liiii »i' iiiillBlli I il !> ill! ■I %bt §. ;M. Jfiil ■^Cibrarg J^arti; Carolina ^tatt ffltillenE 5B455 R7 1 /I The Amateur's Book of PLANNING YOUR GARDEN The Amateur's Book of the Garden Series Under the General Editorship of LEONARD BARRON The Amateur's Book of The Vegetable Garden Planning Your Garden Lawn-Making House Plants The Flower Garden The Dahlla. Gardening Lnder Glass This suggestion for a small garden, looking east, embodies the author's ideas of having several points of interest. The placing of the walk to the north side and its change of direction at the dial takes full advantage of the conditions. The Amateur's Book of the Garden Series PLANNING YOUR GARDEN W.^Sr ROGERS £ ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR GARDEN CITY NEW YORK DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 192 3 COPYRIGHT, 1911, 1923, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. T First Edition PUBLISHER'S PREFACE There are several justifications for the ap- pearance of a book on Garden Planning. One is the meagre treatment the subject has here- tofore received as compared with the more mechanical phases of garden making — plant- ing, cultivating, etc. Another is the vital, though often unappreciated, importance of the subject, especially in this day of countryward, outdoorward tendencies. The significance of the cash valuation of the work of the land- scape architect when contrasted with that of the gardener is not often grasped. This volume, however, is designed for those who are not inclined to make use of the servi- ces of a professional garden designer. Either excessive cost or intense personal interest in the development of the home grounds may effect this result. In either case he who plans his own garden will do well to familiarize him- self with the principles, methods, and probable results as set forth herein. V VI PUBLISHER S PREFACE The ultimate ideas of art, taste, judgment, and harmony are not local but universal and this volume carries to the reader both the author's originality of treatment and the conventionality of theories well founded in long experience. CONTENTS I. Introductory 3 II. The Factors in Detail 9 III. The Garden Picture 28 IV. The Rectilinear Principle .... 45 V. The Elements of the Garden Plan . 51 VI. Making Beds and Borders .... 70 VII. Construction of Walks and Drives . 87 VIII. Grass as a Foundation 108 IX. How to Plan a Garden 127 X. Sloping Gardens 141 XI. The Rock Garden 152 XII. The Rose Garden 173 XIII. Water in the Garden 183 XIV. The Vegetable Garden 197 XV. Glass 207 XVI. Fences and Hedges 212 XVII. Tile and Other Artificial Edgings . 229 XVIII. Garden Plans 236 XIX. Planting 263 XX. Further Considerations in Garden Making 279 XXI. Evolution of an Ideal Lot .... 291 ILLUSTRATIONS Perspective View of Garden .... Frontispiece FIGURE PAGE 1. Diagrams Illustrating Aspect 21 2. Houses on Plots of Irregular Shape . . 25 3. Garden Styles Compared 48 4. Expansion of Path 54 5. Expansion of Path 59 6. Expansion of Path 60 7. Path Junction 61 8. Curves in Paths 62 9. The Grouping of Beds 65 10. Correct Form for Group of Beds ... 68 11. Trenching 73 12. Drainage for Beds and Borders .... 76 13. Shapes of Beds 80 14. Shapes of Beds 81 15. Relation Between Beds in a Group ... 83 16. Entrance to Drive 89 17. The Carriage-turn 90 18. Path Foundation 95 19. Design for Brick Path 98 20. Section of Brick Path 100 21. Design for Composite Path 102 22. Design FOR Stone Path 106 23. Design for Stone Path 106 24. Level and Straight-edge 116 25. Tennis Court 117 ix X ILLUSTRATIONS PICnXX PAGE 26. Croquet Court 118 27. Acute Angles IN Grass 121 28. Beds in Relation to Grass Shapes . . . 123 29. Typical Garden Plan 131 30. The Method OF Off-sets 131 31. Arrangement OF Trees 136 32. Terracing — Sectional View 142 33. Terracing — Sectional View 142 34. Terracing — Sectional View 143 35. Steps in Paths 144 36. Dealing with a Transverse Slope . . . 145 37. Dealing with a Transverse Slope . . . 146 38. Steps 149 39. Spreading Steps 150 40. Earthwork in the Rock Garden .... 160 41. RocKWORK Section 161 42. Rocks in Relation to Soil 162 43. Arrangement of Rock Masses .... 163 44. Arrangements of Rock Masses .... 165 45. Arrangements of Peat in the Rock Garden 166 46. Rose Beds in Grass 176 47. Rose Beds in Gravel 176 48. A Long Rose Garden 178 49. Planting Roses 180 50. A Water Garden 185 51. A Water Garden 187 52. Soak-away Drain 189 53. Ponds 190 54. Tub for Water Plants 195 55- Borders Through the Vegetable Plot . 198 56. Position for Vegetable Plots 204 ILLUSTRATIONS XI riGimE PAGE 57. Wooden Fencing 214 58. Stretching Wire Fencing 217 59. Open Wooden Fencing 218 60. Larch Fencing 220 61. Construction OF Trellis Screen .... 221 62. Sections of Hedge 225 63. Hedge Tops 226 64. Planting Box Edging 227 65. Edging Tile 230 66. Brick Edgings 232 d^. The Plinth Brick as an Edging .... 233 68. Stone Edgings — Sections 234 . Garden Plans 239-262 69 lOI 102. Arrangement of Herbaceous Border . . 270 103.) 104. >• Progressive Plans for a Typical Lot . 295-297 105. ) PLANNING YOUR GARDEN PLANNING YOUR GARDEN CHAPTER I Introductory The planning of a garden involves attention to many considerations connected with the character and position of the site and its sur- roundings, as well as to those questions in which both horticulture and good taste play important parts. Each particular site presents a problem in itself, and the art of the garden maker must be exercised first in studying the factors, and then in permitting them to guide him to a good re- sult. What these factors are will appear when I come to details. It is sufficient at the outset to state that they include such inherent conditions as soil, position, aspect, and envi- ronment. Though garden making in a large measure 3 4 GARDEN PLANNING is controlled by principles based upon art, purely artistic considerations can only serve the designer when they are subordinated to the practical needs of horticulture. As in other branches of applied art utility claims first consideration, so in garden making the conditions which make for the welfare of the flowers, and the comfort and convenience of those who use the garden, must always receive attention. This does not imply that successful flower culture is the be-all and end-all of gardening, for that would be to ignore the beauty of the garden picture. It is possible, as I shall show, to give due weight to the picturesque, without in the slightest measure discounting the value of the garden from a horticultural standpoint. On the other hand, only too frequently the mistake is made of supposing that well-filled beds and borders, abundant blossom, and neatly kept grass and walks are the sole desiderata of gardening. If that were so, it were better to grow one's flowers as the market gardener grows his cabbages — in rows. Mere profu- sion of bloom will not condone any ill-planned garden. The gardening enthusiast is too apt INTRODUCTORY 5 to permit his pride in the flowers to blind him to the value of a garden picture. He sees the individual but not the crowd. It were better he should adopt the standpoint of the landscape gardener, who thinks less of plants as plants than as elements in a composition, in the way of a painter of pictures. The garden, however small, is amenable to treatment on truly artistic principles, and the first thing to recognize is that it must be homo- geneous. It should appeal to the eye as a whole before it claims attention in detail. Every- thing in the garden must be interdependent, and the general picture must be distinguished by balance, unity of effect, and a studied har- mony of line and mass. If common-sense principles, based upon full knowledge and recognition of the governing factors of the problem, be allowed to control the design, the result will not only make for beauty, but gardening, in the sense of success- ful flower culture, will be agreeable and plain sailing. There must be no exaggeration of special features, no discordant note to worry the eye, no forcing of effects. The size of the garden 6 GARDEN PLANNING hardly enters into the question. It is just as easy, and just as difficult, to plan a large garden as a small one. The same general principles apply in both cases. It is largely a question of scale. Gardens which are made haphazard are rarely successful, yet the majority of small gardens have been so made. The inference is obvious. How often do we not see, from the vantage point of some suburban railroad journey, garden after garden in monotonous succession, all planned to a common type. Some may be neat and well kept, others neglected, but the outlines are the same in all, probably conceived and made by the speculative builder's fore- man, whose knowledge and skill can hardly be expected to rank high in this department of his work. When the gardener himself has taken the pains to model his garden to suit his own views of what it should be, the result is more often than not marred by mistakes which arise from hastiness and an inadequate knowledge of, or attention to, essentials. Possibly the commonest error is to ignore aspect, planning for symmetry, which is hardly ever consistent INTRODUCTORY 7 with the best arrangement for flower growing in a plot of limited size. Another mistake is to over-elaborate, thereby destroying sim- plicity and breadth of effect. I do not intend to enumerate here all the shortcomings of the modern suburban garden. I hope to make them sufficiently apparent when I enter into a more detailed statement of the principles which I believe should govern the planning of such gardens. Skilful planning, particularly when applied to gardens of limited size, includes economy of space, or, in other words, making the most of the space available. And this is only possible by giving proper consideration to aspect. The craze for symmetry prevails too strongly in modern garden planning. Grass and gravel are allowed to usurp positions best adapted to flower culture, whilst long stretches of bor- der in perpetual shade hold a few starved plants, whose sorry condition proclaims the futility of expecting nature to heed our notions of equal-sidedness. Sunshine, the life and soul of the vegetable kingdom, and the very first necessity for the flower, must have full access to our beds and 8 GARDEN PLANNING borders, and this is only to be contrived by- placing them where the sunlight can reach them. Therefore it is a necessary preliminary to the planning of a small garden to observe which parts of it enjoy full sunshine and which parts lurk in perpetual shadow. The north side of the house or of a garden wall, in northern latitudes, receives no sunlight, and permanent shadows may be cast by trees and buildings on neighbouring premises. These shadows are as rocks to the careful navigator, things to be given a wide berth, unless circumstances (as in the case of redundant trees) permit of our bodily removing their cause. CHAPTER II The Factors in Detail The question of site is a highly important one from the gardener's standpoint. In acquir- ing a home so many considerations carry weight with the purchaser that it is not always pos- sible for him to be» over-fastidious about the garden; though, if he have the choice be- tween two or more houses, in other respects equally desirable, he will naturally decide upon that one which has the best garden site. If the house has been previously occupied he will find the garden already made, after a fashion; if not, the same may hold good. On the other hand he may find a stretch of virgin soil awaiting his good pleasure to give it shape. Whatever may have been done before he takes possession should not deter him from starting de novo., with the object of securing the best possible arrangement of the outlines before he commences to plant it. 9 lO GARDEN PLANNING In considering the desirability of a garden site under these circumstances the main thing is to see that the plot receives a fair measure of sunshine. With a house facing south, it is not possible to avoid a considerable shadow from the house itself, but intelligent planning will meet this case. A garden surrounded by a high wall also will have the disadvantage of the wall shadows on the southern boundaries. Naturally such questions arise most often in connection with town and suburban gardens where houses and gardens adjoin. In the open country different considerations may pre- sent themselves. Most generally the country plot has no lack of sunshine. But other disabilities may exist, amongst which the absence of shelter may be the most important one. The tenant, therefore, should see how the site lies, both in relation to the prevailing winds and to the cold winds of winter and spring. Gales from the west and south-west are often very destructive to trees and plants by rea- son of their force alone. On the other hand, the cold winds from the north, north-east, and east do damage by their low temperature THE FACTORS IN DETAIL II and dryness, ''cutting" and destroying young growth, and retarding the progress of plant life generally. The ideal site for a country plot, therefore, is one which is open to the south and preferably sloping slightly in that direction, partly sheltered by higher ground or trees to the west and south-west, and wholly sheltered to the north and north- east. Such sites are not easy to find, and in most cases the tenant has to be content with something short of what he would wish; but, as I shall show, he may do much by artificial means to make good the shortcomings of the site. Another point more likely to crop up in the country is the question of the dryness of the soil, which is intimately connected with its temperature, and thus affects the welfare of the flowers. The warmth of a site, other things being equal, is influenced by the nature of the soil. The following table, compiled by Schiibler, shows the relative heat-absorbing capacities of various soils, assuming lOO as the standard: Sand with some lime . . . lOO Pure sand 95-6 Light clay 76.9 12 GARDEN PLANNING Heavy clay 71.1 Brick-earth 68.4 Chalk 61.8 Humus 49-0 The coldness of a damp site is due to the absorption of heat resulting from evaporation. When the prospective garden owner is able to purchase rather than merely to rent the prop- erty the question of the garden site may well receive more earnest consideration. Individual tastes differ greatly on the ques- tion of what is or is not a valuable site. One person may desire seclusion, and on that account may prefer his small domain circum- scribed by natural limits to the view; another may value the panoramic prospect to be obtained from an eminence, finding the pleasures of his garden enhanced by the land- scape beyond. Other considerations may have weight, but in all cases the proximity of an eyesore in the immediate surroundings is to be avoided. Ugly buildings, waste land scattered with rubbish, small property inhabited by unde- sirable people, a cemetery, factory, or gas works should disqualify an otherwise desirable THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 1 3 site, unless it were feasible to screen those objects by artificial means. Thus far I have dealt with questions exter- nal to the site. The next thing is to examine the land with a view to discovering its intrin- sic fitness for its purpose as a garden. A house perched upon a hilltop, or in the centre of a treeless field, has a bleak, forbid- ding aspect, which it may take many years to redeem. It is therefore a great gain if the plot includes some well-grown trees, which may be utilized for shelter, and which will at once confer a certain distinction on the site. The presence of old hedgerows and bushes should also be welcomed, as it is often possible to utilize them in the garden scheme. The contour of the ground is an important point. Sites, particularly if of limited extent, which embrace considerable slopes are dis- appointing, and present difficulties to the gardener which he had best avoid. On the other hand, variety of contour is a gain, oflFer- ing suggestions for picturesque treatment and giving character to the garden picture. A uniform slope, if slight and in a southerly direc- tion, is preferable to a dead level, as it ensures 14 GARDEN PLANNING natural drainage; but when a tennis lawn is a sine qua non it is desirable that some portion of the ground should be level, or have only a moderate slope; otherwise much expense will be entailed in excavating and banking up, and the artificial contours thus created will become unduly obtrusive. Happy the gar- dener who is content to forego this feature, which rarely harmonizes with the other ele- ments of the garden plan, and more often than not usurps space that otherwise could be utilized with advantage to the garden picture. In further considering the desirability of a given site it is well to try to fix provisionally the position for the house, which