Evening star., 1932-05-16
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.

The only thing to do Is to let that
happy gardener alone, until such time
as he or she shall have come to another
realization, through some mediation.
much observation and enough study.
That was partly what Mr.. Pauilln
meant by his rule No. IL, Read garden
literature, and look at f1ne garoenS;
gardeners are made, not born"
There Is no forcing matters OF taste:
they are scarcely formed by reading;
the best that writings can do. In any
case. is to give the reader something
to think about.
An almost instructive desire with
most human beings, on coming into pos
session of a house and garden. Is 10
rush into the back yard and dig O
flower bed, but after they have done 1t
they will come to wonder, In time, Wnat
Is the matter.
Then they will realize that gardens
may be spoiled by flowers" indeed, but
never by grass The need OF the back
ground for flowers is strikingly Illus
trated in all good gardens, large or
small, but usually 1t Is SO artfully done
that the beholder, unless he has studied
such matters, Is not at all aware OF
what 1t Is which meets his approba-
ton.
The warning to abstain from the at
tempt to collect O museum OF flowers
is q necessary one; even old time gard
eners, with small parcels OF ground at
their command, find 1t necessary TO re-
sist the temptation.
Garden chiefly with green. natures
favorite color" is a wise rule one which
landscape architects make the basis OF
their activities.
II they were to tell their clients as
much. in so many words, some Of the
aforesaid patrons might rebel, but the
astute architect says nothing OF the
kind, but simply goes ahead and does
it. And his customers are delighted!
The idea of the outdoor living
room" one which Is gaining ground
every day, is merely an attempt to de-
scribe satisfactory garden built ano
maintained along the natural lines OF
our correspondents rules. The lawn Is
the basis Of all gardens except the so
called Japanese garden, the rock gar
den and the water garden; 1t has been
described as the background, or the
frame" for the whole garden, but as
a matter of plain speaking 1t Is the
garden itself-in sense the very basis
OF what civilization chooses to call the
garden.
It follows, then, that the lawn must
be conserved in all its beauty, not cut
up by beds, round square or other
wise that the green of the lawn, in
combination with the green OF tree and
shrub foliage, plus the foliage OF plants
of all sorts, makes the true beauty OF
the garden; that the plain simplicity
Of the lawn Is duplicated necessarily
in flower paintings, but that such f1ow-
ers as are planted should be set out in
sufficient numbers to hide bare earth.
and that many of the laws Of painting
and architecture. as worked out by
mankind over the centuries, may be
applied in the small compass OF home
back yard.
Dirt is ugly, yes: but black earth Is
not as bare looking as red clay.
and sometimes possesses q beauty Of
its own. Borders with red clay show
ing are not artistic, or even pretty, as
the world says; this color may be toned
down by the application Of humus, as
such, or peat moss.
Our correspondents eleventh rule,
to study natures methods and Improve
on them" is an advice of perfection
which most gardeners need. There Is
nothing presumptuous about 1t; IN the
small province of the home grounds 1t
Is often possible to create effects which
nature herself would applaud.
The twelfth and thirteenth rules
given above happily climax the list;
reading makes a better gardener as
does looking at fine gardens: as for
the lucky thirteenth" that is as
important as any. Gardening should
mean happiness, above all; If you
like round flower. bed, why dig your
self q great big one, and forget about
anybody's advice, no matter how good
1t is.