens" They are always
interesting, and sometimes beautiful
paintings which have given their own
ers much pleasure, and for that reason
are to be commended. Even the most
conceited home owner however, scarce
ly would assert that they are COM
parable to the place which is laid out
from the beginning with the ideas of
background, perspective, and so on,
we'll NelQ III HllIlu OI III SeNerdI Hlllluo'
Most home gardens "juSt grow" here
a little, there little. And since Ma
ture can do surprising things with
little If she is given chance, it is
not to be wondered at that many small
home gardens" are pleasing to the
eye as well as to the vanity of the
owner.
How much more pleasing, how much
more beautiful they would be If they
had proper backgrounds, either wall,
hedge or fence Something for beauty
to grow in front of, something behind
which to grow mystery. The unseen
thus becomes an integral part of the
real garden. The wall says, the thick
hedge says, the fence over which luxu-
rious vines grow says, they all say,
This far, and no farther, shall your
eyes stray"
They also say, But II you are Of
the inquiring mind will let you into
secret: Behind me there are things
of lovelineSs as yet unrevealed! To
conceal them is one Of my purposes.
There is nothing to stop you. however,
If you choose to walk around. Stand
on tip toe, If you wish, and maybe you
can see the violets nesting down by
my other side. For every wall has two
sides. That is why I am a wall"
The invitation of the boundary is
as old as mankind. If walls are to
keep out, they are to be climbed, too.
If they hide from one view, they hide
from the other, too. II they keep
beauty closed in on one side, they may
hide mystery on the other