in most cases will be suggested by the lay of the ground and by its aspect; and, having done so, to endeavour to form a mental picture of the main elements of the garden, giving due weight to the natural features of the ground and its surroundings as factors in the arrangement. By doing so it is possible to judge just how far it is likely to meet one's ideal. In a comparatively small plot the process will be a simple one. In a large plot the matter may involve more difficulty, as alternative THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 1 5 positions for the house will suggest themselves and call for consideration. No decision should be made until the possibilities of the site have been thoroughly tested from every stand- point. The question of the house site is so closely linked up with the treatment of the garden that I strongly advise this preliminary survey before purchasing the plot. Soil — Reference has already been made to the relative heat-absorbing qualities of various soils. In forming a judgment on the suitability of a particular site for gardening purposes it is essential to ascertain the nature, not only of the surface or top soil, but of the subsoil. This can only be done by having a trench dug, say, at least four feet deep. If the plot is of considerable extent, a series of trenches should be opened out at various points, because soils, and subsoils particularly, may vary even within the comparatively restricted limits of a garden site. The surface soil is not always very closely related to the subsoil, so that even those accus- tomed to forming a judgment on the subject may be misled by a superficial examination. l6 GARDEN PLANNING A good criterion of the relative warmth of soils is available in winter when snow has fallen. That ground from which the snow soonest disappears is obviously the warmest. Information on this particular point generally may be obtained from local people well ac- quainted with the site. A stiff clay subsoil is to be avoided, as it is not amenable to effective drainage. Sand, gravel, and light loams are preferable to clay soils, but where clay and sand are found in admixture, as in some of the clay loam types the condition would not preclude good garden- ing; indeed, the rose grower would find a soil of this description one of the best for his particular purpose. The dryness of a site depends mainly upon the facility with which the rain-water can percolate through the soil, and the distance from the surface of the subsoil Water. Clay is relatively impervious to water; consequently, when a layer of this material is found near the surface, the surface soil will be either water-logged or baked to dryness, according to weather and rainfall. A gravelly soil of considerable depth on a THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 1 7 gentle slope, all things considered, Is the best, as such a soil Is drained naturally. If topped with good loam, with not too liberal an ad- mixture of stones, it is an ideal one for the gardener. A coarse gravel subsoil is not objectionable, provided the surface soil has sufficient depth to admit of proper tillage. It Is not unusual, however, to find gravel overlaid with the merest film of loam, in which case the land would be unsuitable for general gardening purposes, unless the purchaser were prepared to spend money in importing material for his flower beds and borders. Soils overlying rocky formations must be judged by their quality and depth. When the surface soil Is shallow, and the rock imper- vious to water, they suffer from the same dis- abilities as stiff clay land. The presence of stones in the surface soil, generally associated with a gravelly subsoil, but not uncommonly with stony clays, is no great detriment; but if they are in sufficient quantity to hamper the gardener he would have to resort to picking or screening to reduce their number. On sloping ground the stones iS GARDEN PLANNING will be found In greater quantity at the lower levels, particularly" if the land has been in cultivation. Light, sandy soils suffer from drought, and involve labour and expense in heavy manuring. Much may be done by the gardener to improve a naturally undesirable soil. Light soils may be treated with clay or muck, and clay soils with sand, ashes, and other light, porous materials. By these additions the nature of the surface layer may be modified and rendered more amenable to tillage; but no treatment of the surface will meet the case if the subsoil is unsuitable. These operations necessarily imply outlay, which in a large garden may be a heavy one. It is therefore advisable, when the purchaser has a choice of sites, to select one on which the soil is neither too heavy nor too light. Another point in the selection of a site is to avoid made ground the composition of which may be anything from gas lime to meat tins. A site of this kind would afford many un- pleasant surprises to the gardener, and might be perfectly hopeless for horticulture. Made ground which has long remained undisturbed — THE FACTORS IN DETAIL IQ and it is not often offered for sale when newly made — is generally so thickly covered with surface growth that its character is not super- ficially apparent. Here again the trial trench suggests itself as a wise precaution. Peat land does not constitute a good site, because the existence of peat implies water- logging. Drainage, however, may be effectual in converting it into a good garden, always pro- vided that the nature of the subsoil permits of draining it thoroughly. Land which has recently been in cultivation, either as arable or garden ground, is in most cases preferable to pasture; because it has a greater depth of surface soil, and constant working and manuring have brought it to the best consistency for the gardener's purpose. On the other hand, pasture has certain ad- vantages. There may be some additional labour needed to bring the soil into working condition, but against that it may be possible to preserve part of the pasture as grass, and thus avoid the necessity for turfing or sowing. Aspect — In gardens of small size the ques- tion of aspect is perhaps the most important factor for the gardener to consider, because 20 GARDEN PLANNING the size of his garden will be measured, not so much by length and breadth as by the amount of space which receives full sunlight. Aspect also is the key to the successful planning of the small garden, as I shall show when I come to treat the garden design in detail. / shall have to refer repeatedly to the aspect of a site by the points of the compass^ and to prevent possible confusion I had better here state that I shall J in every case, employ the term to express that point to zvhich the ^^ house fronf^ is directed. The sun in our latitude passes from east to west by a sweep to the south. Thus the north side of houses, trees, and other fixed objects receive absolutely no sunshine, whilst the east and west sides receive sun only in the morning and evening respectively. These are cardinal facts to be borne in mind by all who undertake to plan a garden of re- stricted size. I can best illustrate the relative values of aspect by a series of diagrams, the study of which should serve to make the matter clear. In these three figures I have shown the shadow traces of the house and garden walls, THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 21 distinguishing full shadow from partial shadow by the depth of shading. A southern aspect implies that flower culture Fig. I. — Diagrams illustrating aspect will be discounted in the space immediately to the rear of the house. But if the gardener has a fancy for good flower effects in the fore-court, or front lawn, he should select a southern aspect. An eastern or western aspect 22 GARDEN PLANNING will give a shady strip on the north side of the house, which may be good or bad according to circumstances. It is best that the shady side should be that on which the kitchen and its offices are situated, thus admitting of flower growing at the side of the house upon which the living rooms look out. These shadow diagrams represent a mean of what would actually be found. The altitude of the sun varies according to season, as well as time of day, and thus the shadow of a wall running east and west will be narrowest at noon in midsummer and widest in the morning and afternoon in midwinter. The shadow of the house will vary in like manner for the same reason. In open country sites, where considerations of privacy do not carry so much weight, walls and fences need not be so high, and their shadows, therefore, would be practically negli- gible. At the same time, the shadow question must not be overlooked, as trees and other fixed objects may exist on the site or in its immediate vicinity. The House in Relation to the Site — When the purchaser of a building plot decides upon THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 23 the position for his house, he rarely gives thought to the question of how the garden will be affected. He assumes that it may be mod- elled to fit in with the house. It is better to take both factors into consideration when placing the house upon its site, because they are closely correlated. In these days of narrow frontages there is little latitude in a direction transverse to the length of the plot, and, if economy of garden space is to be considered, the purchaser must give careful thought to the placing of his house, so that he may not be hampered when he comes to make his garden. This question will be governed largely by aspect, but to some extent by the tastes of the gardener. A fore-court is always desirable, if only to ensure that the road dust does not find access to the house. In a thoroughfare used by auto- mobiles it is a necessity. It is also useful for securing a measure of privacy. With a north- ern aspect the house shadow will preclude any ambitious gardening display in the fore- court, and there is no need to allot more space to it than may be required to secure the two objects just mentioned. 24 GARDEN PLANNING On the other hand, with a southern aspect the fore-court should not be stinted in space, for it cannot be questioned that flowers about the house front not only enhance the good appearance of the house, but constitute a valu- able charm in the outlook from the front porch and windows, A detached house should not be set centrally in the width of the plot, because that would divide the garden space on either side into two equal portions not equally well conditioned for flower culture. It is better to place it so that the widest space is on the sunny side. When the ground falls toward the road- way it may be desirable to place the house on the higher ground at the back of the plot, thus bringing the principal garden space to the front. All these points call for careful consideration before a decision is made, as upon that deci- sion will depend the subsequent success or non-success of the garden. Houses set askew — i. e., obliquely to the garden boundaries — on small plots rarely look well, and the arrangement creates no little difficulty when the task of designing the garden ERTY USURY C. StaU ColUnt THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 25 has to be undertaken. I am strongly opposed to any conditions which necessitate the use of triangular areas as elements in the garden Fig. 2. — Houses on plots of irregular shape design, because such shapes invariably suggest formality, and have other disadvantages. When the plot is bounded by converging lines it is usually best to set the house with its sides parallel with that boundary which most nearly makes a right angle with the road line; but in some cases it may be best to set the house front parallel with the roadway, ignoring the side boundaries. 26 GARDEN PLANNING In plots of more Irregular shape the question must be settled according to circumstances. From the foregoing It will be seen how inti- mately the position of the house in relation to the shape and size of the plot is bound up with the garden plan. It is not unusual for house builders to defer consideration of the garden until the architect and builder have completed their work. The garden designer is then called In, and has to make the best of those spaces which are left to him. A wiser course is to bring architect and garden designer together in the first In- stance, so that they may exchange notes, and each work out his plan in accordance with such decisions as they may mutually agree upon. Such a course Is eminently to the advan- tage of the owner of the site, who thereby secures a consistent design for house and garden. A thorough understanding between the two craftsmen lightens the task of both, and precludes an Incongruous result. A further point Is the question of outlay to be made on the garden. This is usually as- sumed to be so small an item in the total outlay that it is left out of consideration THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 27 altogether. The result is that the house builder discovers that the expense of building, with the inevitable "extras," has mounted up to such a sum that he must perforce economize on the garden. Then It Is that, with mistaken views as to the economy of the transaction, he calls In the help of a local nurseryman to "lay out" his garden, and in the long run pays a larger bill than he would have incurred had he secured the services of a competent designer, at the same time securing an indifferent result. The nurseryman who works out his own plan, charges what he likes, whereas. If a properly prepared plan Is available, the house owner may obtain competi- tive prices from two or more nurserymen, and make a contract for the work on the best terms. The cost of a good design Is a trifling sum on the total outlay, and it invariably justifies itself. A fair allotment of money to the garden at the beginning is ten per cent of the total. CHAPTER III The Garden Picture The design of a garden should take its general character from the local conditions and environment. In the first instance, it must be adapted to the special requirements of the gardener. If he is his own designer, he will, of course, always have these requirements in mind; if another makes the design, the gardener cannot be too clear in specifying his exact requirements. The natural conditions of the ground must be well studied. The contours, slope, and aspect of the plot are the first factors to be considered, and these will offer the first sug- gestions for its treatment. The shape of its boundaries will be important, and equally so the position and shape of the house. The aim of the designer should be to bring all these factors into a consistent and pleasing combination, in which the garden and house 28 THE GARDEN PICTURE 29 are in entire harmony with each other. Here it will be well to warn the designer new to the work against planning for mere effect on paper. The lines of the plan, representing as they do the projection of the design on the horizontal plane only, have little meaning if they are not intimately correlated with some effect in the third dimension. A garden at all stages of its development should be a thing of height as well as of length and breadth. It is only by studying the effect in the vertical plane that a successful and artistic result is realizable. The plan is a skeleton affair, merely defining the spaces to be devoted to borders, beds, grass, and gravel. The designing of a garden is a process akin to the artist's conception and execution of a picture. It is governed by principles identical with those understood by the painter as "com- position," which may be defined as a general balance of effect obtained without the use of a too marked symmetry in the principal features of the design. To ensure practical realization of this effect, therefore, the designer must ever bear in mind 30 GARDEN PLANNING the plants — flowers, trees, and shrubs — with which his outlines will be filled in. It may be noted also that he has it within his option to supplement these natural factors by others of an artificial kind, such as summer houses, arches, pergolas, and other minor structures which have a well-recognized place in the garden. I cannot too strongly urge the importance of eliminating symmetry from the general garden picture; not only because it precludes a picturesque efi"ect, but for the practical reason that it is rarely consistent with a design which gives due weight to the all-important factor, aspect. Many complaints of undue formality have their basis in the existence of a meaningless symmetry. In observing these injunctions against symmetry it must not be understood that they apply with the same force to details. On the contrary, the treatment of certain parts of the garden may be governed with advantage by considerations of symmetry. For instance, in introducing a group of beds for effect on the lawn, a one-sided arrange- ment would be opposed to good practice, THE GARDEN PICTURE 3 1 particularly if associated with a grass plot of regular shape. Just what constitutes formality, as usually understood, it may be well here to discuss. It may arise from several causes. Unquestion- ably the most common one is symmetry in the general lines of the design. Another cause may be injudicious planting, particularly when the gardener has not adopted means of building up a well-considered picture in the vertical plane. Such mistakes only need to be recognized to be corrected. Trees planted sentinel-wise, at equal distances from a central feature, will produce a formal effect. They would be better arranged so that no two sub- tend the same angle in the line of sight (see Fig. 31). The repetition of some conspicuous feature at regular intervals also makes for formality, an error not infrequently made in planting with conifers and other evergreens. Complexity in detail may suggest formality, by proclaiming too insistently the artificial character of the garden. Still another cause is neglect to preserve a proper scale in the various details. It might be concluded that the use of straight lines and right angles would 32 GARDEN PLANNING lead inevitably to a formal result. Such is not the case. On the contrary, in small gar- dens the use of straight lines, in combination with a studied simplicity of treatment, is the most efficient means of securing an informal result, because it enables the designer to har- monize his plan with the shape of the garden boundaries. On the other hand, the use of curved lines may only serve to render too conspicuous the rigid outlines of these boundaries. I shall deal with this part of the subject in more detail in the next chapter. I must here emphasize the value of variety — variety in outline and variety in shape — as opposed to too frequent repetition of similar shapes, and variety in planting so as to secure a good effect in the vertical plane. Such variety must be carefully thought out, and made to give character to the garden as a whole. This does not imply over-elaboration, about which I have already warned the reader, nor is it opposed to simplicity of treatment. It is just the avoidance of undue repetition of lines and shapes. Another factor in the attainment of the THE GARDEN PICTURE 33 picturesque is what I may term "reticence." It is not well to aim at giving too comprehen- sive a view of the garden from any one point. The planning should be so contrived that the various garden features are seen one at a time as it is traversed from end to end. This may be arranged by judicious screening, for which trees, shrubs, arches, trellises, and other objects may be employed. Much may be done in the planting to attain this very desirable quality. A long herbaceous border, filled with flowers carefully graded in height, the tall ones all standing at the back and the short ones in front, presents a rather monotonous vista. Its charm is greatly enhanced if the process is partly reversed, so that here and there a bold clump of flower or foliage is allowed to push forward, thereby screening what lies beyond; and incidentally this arrangement has value in affording shelter to the smaller and more tender plants lying between their robuster companions. Nothing is more delightful than to pass along such a border, finding something new and unexpected every few yards. Again, the garden may be divided up into 34 GARDEN PLANNING separate compartments, each to come into full view only when It is entered. Passing down between well-filled borders, we may thread a pergola clustered with flowering climbers, to reach an old-fashioned garden which, in turn, leads to a shady grass plot, or, by another flower-flanked path, to the vegetable garden. Each section of the garden is complete in itself yet wedded to its neighbour, each a separate factor in the complete picture, and all united in a consistent and harmonious whole. The task of the designer does not stop at this point. He has other factors to consider. It is essential that the picture should not be merely a group of closed-in compartments. He must contrive a series of vistas, which, whilst giving pleasant peeps from certain points, convey a sense of space. In other words, the treatment must include that artistic quality known as "breadth." This is to be attained in part by the opening up of vistas, and in part by simplicity of character in the principal details of the design. / One frequently hears the term "a natural garden." I may here state that a natural THE GARDEN PICTURE 35 garden within the limits of four square boundary- walls, in the sense of a garden which shall deceive the spectator into believing that he is looking at a piece of pure nature, is unattain- able. Nor is it desirable that we should strive to make such a garden. Yet Nature cannot be left out of the question. The gardener provides the home and the occupant and there his work ends. He must rely upon the hand of Nature to fill in the outlines, which she can do far better than he can tell her. It should ever be remembered that the highest art is that which conceals art. The effects which we create in our gardens, there- fore, must be so contrived as not to reveal too patently the means by which they are produced. By the observance of this principle we get the nearest approach to a natural garden, inasmuch as the examples of nature's work then impress us more strikingly than the work of the garden designer — and this is as it should be. I must now refer to a further quality which it is important to introduce into the garden, viz., repose. Repose is closely correlated with breadth of treatment, but it also involves a 36 GARDEN PLANNING proper proportioning of the main elements of the design, the borders, grass, and walks. As regards the walks, it is only necessary to see that they exist for a definite purpose (not merely because the designer thinks they help the outlines on his paper plan) and that they do not sprawl aimlessly about the plot, cutting it up into awkward shapes. Grass, more than any other feature, helps to secure a feeling of repose. As far as possible it should exist in a single stretch, or at least it should not consist of a number of scattered pieces. Apart from questions of tennis and croquet, the grass is a valuable background to the flowers; a place where the feet may escape the "crunch " of gravel, and one may find perhaps a corner bathed in shadow, from which to look out upon one aspect of the garden picture, or to enjoy one's thoughts or thoughts of another between the covers of a book. Let the grass, therefore, take its proper place, and be duly proportioned to the rest. And so with the beds and borders. It is little short of vandalism to fret the lawn into a lace-work of fantastically fashioned beds, in THE GARDEN PICTURE 37 which geometry is invoked to provide the gardener with inspiration. Nature does not grow her flower groups within the rigid limits of five-pointed stars, crescents, and crosses. Beds in grass are sometimes admirable features in the general scheme, if modelled on simple shapes. The more elaborate the form of the bed the more time and labour will be expended in preserving its geometry, and the less enjoy- ment will be derived from the flowers. The maker of stars and crescents, moreover, should realize that an acute angle is an awk- ward one to which to adapt his flowers, and that to preserve the outlines of such beds it is necessary to fill them with puny plants, which, by constant pinching, are prevented from developing their natural charm of form and character. The result is that the bed is exalted above the flower, and the whole device becomes a mere formal patch of colour, ex- citing no more worthy emotion than an admira- tion for the gardener's patience and skill with the turf trimmer. Better to adopt a simple circle, square, or rectangle and to be not too particular if the flowers spread on to the grass, so long as they grow under natural 38 GARDEN PLANNING conditions and yield their harvest of blossom. The outlines they create under such treatment blend softly with the turf, and are far more sightly than the hard edges fresh from the trimming tool. I have already made it clear that the garden design must grow out of the garden itself, and this is only another way of saying that the garden must harmonize with its site and surroundings. There may be some conspicuous natural feature on the site which would furnish a theme for the designer — a knoll, a drop in level, or the presence of a natural pond or stream. Whatever it be, it may be utilized as a basis on which to build up the other details. The house also may provide the theme, and then the garden must be designed to harmonize with its outlines and character. A house permitted to stand up bleak and naked from an expanse of gravel or turf will always wear an aspect of aloofness from the garden. The first care of the designer, there- fore, should be to fill in the angles where the house rises above the ground, either by the use of shrubs, or by placing borders against the house wall, as circumstances may dictate. THE GARDEN PICTURE 39 Preconceived ideas, acquired before the site has been thoroughly surveyed, should not be allowed to influence the designer. Your neighbour's garden may be a model of good taste and successful horticulture, but, slavishly copied on another site, may be a dismal failure. The picturesque character of a garden may be marred as much by sins of commission as by sins of omission. There are gardens in which no expense has been spared to ensure a splendid succession of bloom, utterly ruined by the introduction of garish and incongruous accessories. The smaller the plot, the stronger apparently the temptation to import these eyesores. The garden maker cannot be too watchful against the use of inharmonious features. Such accessories as summer houses, arches, pergolas, dials, and garden seats should be designed to suit the garden, and their details and mode of construction should be simple and unostentatious. Paint should be sparingly used, if at all, and its colour should be chosen so as not to compete with the flowers. I have seen a wide expanse of trellis painted canary yellow, which for crudity and ill-taste would be hard to match, yet the perpetrator 40 GARDEN PLANNING was content to grow nasturtiums upon it, quite unconscious of having outraged the canons of art. The so-called "rustic" work is rarely in good taste. If the summer house is to be decorated, what better means can be found than allowing some pretty creeper to scramble over it, softening its outline and loading it with bloom .^ Terra-cotta, china, and cast-iron vases should be used with caution. They are generally out of scale in a small garden, and never quite satisfactory unless associated with a terrace wall, or some similar structure. In most cases their place could be taken by stout oaken tubs, with advantages on the score of appearance. The gardener must* be hoplessly depraved if he admit such objects as minerals, mechanical models, and sea-shells into his garden. If he possesses any of these curiosities let him find a place for them apart in a special museum. Given discretion in excluding the inartistic and incongruous, there may be still room for mistakes in the use of garden accessories. They may be selected so as not to be in proper THE GARDEN PICTURE 4I scale with the garden, or with that part of the garden in which they are to be installed. In these matters the designer's instincts must guide him to the attainment of what is correct. Good proportion is largely a matter of intuition, though a sense of fitness may come from knowledge and good sense. Let the garden maker decide as far as possible by the help of both. The golden rules are: Use before ornament. Simplicity. Appropriateness. Sound construction. Scale. . As every garden picture must have a focus, or, in other words, a point of interest to which the eye will naturally direct itself before it can properly appreciate the general effect, I attach much value to the summer house as a suitable device for the purpose. It makes a very natural terminal to the principal path, and is therefore "led up to^' in such a way as to enhance its usefulness for this purpose. Again, the pointed roof is admirably adapted for constituting the apex or summit of the garden picture. This particularly applies to 42 GARDEN PLANNING new gardens, before it Is possible to utilize the trees as conspicuous elements in the picture. A well-constructed summer house, weather- proof, and placed so that its open side is in shade, is a most desirable addition to any- garden, however small, both as a picturesque feature in the design and as a useful retreat in hot or rainy weather. Of other garden accessories I shall have occasion to treat in their proper place. Though I am writing in the main in the in- terest of flower lovers, I shall make reference to the kitchen garden, and here I may point out that it is often feasible to so wed it to the flower ground that it materially helps the garden picture. In small gardens, where the owner desires to reserve a plot for vegetables, the apparent size of the garden is reduced if the vegetable ground is screened off. On the other hand, if left in full view, it contrasts too conspicuously with the flower ground. It is best to take both factors into considera- tion when making the garden design, and, by means which I shall describe in detail later on, to blend flower and kitchen garden into harmony. In this way the garden vistas may THE GARDEN PICTURE 43 be lengthened without curtailing the vegetable space, and even the tenants of the latter may be made in some measure to contribute to the garden picture, particularly if fruit is grown. There are certain practical considerations in town and suburban gardens which demand that the vegetables should be grown in that part of the plot most remote from the house. If fruit trees be planted in the kitchen plot, the blossom in its season is valuable at a time when the flower garden is but little advanced toward its summer display. There is only one other point to emphasize, and that has reference to garden management rather than to garden making. Yet it is worth noting. I refer to what some gardeners call "tidiness." The striving after a neat, trim, and well-kept garden is apt to lead the gardener into a ruthless trimming and pinching of plants. It is one of the things which can be too well done. The truly artistic garden is one in which the plant has full scope to de- velop its character. It wants elbow-room, and has no respect for artificial boundaries. It Is a sin to curb and mutilate the plant because, forsooth, it pushes out its foliage across the 44 GARDEN PLANNING path. Rather let it enjoy its liberty. The occasional plant which has more than repaid your care by exceeding its neighbour in vigour of growth deserves encouragement. Let it sprawl in reason. It will soften the edge of your border and redeem the straightness of its line. I would even designedly place certain plants so that they may behave in this manner. And, lastly, beware of the too liberal prun- ing of trees and shrubs. Nature is always right. She gives a character to each one of her crea- tions, which is its birthright. To trim all trees to a uniform shape, like the wooden models in a child's Noah's Ark, is to destroy their indi- viduality and charm, and to introduce the very essence of formality into the garden. CHAPTER IV The Rectilinear Principle I NOW propose to enter more intimately Into the practical details of garden design- ing. The suburban garden is usually a rectangle. Its four boundaries are straight lines, and its area is so restricted that these boundaries are only too obvious to the person standing within them. The house is square at its angles, squarely placed within the garden boundaries, and rightly so. Thus the problem of designing the details of the garden Is encompassed by conditions which demand special consideration. We cannot Ignore the fact that the skeleton on which we have to build our garden plan is a thing of straight lines and right angles. The problem, therefore, for the garden designer is to evolve a style of planning that will best harmonize with these elements, which by no ingenuity of contrivance can be suppressed. 45 46 GARDEN PLANNING The treatment I advocate is based upon the use of straight lines, and experience has shown that it is the only successful method of solving the problem. I have termed it the "rectilinear principle." It might, at first sight, appear to imply the very essence of formality, but, under careful scrutiny, this objection disappears. Let us consider the alternative: this would involve the use of curves or irregular lines, which would at once establish a new factor in the problem. The curves might be laid down with the utmost skill with a view to obtaining a unity inter se, but they would individually and collectively remain in perma- nent discord with the rectilinear boundaries, emphasizing their squareness. It should be understood that the problem under consideration is the planning of a garden of moderate size, to which type of garden alone I should apply the rectilinear treatment. On garden plots of larger size, even if bounded by straight lines, the case is different. Usually means may be adopted in such cases to sufficiently mask the fences or walls, which, owing to the larger area of the plot, would never be obtrusive. THE RECTILINEAR PRINCIPLE 47 I claim no novelty for the rectilinear system. In some form or other it has been in use by garden planners since the days of the ancient Egyptians, but not always applied in a way to secure the best possible results. Modern gardeners, having acquired a horror of formal effect, have sought to avoid it by the introduc- tion of winding paths and sinuous edges to their borders. My object is to show that these devices do not achieve their purpose, but rather defeat it. The question of formality in a small garden must be tackled in another way. The use of straight lines does not preclude variety and the other factors which make for picturesque effect. But when allied to an obvious symmetry it does engender formality. Therefore I exclude from the rectilinear system any arrangement which gives equal-sidedness to the garden. These points will be better appreciated by reference to Fig. 3. At A is shown the type of garden only too common. I may call it the rectangular sym- metrical style. It has crystallized into a permanent feature in many city lots. Its faults 48 GARDEN PLANNING are many and obvious. It is not correlated with aspect, and therefore does not make the most of the space. Such a garden would handicap the flower grower. Its symmetry is too pronounced to be capable of being masked in the planting. Its circuit path is ABC Fig. 3. — Garden styles compared a waste of gravel and a waste of space. It has no distinction, and it would elude the gardener THE RECTILINEAR PRINCIPLE 49 who sought to make it picturesque in the fullest sense. B is the garden which hopes to avoid for- mality by the use of curves, but fails in its mission because its lines are out of harmony with its boundaries. C is a simple application of the rectilinear principle, based upon a careful consideration of aspect. In the last example it will be seen that the principal borders enjoy full sun, that the main lines are parallel with the boundary fences, and therefore appear as a natural suggestion from those boundaries; that the path has a definite purpose — to take the traffic where the attraction of the flowers leads it — and that it begins and ends some- where. The grass is confined to a single area, and includes no shapes which would be difficult to attack with a mower. The keynote is simplicity, which implies dignity and harmony. Such a garden could be planted with the best results in securing a really artistic general effect. It may be remarked, to prevent misappre- hension, that this design is capable of con- siderable modification to suit circumstances. 50 GARDEN PLANNING It is adapted in this case to a north-east aspect. For other aspects the positions of the borders would be altered, and other details would need modification. Apart from the more important advantages already mentioned it is clear that it has others of minor moment, yet desirable from the gardener's point of view. The edging of straight borders is always more easily managed than that of curved ones. Stone or concrete edges take truer lines, and are more easily kept in place. The trimming of grass edges can always be controlled by a stretched cord. A straight path is the shortest route between any two points. In the next following chapters I shall show in more detail how the rectilinear system may be applied to the making of a really picturesque garden. CHAPTER V The Elements of the Garden Plan There are three main factors In the garden plan — the beds, the walks, and the grass. In the evolution of the garden design the beds (in which term I include borders) should receive first consideration. They may well occupy more space than is usually allowed them. The narrow strips of border so often seen skirting the fences of suburban gardens are practically useless for flower culture. A width of six feet is not too much for the principal border, and it should, if possible, be in full sun. If the main path defines its near boundary, another border parallel to it may be made on the other side of the path but narrower, say four feet wide. This dis- parity in width is designed to secure variety and to eliminate one - sidedness. Two such borders, the wide one planted with shrubs and herbaceous plants, the narrow one with surface- 51 52 GARDEN PLANNING growing flowers, become complementary, and ofl'er opportunity for many charming effects, and for the creation of a fine vista. The narrow border would on one side abut on the grass plot, and short transverse extensions of it might be carried into the grass area to break its inner line and to extend the flower space laterally. Such offshoots from a long border become partial screens, helping to secure that quality which I have already referred to as "reticence." It is by no means necessary that every border should be served by a path. On the con- trary, variety of effect is assisted by intro- ducing a border between the grass and the boundary fence, say on the side of the garden opposite to the main walk. These points I shall further elucidate when I come to consider special examples. The main point I wish to emphasize at this stage is that the borders, in which the gardener aims at securing his principal flower display, should be in full sun, and served by the principal path. I also desire to make it clear that these borders must be the dominating factor in the design, for it is not too much to say that they constitute ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 53 the garden in the truest sense of the word. The path is for utility, the grass for repose, and both must ever be subordinate to the beds and borders. Hence we cannot give too careful thought to the latter. Just how the further elaboration of the scheme is contrived after the positions of the principal borders have been determined will depend upon circumstances and the fancy of the garden maker. If the garden is of con- siderable length it may be advisable to divert the path before it has traversed the full extent of the plot. How this may be done without sacrificing the welfare of the flowers, and with best results to the garden picture, will appear hereafter. I mention it here as one of the legitimate devices for securing a desirable quality in the plan. The introduction of detached beds also Is a matter In which the taste of the designer must be his most trust- worthy guide. An expedient I have often employed is to allow the path to expand into a square at some point of its length, and to install a square bed in its centre. This is a very convenient device when it is required to effect a slight 54 GARDEN PLANNING deviation in the path without altering its direction, as the path may enter the square at one corner, and leave it by the diagonally opposite corner. (Fig. 4.) Beds in grass, when set near its boundary, should be allowed a verge of at least eighteen inches, to prevent difficulties in mowing. The use of circles and parts of circles, as well as of figures in which the angles are equal and not less than a right angle — the hexagon, for example — is not opposed to the rectilinear system of treatment. They become mere details, in no special way related to the lead- ing lines of the garden plan. Though the principal borders should usurp the best position in the garden, there is no reason why the gardener should not make a border in the shade, where he may grow such plants as thrive best under that condition. The foot of a southern boundary fence is well suited for a shady border, because it is warm as well as shady. Ferns, lily-of-the-valley, Fig. 4. — Expansion of path ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 55 and Solomon's Seal would thrive In such a border, as well as a multitude of other plants. When the house does not stand squarely within its boundaries, or when the garden boundaries are straight but not rectangular, as in a plot which tapers in the direction of its length, the problem requires some special consid- eration; but usually means may be devised to bring the garden details into harmony with these disconcerting factors, as a perusal of some of the plans in Chapter XVIII will show. I have said that the paths exist for utility. That is so in a large measure, but they have a further value, in linking together the other elements of the garden. Moreover, a path is an objective invitation to walk through the garden and enjoy its beauties. A garden without a path would hardly satisfy the eye. On the other hand, nothing is so wasteful of space, or so irritating to the eye, as a multitude of paths cutting up the garden into small compartments and destroying the breadth of the picture. There are two principal points in every path, or should be — the beginning and the end. Paths which start nowhere and end at a blank 56 GARDEN PLANNING wall suggest purposelessness. It may be taken as an axiom that the principal path should commence at some point conveniently near, and preferably facing, the door by which the house inmates enter their garden. Its direction should be through the flowers, and it should have a natural termination, or final destination. The best terminal to a garden path in my opinion is the summer house, and when that feature is non-existent, an arbour, or some other erection, should serve the purpose. Failing that, the path might terminate in a square expansion, in which a seat, sundial, or other appropriate object might be placed. It would be better to end it at a tool house or garage, or even at a potting-shed, than to allow it to stop suddenly nowhere. All deviations in the direction of the path should be made at right angles. Diagonal paths are not permissible. They never look well in a small garden. The value of a path is mainly in proportion to its utility. After rain or heavy dew the garden would be uninviting without a path. It also preserves the turf from traffic, which would soon wear it to bareness. This sums ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 57 Up the path's usefulness. That it has also a certain value in the general picture I have already conceded. I have seen it laid down in handbooks on gardening that the smaller ihe garden the more the need for the "wind- ing path," which, it is claimed, adds to the "apparent length of the garden." I cannot conceive that any such result could follow in a garden the boundaries of which are visible on every side. The winding path in a small plot serves only to cut up the space into irreg- ularly shaped areas, the treatment of which will tax the skill of the planner to deal with successfully, whilst the additional amount of gravel surface is so much deducted from what might be made productive flower ground. The width of the path must bear some re- lation to the scale of the garden. In com- paratively small plots, economy of space sug- gests that it should be the minimum compatible with its purpose. I do not favour a less width than three feet for a principal path under any circumstances. In larger gardens greater width may be permitted, as there is a certain distinction and dignity in a broad walk when all else is in 58 GARDEN PLANNING proportion. In a half-acre plot a width of five feet might be desirable. The practical details of path making will be treated in a separate chapter, but I may here refer to the path material, more particu- larly as regards its colour and texture. Red gravel, coarse sand, bricks, and tiles are warm in tone, contrasting well with the grass and harmonizing with the flowers and their foliage. Granite chips, cinders, tarred gravel, blue stone, and cement are cold and unin- viting, and should only be used when other materials are unobtainable. Red gravel (of the right kind, which binds well), bricks, tiles, tarred gravel, and cement make paths with a close, hard surface. Sand or pebbles, stone chips, cinders, and blue stone never bind thoroughly, and therefore make paths with a loose surface, which, apart from the unpleasant feeling underfoot, Im- plies that much loose material will adhere to the boots and be carried on to the grass, with disastrous results to the knives of the mower. Though paths, as a rule, should be made of equal width throughout, it is sometimes ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 59 advisable when they are of any great length, and particularly if straight, to introduce at ^ Fig. s. — Expansion of path 6o GARDEN PLANNING some suitable point an expansion in width to break the line. This should be done in one of the ways in- dicated in the illustration (Fig. 5). These expansions may be utilized to accommodate garden seats, sundials, vases or tubs, trees Fig. 6. — Expansion of path or beds, so as not to appear quite purposeless. Expansions of the kind indicated are well placed at points where a secondary path breaks EtEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 6l off from the principal one; also at the terminal of a path, as already mentioned. In winding paths they would take a form more in harmony with the lines of the path, as the examples illustrated in Fig. 6 show. Although the rectilinear system, as adapted to small gardens, demands that path offshoots should be made to leave the path at right angles, the same does not apply to curved paths, in which all by-paths must leave the main path at a more or less acute angle, the curves of both being laid down to form a pleasing combination of lines, thus: Thedictumof a distinguished landscape gar- dener on this question may be taken as an axiom. Rep- Fig. 7.— Path junction ton, as quoted by Mawson, says: "When two walks diverge from each other they should not appear as if they were intended to join again, but rather as if each led to points far apart." The use of curved paths, though inadmissible 62 GARDEN PLANNING in small plots, Is quite legitimate and even desirable in plots of larger size, and I may therefore offer some guidance for laying them out. Curves should be set out in good, bold sweeps. Grace of line is only to be obtained by a prac- tised eye guided by an intuitive sense of what is pleasing, so that the best achievements in this direction are usually the result of skill, knowledge, and artistic instinct. A hint may be given as to what should be avoided. Thus the curve A in the illustration (Fig. 8) is- better than B. Mr. Mawson inhisadmirable book, "The Art and Craft of Garden Mak- ing," says of garden walks: "They should be arranged in such a way that the beauties of the place may be exhibited, not by a series of wriggles, but in a simple straightforward manner." As a rule, these curves are best not modelled on a geometrical basis, — i. e., one in which parts of circles do duty as their components. It is Fig. 8. — Curves in paths ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 63 better that they should have that flowing character of which we find the counterpart in nature in the graceful lines of a bending sedge or the curved stem of a flower spike. Thus the planner should rely on freehand rather than the compasses. In laying down such a curved path the novice is too apt to overlook the spaces to right and left. He should ever bear in mind that his walks subdivide the garden space, and on the course they take will depend the shape of the areas they bound or enclose. Thus in the case of a path skirting the garden boundary the amount and shape of the space between it and the boundary fence must be considered. For instance, it would be bad practice to leave a strip too wide for a border but too narrow to carry a border with grass in front of it. I now pass on to the third element in the garden plan — the grass. From the fore- going it will be seen how closely correlated it is with the other factors. In small gardens it is best to confine the grass to a single area, though circumstances may arise to make it desirable to depart from this rule. In such event the second grass 64 GARDEN PLANNING space should be subordinate to the principal one, and if possible reserved for a separate purpose. To bisect the garden into two equal areas of grass is at once to introduce symmetry. The artist well knows how fatal it is to a good pictorial effect to allot equal spaces to sky and landscape. The two cases are parallel. In gardens of the size I am now considering the idea of a " lawn " for games is rarely realiz- able for want of space, and the grass plot, therefore, should be treated with other pur- poses in view. Its functions are more closely related to the flowers and general picture. It affords welcome relief to the eye, and by contrast enhances the value of the colour effect obtainable with the flowers. Moreover, its surface presents a cool, soft, and welcome tread, and a place to "laze" upon and enjoy the garden vistas. It is that part of the garden in which we may plant a few trees for shade, without fear that their shadows and hungry roots will work havoc with the flowers. The grass plot should never be isolated by surrounding it on all sides with gravel, as too often is done in the type of garden illustrated in Fig. 3A, the ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 65 garden with a circuit path so beloved by suburban dwellers. Let one or more of the sides join a border, where grass and flowers would come into juxtaposition. Even let the border thrust out an extension into the grass in the manner suggested in the early (^ 0^0 B (? Fig. 9. — The grouping of beds part of this chapter. But beware of fretting your principal grass plot into a thing of ragged outline by overdoing this procedure, and do not pierce it with a multitude of little beds. Remember also that the simpler in shape your grass plot, the less difficulty you will experience in mowing it and keeping it trim and neat. 66 GARDEN PLANNING Beds in grass are best grouped at one or two points, and the components of the group should be shaped so as to produce unity of effect. Com- pare the two examples illustrated on page 65 (A correctly grouped, B incorrectly grouped). It is generally better that the outlines of the group should preserve a parallelism with those of the grass plot, as this ensures a more harmonious effect. From what I have written about the im- portance of making aspect the guiding factor in garden design, it is clear that the gardener should contrive, as far as possible, that the principal shadows in his garden should fall upon the grass, where they will be welcome as shade, and will not preclude the growth of good turf. Small detached grass spaces, if unavoid- able, may be made interesting by planting them with bulbs, thereby securing a charming feature in spring and early summer. Another plan is to utilize the space for a sunken rock garden, and yet another is to make a cen- tral group of beds upon it, which in the case of a square space becomes an attractive secondary focus. An important point is to give proper access ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN d'] to all grass spaces. This implies that the borders should not bar the way which appears to be the most natural one of reaching the grass. Neglect of this consideration may tempt those who use the garden to skip over the borders, with consequences to the plants which I need not particularize. It is well to provide means of access to the grass at all points from which it is likely to be approached, by bringing it up to the path at those points. This is done by curtailing the border some three or four feet at its end, or by breaking through it at some point in its length. Many examples illustrating this suggestion will be found in the plans. ^When a grass plot is used solely as a back- ground for a group of beds, ample verge should be left at the edges, and, whatever the shape of the beds, the spaces between bed and bed should be of sufficient width to ensure no difficulty in mowing. In dealing with grass spaces of irregular outline, such as would occur where the paths are winding, the placing of the beds should take into account the outline of the grass space. For instance, a square group of beds set in a 68 GARDEN PLANNING curved promontory would produce a discordant note. Better to adapt the shape of the group to the space in which it is set. The two methods are here illustrated for the sake of comparison, and a glance at the figures [Z7/-n\Z] «oB<' Fig. lo. — Girrect form for groups of beds will sufficiently convince the reader as to which method is most likely to please the eye. There is no need to make the grass level if the ground has a natural slope, provided, ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 69 of course, "King Tennis" does not rule. On the contrary, sloping ground greatly assists drainage, and ensures that puddles shall not lodge on the surface, which, on heavy ground, would Inevitably occur on a dead-level plot. CHAPTER VI Making Beds and Borders Being Intended solely for the purpose of accommodating living plants, beds and borders should be made so that they will furnish every- thing that a plant demands of the soil. This implies not only that the soil shall be of such a nature as to supply abundant food for the roots, but that it shall be of sufficient depth and of proper consistency, and that it shall contain no undesirable constituents. Soils are as we find them, and not always as we would have them, so that the gardener who, by force of circumstances, has to till an intractable soil, must adopt artificial means to bring it into a better condition. Reference has already been made to the subject in Chapter II. Let us assume that the gardener is breaking virgin ground, say a piece of old pasture. He has staked out the main lines of his garden plan, 70 MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS Jl and Is about to make his beds and borders. The soil consists of a top-spit of brown loam overlying a clayey subsoil. If the latter is a stiff clay, and insufficient surface soil overlies it, the gardener may have to face the necessity of importing additional material. But let us assume that the consistency of the subsoil is not so hopeless as the above assumption would imply. Then the proper procedure is to bring soil and subsoil into intimate ad- mixture, so that one may temper the other, and to do so to such a depth as the ordinary requirements of horticulture demand. In most circumstances this may be taken as two feet or thereabout. This is best done by the operation known as "trenching," now to be explained. It may be well here to state that trenching is a term applied strictly to spade work which has for its object deep tillage, as distinguished from "digging," by which the surface layer of the soil only is turned over. Trenching is best done in the late fall months when the weather is yet open. It is conducted in various ways according to the results re- quired and to the previous condition of the 72 GARDEN PLANNING ground. In "full-trenching" the process has the effect of reversing the relative positions of the upper and lower layers of soil, so that that which was situated, say, two feet below the surface comes to the top, and the top layer goes to the lower level. So complete a reversal may be admirable treatment for ground which has long been in tillage, and therefore already broken up to the trenching depth, but it would be inad- visable in the case of new ground such as we are considering, the subsoil of which had not seen the light perhaps for centuries. On such ground the subsoil would be compacted and wanting entirely in the constituents which furnish food for plants. It is clear, therefore, that if full-trenching were adopted the gardener would have a very poor surface layer in which to grow his flowers. A better plan would be to " half-trench," which consists in removing the surface soil in sections, then breaking up the subsoil with a fork, and subsequently replacing the surface soil. But there is still a better method for the garden maker, designed to effect the more or less complete mixing of the soil and subsoil MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 73 to the desired depth. As that is the principal object he should have in view, this last method is the one for him to adopt. The operation is conducted as follows: The ground is opened up to the full depth by a trench cut across the border, as shown Fig. II. — Trenching by the full line in the illustration, which represents the trench in cross-section. The soil removed may at once be carried to a position near the far end of the border. The gardener then proceeds to fill up the trench at A with soil taken alternately from B and C, D and E, and so on till he reaches the end of the border, when the space left must be filled in with the soil that has been taken there for the purpose. If the land is old pasture, care should be taken to bury the turfs, so they may in due time rot 74 GARDEN PLANNING and thereby contribute their quota to enriching the soil. Although the primary object of trenching is to produce a workable soil of sufficient depth, incidentally assisting drainage and effecting aeration, it aifords a good opportunity for enriching the soil by incorporating with it a proportion of manure. In the making of beds and borders in a new garden this oppor- tunity should not be neglected. Therefore the gardener should have at hand a heap of good manure, and as the work proceeds he should add it to the soil at a regular rate, until the whole contents of the border has been treated. This must be done in a manner which ensures that the manure be well dis- tributed in depth, not merely added to the surface layer, so that when the plants send down their roots they will find a reserve of food awaiting them. Once made in this way, the border will not need trenching again for some years. The an- nual digging and manuring will serve to keep it in efficient condition for a period dependent upon the demands made upon it. It should be remembered that when we have MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 75 planted, and the plants have become estab- lished in the borders, it is not possible to resort to trenching again without removing all the plants; hence the necessity for doing the work thoroughly in the first instance. With beds and groups of beds of compact shape, trenching as just described is hardly practicable. The better method is first to remove the top-spit over the whole surface of the bed, heaping it close at hand; then to do the same with the lower layer, making a separate heap of it; after which the bottom should be forked over and the soil thrown back, mixing well together that from the two separate heaps. A due proportion of manure should be added, as in ordinary trenching. Thus far these directions apply to soils which are naturally well fitted for the gardener. With too light or too heavy soils some tempering material must be added, and this is best done when the beds and borders are being formed. On heavy clay soils we may use sand, fine gravel, ashes, and vegetable matter. It is an excellent plan, not often adopted, I fear, to make the lowest layer of brick rubbish, with cinders overlying. 76 GARDEN PLANNING This ensures good drainage. At least two feet of soil should be put above the drainage layer. The cost and trouble may be more^ but the results will repay the gardener. Fig. 12. — Drainage for beds and borders Borders prepared in this way do not suffer from water-logging even during wet winters. In hot summer weather they neither bake nor become dry for any great distance down. If the trenching is done in the autumn, the winter frosts will help to break up the clay lumps, reducing them to a consistency more nearly approaching loam. The important point in the treatment of clay land is to secure a suffi- cient admixture of loose porous material to destroy the tenacity of the clay and to permit of moisture freely finding its way down through the mass of soil. A certain proportion of vegetable matter is a gain, as it has manurial value. Hence the gardener may cast into his MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 77 trench turfs, weeds, and garden and house refuse, which In due time will rot and supply humus. On light soils, which usually owe their light- ness to an undue amount of sand, or may consist almost entirely of sand, we may add stiff loam and clay to give it greater body and a more retentive character. As such soils are usually deficient in humus, vegetable matter also may be added with advantage. Whether the treatment is designed to render a heavy soil lighter or a light one heavier, the aim of the garden maker should be to secure a well-drained bed or border, the soil of which, to a depth of at least two feet, Is of a workable consistency and not likely to suffer from ex- tremes of weather, either in the direction of drought or continued wet. Such a soil will admit air as easily as it admits moisture, and air performs a very im- portant function In "sweetening" and purify- ing the soil, by hastening those processes of decomposition which are always taking place. In soils of the heaviest kind it may be necessary to introduce subsoil drainage by means of agricultural tile, or rubble drains 78 GARDEN PLANNING laid at regular intervals, but the gardener would be wise to avoid land which could be rendered workable only by such means. Drainage in that case would have to be car- ried out over the whole of the ground and not merely beneath the borders. On stony land the operation of trenching affords a good opportunity for removing an excess of stones. I do not recommend screen- ing, unless a very coarse screen is employed, because a certain proportion of stones is an advantage to the soil, helping to keep it loose and workable. It is therefore generally ad- visable to throw out the larger stones only. There cannot be two opinions about the wisdom of deep working, and it only needs to be tried and the results noted to impress the most sceptical gardener of its value. I now pass on to a consideration of the form and disposition of beds as picturesque ele- ments in the garden. I need add nothing to what I have already said about borders, be- cause their position generally determines their form, and aspect decides their position. I used the term "bed" to distinguish a detached compartment for flower growing. Beds are MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 79 most often formed in turf. Sometimes, how- ever, they are given a background of gravel, particularly when a formal effect is desired. Whatever the background, the form of bed, as regards its outline, is important, and it is essential that we should not outrage good taste by indulging in anything of eccentric character. I have already pointed out the disadvantages from a practical standpoint of such shapes as crescents, stars, and other figures having acute angles. Did not these practical objections count, I should still decry these shapes because of their obvious artificiality. The outlines by which we bound our flower beds should not be of a character to fix the eye and divert our attention from the flowers. Another objection to these bi- zarre shapes is the great aggregate length of their boundaries in comparison with the space they enclose. This disproportion means that the actual length of edging to be kept trimmed and cared for is much greater than is necessary, and where beds of this kind exist in numbers the extra labour is not negligible. To take a concrete case, the boundary length 8o GARDEN PLANNING of a five-pointed star, as shown in the illus- tration, compares with that of a circle of the same diameter as five to three. A circle, it is well known, encloses the largest amount of space in relation to its circumference, and is therefore the figure which has the smallest length of boundary. The octagon, hexagon, and pentagon come next in economy of boundary, and the square and rectangle Fig. 13. — Shapes of beds follow. If the gardener goes beyond these simple shapes he will necessarily become lavish of edging. I do not mean to say that he is on that account to confine himself to those shapes alone. We must have variety in form and scope for fancy. It is well, how- ever, to have our eyes open to the consequences of indulging in sprawling and attenuated MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 8l forms, which are prodigal of margin but enclose comparatively little flower space. Of the forms of bed in general use, and admissible on practical and artistic grounds, I give some examples, omitting the circle, square, and rectangle as sufficiently indicated by their names. OC3 Fig. 14 — Shapes of beds It is obvious that some of these are suitable only as components of a group, by reason of their unsymmetrical character. Beds are placed either singly or in groups. In the former case it is well to select a shape which bears some relation to the outlines of 82 GARDEN PLANNING the grass on which it is placed, if it comes suf- ficiently near those outlines for it to matter. A square bed set in an oval grass plot would not harmonize so well with its outline as a circular or oval bed, as I have already pointed out in connection with groups of beds. So in a square or rectangular plot of limited dimen- sions a square or rectangular bed would best please the eye. In designing a group of beds it is not sufficient to throw together several components bearing no relation to each other in shape. On the contrary, there should be a rigid harmony in shape between the components. This is best secured by giving attention to the strips of sward or gravel which separate them, and a good rule is to make these strips of equal width throughout their length, so that the sides of adjacent beds are parallel with each other. This is made clear in the next illustration. Practical considerations in connection with mowing make it desirable that this strip of sward should not be too narrow, say not less than eighteen inches. In groups of beds in gravel, the separating strips become possible paths, MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 83 and their minimum width may therefore be fixed at two feet. Examples of groups of flower beds will be found in plenty in the garden plans in a later chapter. As regards the size of a bed, or of the corn- Fig. 15. — Relation between beds in a group ponents of a group, no precise limits can be laid down. A bed may consist of a square measuring two feet each way, if intended to accommodate a pillar rose. On the other hand, very large beds are sometimes introduced, when they are in scale with their surroundings and 84 GARDEN PLANNING a bold effect is aimed at. In most cases, how- ever, nothing is gained by making a bed of greater area than is represented by a circle of twelve feet diameter. In groups of beds it is well to have a central component which dominates the group. But too great disparity in size between it and those about it is not desirable. When a series of groups is to be made, as, for instance, along the grass bordering a drive, the same design should not be repeated in- definitely. It is better to repeat it, if at all, at considerable intervals, employing other designs in between. The same applies to a series of single beds, though monotony is not so notice- able in that case, particularly if the form employed is a simple one. For instance, a series of equal and similar rectangular beds bordering a long straight stretch of grass may be quite inoffensive, but even in that case it would be better to break the line at equal dis- tances by making a wider interval between adjacent beds at every third or fourth bed, thus introducing a simple kind of grouping, which always looks better than a regular series like the cars of a freight train. MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 85 The gardener has always to consider the trouble Involved in maintaining the shapes of his beds, and this should make him cautious about indulging in figures the geometry of which is not very obvious. With rectangular beds the stretched cord is always a sure guide for the turf trimmer, and with circular beds, or those bounded by straight lines and parts of a circle, the radius cord attached to a stake at the centre of curvature is a simple expedient for controlling the shape. It is otherwise with "fancy" shapes, when the eye alone can be called upon to keep things right. Opinions differ on the question of camber in the surface of the soil, if we may judge by examples, some preferring to keep the surface flat, and others to heap it up until the bed takes on the semblance of a gigantic pincushion. Safety lies in the happy medium. Some camber is desirable as a means for throwing off the water during heavy showers, and it improves the appearance of the flowers, particularly when they are all of a height, as in bedding practice. Excessive camber tends to drain off the moisture from the crown of the bed. 86 GARDEN PLANNING Beds In gravel, if edged with box, should be kept nearly flat on the surface, otherwise the moisture which gravitates to their margins would tend to carry soil out upon the gravel surface. CHAPTER VII Construction of Walks and Drives The first essential in a garden path is that it should present a firm surface, durable under the ordinary conditions of the traffic it has to bear, which, be it remembered, includes not only foot traffic, but the passage of roller, mower, and garden barrow. It must also be well drained, so that after showers its surface does not hold puddles or long remain wet. There is no detail in the garden which con- tributes more materially to its general good appearance and to the comfort of its users than a well-made and well-kept path. Drives designed for carriage traffic may also be referred to in this chapter, as practically the same principles of construction apply to them, though if much used by wheeled vehicles and not merely for show, the surface material must be such as will not cut up in daily use; 87 «« GARDEN PLANNING in fact, their making should involve the ordi- nary principles of road construction. In laying down the line of a drive, if any departure is made from the straight, the curves should make wide sweeps. Abrupt turns in carriage drives are apt to lead to unlooked-for surprises on dark nights. The minimum width for a carriage drive may be taken as ten feet. There are two points in a drive which call for special attention on the part of the designer, viz., the entrance and the terminal. If the drive enters the plot at right angles, it is well to set the gates back from the road, so as to make space for vehicles to turn, and this is especially necessary when the drive leaves a narrow thoroughfare. It is usually done by making the railings or boundary hedge curve inward toward the gates, or curved wing walls may be erected enclosing a space approximating a semicircle. When the drive enters the plot at an angle it should break away from the thoroughfare by a curve which meets the latter at a tangent, or if from a curved thoroughfare, the two curves should flow gracefully into each other; in other CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 89 words, they should have a common tangent line. It is not unusual to find the course of a drive so laid down that its length is unnecessarily great, the idea being that it impresses the visi- tor. This is a waste of material and of space. Fig. 16. — Entrance to drive On level ground a straight drive leading to the house by the shortest route is generally the best. Curved drives, however, are not objectionable provided their lines run in bold sweeps, and they may afford an opportunity for screening the house when privacy is desirable. On sloping ground the course of the drive 90 GARDEN PLANNING must be determined with a view to ensuring an easy gradient, and in such case it may- be necessary to use curves freely. Fig. 17. — The carriage-turn Where the drive reaches the house entrance an expansion should be made to permit of vehicles turning, and it should be wide enough CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 9I to allow them to turn on a sufficiently large radius to prevent damage to the road surface. The form of the "carriage-turn" is immaterial if it is large enough; but if space is restricted it is better to adopt the circle, or some figure approximating it. In the case of a semicircular drive having separate entrance and exit gates, the carriage- turn is unnecessary, but may be retained in some form as a concession to the eye, which naturally looks for a free space opposite the house door. The coming of the motor car has introduced a new and insistent problem in driveway en- trances to suburban plots — in the open country estate the only extra modifications lie in the necessity of greater, gentler curves. The factors to be considered in the smaller place have been well presented in Country Life^ October 1922, thus: Width between automobile tires, direc- tion the runway takes relative to lines of street curb, width of parking space between sidewalk and curb, elevation of sidewalk above curb, rela- tive slopes in walk and curb, elevation of sidewalk above curb, relative slopes in walk and curb, gen- eral character of ground as respects lines and 92 GARDEN PLANNING grades, and textural finish suited to conditions. The average distance between centres of tires is four feet nine inches. Add to this one foot six inches to allow nine inches outside of each tire, and the result, six feet three inches, is a service- able width for the automobile runway. Six feet six inches is quite commonly used and is a good width under nearly all circumstances, unless curbs be built on the outside, when the overall width will be increased by about eight inches. It is assumed that each runway is eighteen inches wide with a grass plot between. They are sometimes built twelve inches and twenty- four inches, the former being too narrow and the latter unnecessarily wide. The ramp should in no case have a width less that the overall width of the runway. It is better, when ramp and runways do not join but are separated by a sidewalk, to have the narrow part or throat of the ramp equal to or bur slight- ly wider than the width of the runways. This will give the effect of continuity of the side lines. The width of the opening along the street curb will vary according to local conditions. From observations and measurements to determine what a driver will do when turning off the street CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 93 on to the ramp it is figured that eight feet six inches should be the minimum clearance allow- able and that ten to twelve feet is preferable. In laying out a ramp it is well to be liberal so far as service is concerned at the same time heeding the dictates of esthetics which demand the least possible display of cement. For ordinary cases and pleasing to the eye, the opening width of twelve feet is sufficient for an approach from either direction, and the throat opening, made equal to the overall width of the runway, gives the correct appearance when viewed from the front. The side Hnes of the ramp come into the Hne of the walk at a right angle. For the most pleasing results this is essential in normal cases. The ramp curbs should be made to articulate on easy curves with the street curb. A bad joint or a sharp angle where the two come together is certain to spoil the appearance of the work. The track of the car as it approaches and enters the grounds is on a curve, and it is only rational to curve the side lines of the ramp. If the runways are eighteen inches wide, any driver can keep on them while backing out, and curbs are not needed as a guide. 94 GARDEN PLANNING Gravel Paths — Much depends upon the quality of the gravel. There are gravels which are little better than shingle, being almost or entirely devoid of binding material. Gravels of this kind will never make a firm path, and a path of loose pebbles is objectionable on account of the liability of the smaller stones to be carried on to the grass. After staking out the course of the path, the soil must be excavated to a depth of twelve inches, or until a firm bottom is reached, and taken bodily away. The trench must then be filled in with rubble, brick rubbish, or other light material, to provide drainage and to en- sure a firm foundation. Over this may be put a layer of shingle or coarse gravel screenings, say three inches thick, which should be formed with the rake to a curved surface or camber in cross-section. The gravel may then be evenly distributed over the surface to a depth of from two to three inches, care being taken to keep the line of its crown straight in the direction of the path's length, but preserving the camber of the layer beneath. After liberal watering the roller should be put to work. The free use of water at CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 95 this Stage is important to success, as it ensures the subsequent consolidation of the gravel and prevents its adhering to the roller. The correct amount of water may be determined by noting the action of the roller, which should carry before it a wave of creamy liquid, a mix- Fig. i8.— Path foundation ture of water with the binding constituent of the gravel. The roller should be a moderately heavy one. After the path has been brought to a fair surface it should be left unused for at least twenty-four hours, and if no rain falls during that interval so much the better. Cinder Paths — These are dismal things in the flower garden, though they have a sphere of usefulness in the vegetable plot. They also may be made as directed for gravel paths. Tar Paths — When well made these are very durable, but their colour is against them, and in hot weather they are apt to become soft on the surface; the same apphes to asphalt. I have, however, seen tar paths the stony 96 GARDEN PLANNING constituent of which was a gray material, probably limestone, not altogether unsightly after the surface layer of tar had disappeared. Tar and other paths made of impervious material should not be flanked by impervious tiles, or water will collect at their sides. Cement Paths — These are unsympathetic in colour and Hable to crack under the influence of frost. To guard against cracking a good proportion of sand should be used in mixture, and the path should be laid on a concrete basis at least six inches thick. Cement may be coloured with iron oxide (red ochre) to give it a warmer and more genial hue. Brick Paths — Next to gravel the brick path holds first place: indeed, in my opinion, it is preferable to a gravel path in most circum- stances, its only drawback being its want of flexibility, which unfits it for use in curved fines. Its advantages are the ease with which it may be kept free from weeds, its durability, good colour, and the opportunity it off"ers for artistic eff"ect. In gardening, the old order of things dies hard, and gardeners are shy of adopt- ing anything savouring of novelty. Yet the brick path is not altogether a thing of to-day. CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 97 It may be met with in many old gardens, its cheery red surface worn into hollows, but ever dry owing to the porous nature of its material. From this observation we may take a hint, and, if we decide upon a brick path, be careful to obtain bricks of a kind which are not imper- vious to water. They may readily be tested by plunging one into a pail of water and noting the speed with which the surface water disap- pears after it has been lifted out again. In point of cost, brick paths do not compare un- favourably with gravel, but much depends upon the price of each material ruling in the district. A rubble foundation is prepared as for a gravel path, and dressed over with finer ma- terial, over which is put a layer of finely screened gravel or builder's sand, which must be raked to a level surface. The good appear- ance of brick paths would be marred if any perceptible camber were given to the surface, but on dead-level ground there may be half an inch difference of level between the sides and centre of a three-foot path. The bricks should be laid flat upon the sand without mortar or cement, pressed down firmly and into close contact, and kept in true line GARDEN PLANNING 98 by the use of a stretched cord. It is best to commence by laying the marginal bricks on one side from end to end, and to select the side which comes against turf, as that helps to keep the bricks in place. All bricks are more or less curved in the burning. The concave side is easily detected by glancing along the edge, and should be laid downward, otherwise the bricks will acquire a tendency to rock and be- come loose. Having laid the path margin on one side, and made sure thatitis straight and true from end to end, the centre may be built up to it, but before proceed- ing with this some idea must be formed of how the bricks are to be disposed. They may be laid in parallel lines, breaking joints, which is the simplest plan, and produces a neat if not =1— L-L-LTi-i:: Fig. 19. — Design lor brick path CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 99 ambitious effect, or a pattern may be worked out on some such lines as indicated in the illustration. In this it will be seen that whole bricks are used throughout. It is not desir- able to adopt a pattern which involves much cutting of bricks, because of the difficulty of making neat joints with the cut ends. If the centre part is well laid the other marginal line of bricks will lie neatly along its free side and complete the path. In bedding the bricks upon their seating the sand may be added to or removed, as oc- casion requires, to bring the upper surface of the bricks to the general level. The principal precaution needed is to bed each brick firmly, so that no subsequent subsidence of individual bricks can occur. If preferred, the marginal bricks may be laid on edge, to stand, say, about two inches above the level of the centre, but that practice is not conducive to efficient drainage. I have pointed out that the brick path can dispense with edging tiles, but to make it serve the purpose of the tile edging it must be 100 GARDEN PLANNING brought into proper relation with the ground on either side. That is best done by adopting the rule of making the level of the path at its edges the same as that of the turf (when it skirts a grass plot), and an inch and a half higher than the edge of the border when it comes against the soil. This is shown in the sectional illustration. The weight of ^^^^HP^** the bricks keeps them in place, but Fig. 20.- Section of brick path ^^ is well to Com- pact the soil of the border where it comes against the path by ramming, to ensure that the bricks on that side do not get out of place. In the case of very light soils I have found it desirable to push a few slates down into the soil at the outer mar- gin of the path, burying them as far as the soil level. If this is done at every fourth brick, and at a joint, the whole is made fairly secure. Grouting with cement would perhaps be a safer expedient, but I have not found it necessary. On sloping ground, where the slope crosses the path, the latter may continue the natural slope of the ground, and it should be made CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES lOI quite flat* on the surface, so that water may drain off at the lower margin. When the bricks have been laid the joints may be filled up with loose sand, watered to carry it down, and again filled up to a level with the surface. Whatever ideas the gardener may have about pattern-making, he should not allow his fancy to run away with him. Over-elaboration of pattern in so utilitarian a feature as a garden path would be too assertive. The simpler the design the better, though undue repetition is not desirable. Bearing in mind the fact that bricks meas- ure four inches in width, it is evident that the path width must be a multiple of that dimension, a fact to be remembered when the width of the path is being settled. Composite Paths — In this category I Include all paths In which bricks or tiles are used in combination with concrete, stone mosaics, cobble stones, and other like materials. I shall first refer to those In which bricks are *To avoid misapprehension I may say that I use the words "flat" and "level" in their strictly separate senses. An inclined path may be flat but is not level. A level path is flat of necessity. I02 GARDEN PLANNING used for the framework. The preparation of the foundation is the same as for an all- brick path, except that sand will only be needed where the bricks come. The general idea of a path of this charac- ter may be gathered from the illustration. It will be seen that the brickwork forms the basis of a pattern, which is completed by filling the spaces be- tween its members with another mate- rial. I have found road macadam an ex- cellent one, and I use it as follows: having made a mortar of builder's sand and Portland cement, half and half, I fill in the spaces one at a time, a half- of fine gravel, and then to the path level with mortar- Fig. 21. — Design for a composite path first with an inch and CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES IO3 Whilst the latter is soft I insert the macadam cubes, fitting them closely into contact and pressing them down, but leaving their upper sides slightly higher than the bricks. When the space is filled I go over it with a board and a mallet, beating down the cubes until they are all level with the bricks. The exuding mortar is transferred to the next space, and that one similarly treated until the whole path is finished. After allowing an hour for the mortar to partly set, the path surface may be washed over with a stiff brush and clean water, to remove the mortar which clings to the top of the stone cubes. In twelve hours the path will be set and as firm as a rock, the mortar used for the mosaic work taking hold of the bricks and tying the whole together. A plan less satisfactory on the score of appearance is to fill in the spaces with cement concrete, finishing with a rendering of cement. Cobble stones make an excellent filling, and give quite an old-world appearance to a path. They should be laid on end in dry sand, levelled by the use of the board and mallet, and then grouted with liquid cement poured amongst I04 GARDEN PLANNING them from a pail until it rises above the middle of the pebbles. Another mode of filling is to use coarse rubble blocks, setting them in mortar with the aid of a builder's trowel. Similar paths may be made by substituting tiles for bricks. The expense is greater and more skill is required in the setting, which must be done on a bed of mortar. I do not think that anything is to be said in favour of tiles instead of bricks. They are less porous, and therefore do not dry so quickly. They are also more liable to be dislodged and broken. Tile Paths — All-tile paths used to be in favour in some suburban fore-courts, and frequently offended by reason of the violent contrasts in the colour of the tiles. A path of hard red tiles in large squares, or of oven tiles, is not displeasing, but is not economical where paths are long. Another disadvantage of the tile path is that the edging tile cannot be dispensed with. Stone Paths — Flagstones are occasionally met with in old gardens. I do not favour them for many reasons. One is that one cannot help associating them with the flagged CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES IO5 pavements of town; another that their colour is too cold to the critical eye; yet another that they wear unequally and soon become "dished," giving rise to the inevitable puddle. I have seen some good paths made of stone waste, and if the gardener has the opportunity of obtaining this material cheaply, and it is of the right kind — i. e., not too friable — it will make an interesting path. A good plan is to use it in a patchwork pattern of the kind our lady friends call "crazy," for which purpose all sharp angles should be removed from the pieces. I give an illustra- tion that will carry a suggestion for a stone- waste path based upon Japanese practice. If the separate stones are well bedded, with precautions to prevent rocking, no cementing medium is needed. In fact, the joints may be designedly allowed to gape to permit the grass to spring out of them, which will give an uncon- ventional but not unpleasing effect to a path crossing a lawn. Red sandstone is an excellent material, and white stone is admissible, as it soon loses its glare, and tones down under the influence of weather and vegetable growth. I06 GARDEN PLANNING FiK. 22. — Design for stone path Fig. 23. — Design for stone path CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES IO7 The gardener with command of this class of material might use it in the form of stepping- stones, as the Japanese do, but the effect so obtained must not be overdone. Its legitimate place is on the grass. Note — In the use of a non-binding material like blue stone it is well to screen out all fine stuff which otherwise would adhere to the boots in wet weather and be carried into the house. Shells form an almost hopeless material for the garden. Their innate friability precludes the separation of large from small, and renders them the most persistent material I know of for finding Its way Indoors. CHAPTER VIII Grass as a Foundation There is something delightfully soothing in a well-kept stretch of verdant turf. It is nature's embodiment of the sense of repose, the mantle with which she covers the crudities of man's handiwork, the best background for our flowers, and, in most cases, the criterion by which we may judge the capabilities of the gardener. If turf we must have, let us have it green and fresh and innocent of spot or blem- ish. Secondary as it is to the flowers, yet it must receive the best attention we can give it. The picture loses much of its charm if the frame is unworthy of it. We may obtain our grass in any of three ways: we may import turfs, sow seed, or be content with the old pasture grass as we find it. Just which we decide upon will be governed by circumstances. Old pasture is not always a success, particularly 108 GRASS AS A FOUNDATION IO9 Upon heavy land. It may be growing upon too thin a soil, and we should find it water- logged in winter and scorched in summer. Moreover, it may be full of undesirable weeds, and infested with insects ready to migrate to our beds and borders. On the other hand, we may be lucky in lighting upon some rich meadowland in which the conditions are favour- able to the growth of good turf, and where thistles and other noxious weeds are conspicu- ous by their absence. In such case we may "leave well alone," and rejoice that we are saved the trouble and expense of further opera- tions. Should we be driven back upon one of the other two expedients, we must make our choice according to the local conditions. Which is the more economical in cost, turf or seed? This problem we may work out for ourselves when we know the cost of turf In our district. We may be able to get it for the labour cost of cutting it, and, if It Is near at hand, the total cost may be small. But we may have to pay for our turfs at current rates^ which will vary according to the locality and the proximity to an available source of supply. About thirty-six hundred and thirty turfs would no GARDEN PLANNING be required to cover a quarter of an acre, and here we are faced with a large outlay for material alone. The same piece of ground could be sown with one to one and one half bushels of grass seed cost- ing about $5 per bushel, which is very slight outlay for material. Then the labour of turf laying would greatly exceed the labour of sowing. The principal advantage of using turfs is that we obtain a close, matured grass surface more quickly than we can do by sowing. On the other hand, there is always the risk that our turf may contain an undue proportion of weeds, though on this head a careful examina- tion of it in bulk should enable us to form an opinion. Though the spring is considered the best time for turfing, it may be done at any time if sufficient and proper precautions are taken. Sowing can only be done with the certainty of a good result in the spring and autumn. This consideration may carry weight with gardeners who are anxious to secure an early appearance of completeness in a new garden. Whether turfing or sowing be practised, it is equally necessary to prepare properly the GRASS AS A FOUNDATION III ground. If levelling has to be undertaken in the interests of tennis and croquet, that is the first operation, and with it should be com- bined draining, if the nature of the ground demands it. In the levelling process the top-spit contain- ing the most valuable part of the soil must be first laid aside, to be subsequently distrib- uted over the levelled surface. This done, and the levelling completed, the undisturbed subsoil at that part of the ground which has been lowered must be forked over to a depth of eight inches. The whole surface may then be treated with decayed farmyard manure well forked in, and the top-spit redistributed upon it to form a layer eight inches thick. If the original layer of soil is Insufficient, now is the time to supplement it by an additional supply imported from outside, or obtained as a by-product from some other part of the garden. Planks should be used where the barrow is in operation; otherwise ruts will be caused that are not easy to obliterate. Screening may be practised if the surface layer is stony. It is essential when sowing 112 GARDEN PLANNING grass seed, but of less moment where turfs are used. The operation of laying the turfs is a simple one once the ground is brought to a good sur- face, but it should not be done immediately after the preparation of the ground. Time should be allowed for subsidence, particularly if any part of the ground has been banked up above the natural surface. If rain super- venes so much the better, as it will hasten the subsidence, disclose inequalities, and ren- der the soil in a better condition to weld with the new turf. The turfs should be laid in close contact over the whole surface, gaps at the joints being filled up with fine soil as the work proceeds. Inequalities in the ground may be made good as they come under the workman's observation, with the same material. After all is laid, the surface must be gone over with the beater, and all upstanding places treated with It until they accord with the general level. If no rain immediately follows, the turfs may be submitted to a good watering, after which the beater should be used again, and any hollows and gaping joints should be filled up with soil. GRASS AS A FOUNDATION II3 After a day or two's rest, the roller should be brought Into operation to further compact the surface and reduce Inequalities. After that, the usual operations of mowing and rolling may be performed as occa.«ion calls for them. It is well to look for early indications of weeds on newly turfed ground, and to promptly eradicate all that appear. Before sowing is attempted the ground must be well compacted by treading or rolling until it will no longer take footprints. It should be then lightly raked over to provide lodgment for the seed. The operation of sowing is best conducted on a calm day, and the best time of year for the purpose Is from the middle of March till the end of April. Autumn sowing should not be later than the middle of Septem- ber. Some authorities are in favour of autumn sowing, for the reason that the soil is warm and the dews heavy. The quantity of seed should not be less than one quart of recleaned seed to three hundred square feet. It Is better to err on the side of too much than of too little. A bushel of lawn grass seed as usually understood in the trade weighs twenty pounds. Obtain the 114 GARDEN PLANNING seed from a reliable firm and follow closely their printed instructions. Old seed purchased from local sources, even if bearing a well- known name, may be disappointing, and grass seed sold in bulk at small country stores may contain an undesirable percentage of other seeds or chaff. Sow broadcast, taking care to leave no bare places; cover at once with a sprinkling of fine dry soil and roll. If the surface soil is damp it will pick UD on the roller, and bring the seeds with it. Birds must be kept away by stretching black cotton or garden netting over the ground, or by covering it well with pea brush or other similar bushy material which may be at hand. The grass plants should make their appear- ance within twenty-one days. If rain has followed the sowing it may be earlier. When they have obtained a height of from three to three and one half inches the ground may be rolled, and the next day the mower should be passed over it, taking the precaution to set the knife so that It does not cut close to the ground. It must be in the best condition for cutting, or it will drag up the young grass GRASS AS A FOUNDATION II5 plants instead of taking off their tops. After this, at intervals, the usual routine of roiling and mowing may be followed, not omitting watering if the weather proves dry. Should plantains — the weeds which come most often to mock the lawn maker — appear, they may be effectually dealt with by placing a pinch of dry table salt on the crown of each plant. This kills them in a day or two. Sown grass is materially assisted if treated early with an approved fertilizer, of which the seedsman may be trusted to recommend one suitable. If moss makes its appearance, it implies that the soil is out of condition, either owing to the need for drainage, or to the absence of food for the grass plants. In most cases the application of a fertilizer, by stimulating the vigour of the grass plants, will cause the moss to disappear. Moss in itself is in no sense harmful, but is always an indication of a poor soil. Tennis and Croquet Lawns — These, of course, should not only be dead level, but should have faultlessly flat surfaces, and I may here give a few directions for levelling. Il6 GARDEN PLANNING If possible, a position should be selected where the ground is naturally approximately- level. When this is not feasible, it becomes .1 "^^ I »iw»nini-^*»w& Fig. 24. — Level and straight-edge necessary to transfer soil from the higher to the lower parts of the ground. The operator should provide himself with a long straight- edge (say, seven feet long) and a spirit-level, as well as a supply of stout wooden pegs. He must first get the foundation approximately level, using the straight-edge on the surface, or sighting from tall pegs driven into the ground carrying cross-pieces fixed horizontally by means of the level. He should then drive in pegs over the whole surface six feet apart, and standing so much above the foundation as will allow for the amount of surface soil to be subsequently distributed over it. Taking a central peg as a datum, he should work out- ward, adjusting each peg in turn by means ► 4^ 36ft. _L_ GRASS AS A FOUNDATION II7 of the straight-edge and level until the tops of all are at the same level. It only then re- mains to fill in the soil to the tops of the pegs, or slightly over, to allow for subsidence and compacting by rolling. The pegs may be removed at any time afterward. The tennis court has a net size of seventy - eight feet - by thirty-six feet, or nine feet less in width for the single game. Additional width must be allowed for the poles and for the players, there- fore a total clear space of Tennis court Fig. 25. one hundred feet by fifty feet is not too great an allowance, and may be taken as the minimum compatible with the comfort and convenience of the players. The full-sized croquet ground, according Ii8 GARDEN PLANNING to the revised rules of the Croquet Association, should measure thirty-five yards by twenty- eight yards, or in feet one hundred and five 13- f [^ p — — • ^ *— - • - ^ . t^ -. Y 1 Fig. 26. — Croquet court by eighty-four, which space must be all clear turf. In considering the position of a tennis or GRASS AS A FOUNDATION II9 croquet lawn the designer has the choice of two courses. He may allot it a space to itself, enclosing it by a hedge or screen of trees or shrubs, and thus put it out of sight as some- thing not altogether in harmony with the decorative scheme of the garden, or he may let it frankly proclaim itself as an obvious feature and component part of the garden design. There is something to be said for both plans. In a garden of straight lines the rectangle of turf set aside for tennis or croquet would not be so conspicuous a feature as in a type of garden In which a naturalesque effect was aimed at, and winding walks were ele- ments in the design. There is no need to make hard and fast boundaries to the tennis or croquet lawn. It may be constituted upon any convenient and sufficiently roomy stretch of level turf where the game and horticulture are not likely to come into conflict. Tennis lawns made upon ground which carries a marked slope are not always sightly features, reminding one of the idea one forms of the "hanging gardens" of Babylon. Such lawns may be considered indispensable, and I20 GARDEN PLANNING if they have to be made at the expense of much excavating and banking up, means should be found to conceal their artificial outlines by means of shrubs, trees, or other suitable screening. The Bozvling Green — Revived interest in bowls has induced some owners to install a private bowling green on their ground. The regulation size is forty yards square, but less width is admissible if space is restricted. It is usual to sink the green below the general surface, and it must be truly level. The sloping banks and the space adjacent to them should be turfed, the former as a check to the bowls, and the latter to provide a vantage ground for spectators. The Grass Plot — I have already intimated the importance of studying breadth of effect in the garden. Nothing tends to destroy this character so much as the injudicious chopping up of the grass space. The shape of the grass plot is determined in a large measure by the other elements of the plan. Yet there are opportunities for the gardener to go astray if he does not realize the principle for which I am contending. Take, GRASS AS A FOUNDATION 121 for instance, a garden the boundaries of which converge. The planner may find, when he has taken sufficient space for his borders and paths, that his grass runs out to a mere wedge. In such event he would do well to take off the acute angle by adding the space either to border or path. Again, in the making of borders and beds it is surprisingly easy to produce awkward shapes in the grass 'details, particularly when working with curved lines. A good rule, therefore, is to permit no acute angles, narrow isth- muses, tapering verges, or crescent horns in grass. (See Fig. 27.) In the rectilinear treatment of small gardens these difficul- ties will hardly arise, but they may do so in cases where the garden plot is a converging one. When the garden F»g- 27.— Acute angles in grass is of sufficient size to call for treatment in curves, the shaping of the grass demands more careful consideration, the main object 122 GARDEN PLANNING being to avoid anything that will detract from the breadth of effect, of which the items just enumerated are those most likely to beset the inexperienced designer. The practice of loading the grass with an archipelago of small beds, cutting it up into a fretwork design, is to be condemned for the s^me reason. The placing of beds on grass calls for restraint and discretion on the part of the gardener. The artist "feels" where a bed or group of beds could be placed with advantage to the garden picture, because he has an eye trained to proportion. Those who lack such training must first realize their deficiency, and then seek for guidance by studying elementary principles, of which that applying to breadth of effect, already sufficiently explained in these pages, is one of the most important. The accompanying illustration (Fig. 28) shows the correct way to correlate the bed with the grass when the former has to fill a projecting space. It is certainly better to err on the side of having too few than too many detached beds. It will be useful here to accept my injunction GRASS AS A FOUNDATION 123 about the grass verge, under which term may be included the strips which separate bed from bed in a group. These should always have parallel sides and a minimum width of eighteen inches. Two feet is better if space permits. When a garden plot is situated onslopingground, if the slope is slight only, it is better to let the garden follow it than to attempt levelling, provided that no considerable space is to be reserved for tennis or croquet. On ground of irregular contours the irregu- larities may call for modification, or they may be entirely desirable as affording oppor- tunity for variety in the general treatment of the garden, according to the particular views of the garden owner. Whenever the character of the ground is such as to leave certain spaces in the form of hollows, these hollows should Fig. 28. — Beds in relation to grass 124 GARDEN PLANNING be filled in or drained; otherwise they will become pools in wet weather. As with lines, so with surfaces : the curves should flow without break, so that we cannot detect where one runs into the other. Grass slopes should be used sparingly, be- cause they involve extra labour in the mowing and are apt to suffer in time of drought. When necessitated by the nature of the ground, as in a hillside garden, they should not be steeper than one in two, or both these disadvantages will be intensified. Another point to be considered in the making of a grass plot is its level relative to the adja- cent paths. It is not unusual to find paths sunk so much below the grass level that the soil is exposed beneath the turf. This allows soil to break away, or be washed out by the rain, to the detriment of the path. It also involves additional labour in trimming the grass edges. There is no need to allow more elevation to the turf than is sufficient to ensure the mower clearing the gravel when used on the edge of the grass, and if this rule is followed there is no danger of gravel straying on to the grass. From two to three inches is quite GRASS AS A FOUNDATION 1 25 enough. In practice, the question is most likely to present itself in connection with path making, when the gravel surface would have to be regulated to ensure the above result. When it is a case of grass in juxtaposition to soil, as in the making of beds, the rule does not call for such stringent observation, but to satisfy the eye the grass edge should not stand higher than three inches above the soil. If much less there is the danger of soil and stones working on to the grass. Grass Paths and Edgings — Though grass is unsuited for paths, there are cases in which it may be used, as, for instance, when an alternative path of gravel exists. I have seen the grass path installed with excellent effect in the kitchen garden, where it gives quite a distinctive and finished appearance to that department. In the case to which I allude the ground had quite recently been meadow- land, and the vegetable beds had just been cut in the turf, allowing main paths five feet wide, with narrower connecting paths of half that width. I cannot commend it as econom- ical of space, but where there is ample room this use of grass has its advantages on 126 GARDEN PLANNING the score of appearance, and is highly preferable to the usual cinder path, which requires that an edging be provided. The grass path also may have its utility in the flower garden, though it usually comes into existence by some adventitious circumstance rather than by design. A border skirting grass may have opposed to it a long bed, and the gardener may decide to connect the two by a pergola. This at once turns the intervening grass strip into a path, and a very charming one, where the walker may find a tunnel of greenery, his feet on verdant turf, a canopy of blossom overhead. Grass edgings are used in both flower and kitchen gardens, and I have already referred to them by the term "verge." Each gardener will decide for him- self whether the space at his disposal admits of such a feature, and whether the eff^ect to be obtained from it is commensurate with the labour Involved in keeping it trimmed. If he has any doubts in the matter he should forego the verge, because, uncared for, it is an unsightly and wasteful feature. CHAPTER IX How TO Plan a Garden It is well for the gardener to start with an open mind. He should look for suggestions from the site, not omitting to take into account its immediate environment. The best gar- dens are personal: they take their character from their makers. I am sometimes asked "What style of garden would you suggest for my plot?" and I am tempted to reply, "The common- sense style." The exact treatment for a given plot is not to be laid down by rule. The gardener may not recognize the possibilities of the site at first glance, but he will do so when he has carefully studied it. In Chapter IV I showed the utility of straight lines in an oblong plot of limited size. I do not wish to magnify the difficulties of planning, and I may say at the outset that the more knotty problems arise most often in connection with 127 128 GARDEN PLANNING plots of irregular shapes or contours, or plots unfavourably conditioned as regards aspect and surroundings. The treatment of a small rectangular garden plot may be a very simple matter, provided due weight is given to aspect. Yet even the smallest plot involves alternative modes of planning, and then the gardener must give his casting vote for that one which, after satisfying the requirements of horticulture and the conditions which make for artistic quality, best accords with his personal views. The first point to consider is the appor- tionment of the various sections of the garden: How much space do I require for vege- table ground .f* Do I want a tennis or croquet lawn.? Have I to provide a playground for children? Must I limit my flower space to what I can properly manage in my spare time? These — and possibly other — questions will occur to the planner, and he should answer them definitely before he starts to plan. In doing so he will naturally commence to evolve HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN 1 29 some kind of skeleton idea of what he would like his garden to be. His next step should be to lay down on paper a plan of his garden site to scale, say one eighth of an inch to a foot, and mark on it the house, indicating the position of the doors back and front, or at the sides, as the case may be. He should then add an arrow to show the north point, to remind him, in the course of his work, of the direction in which the maximum amount of sunlight will fall. The gate by which the premises are entered from the roadway must be marked in its proper position. This much accomplished, the gardener will have before him in bird's-eye view the main factors that should control his planning. If he has decided to grow vegetables, he may at once rule off on the paper as much space as he wishes to devote to that purpose. Usually this will be situated at that part of the garden remote from the house, and there are excellent practical reasons for it occupying that position. The division should be at right angles to the garden's length in a garden with parallel sides, even though the end fence or wall is oblique. Irregularity in the shape 130 GARDEN PLANNING of the vegetable plot Is immaterial, and the right-angled division squares things for the flower garden. Leaving the vegetable ground for the present, the next thing is to locate the principal border, and If the aspect is east or west, there should be no hesitation in giving it a place against the north fence, where it will receive full sun. The planner may therefore rule a line parallel with this fence six feet distant from it, adding a second parallel line at, say, three feet beyond to define the principal path. If space permits, a third line may be added, at four feet beyond the second, to mark off a second border, the near side of which will be the grass. Reference to the Illustration (Fig. 29) will make these operations clear. The path is now represented by a narrow ribbon with no terminal at either end. We may now consider the approach to and destination of the path. The near end must be coordinated with the house door, as explained In an earlier chapter, and this could be done by marking oif a stretch of gravel immediately behind the house, from which the path may start its journey. Such a device is convenient when the HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN I3I Fig. 29. — Typical garden plan Fig. 30. — The method of offsets 132 GARDEN PLANNING aspect is that assumed in the example, but with a north aspect the space about the rear of the house would be too valuable to waste as gravel, and another device would have to be employed. I need not describe every possible mode of doing this, as many examples will be illustrated in the plans which follow. As for the path's objective, I have already offered suggestions in an earlier chapter. Though it is a good rule to make paths go direct to their destinations, an exception is permissible and even desirable in a long gar- den, where a single straight path would prove a monotonous feature. I therefore favour some device which breaks the line, such as may be contrived by cranking the path or by introducing an expansion into its length. The cranked path gives opportunity for allowing the principal border to terminate in a transverse extension, by which the vista is improved, and a screening effect obtained. We will assume that our path sets out from the gravel space immediately behind the house, threads through our borders, and terminates in, say, a summer house. The treatment of the space to the south of it may now be HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN I33 taken in hand, and In deciding how much to allot to the border we must be guided by our sense of proportion and by the value we set upon our grass plot. If space permits we may add a narrow border along the southern fence line. I have now traced what I may call the evolution of a small rectangular garden. The treatment has been simple, as the case de- manded. As a plan, the design ensures a proper coordination of the garden with aspect, and so much variety as may be obtained within so limited a space without over-elaboration. It need hardly be mentioned that this par- ticular treatment would not hold good for a plot with a different aspect, and for that reason It should not be copied unless the aspect Is approximately the same as indicated in this example. The gardener has now to build up his picture skyward. This Involves the use of such natural objects as trees, shrubs, and flowers, and of such artificial adjuncts as arches, per- golas, summer houses, arbours, and the like. Before he decides upon the placing of these things he should sally forth to the site, plan 134 GARDEN PLANNING in hand, and take his stand, say, near the house door, or in some central position from which he may hope in time to obtain a general view of his garden picture. There he may exercise his mind by building in imagination upon his ground plan, seeking to place such features as he may decide to introduce into the garden. He will obtain suggestions from already exist- ing objects. For instance, the presence of a well-grown tree on neighbouring premises may help the picture, enabling him to dispense with the planting of trees on his own. On the other hand, he may observe some un- sightly object which it will be necessary to endeavour to screen from view. Bearing in mind what I have already written about "composition" in the artist's sense of the term, he must avoid symmetry in masses, and seek for balance of effect by other means. If he has decided upon a garden-house, let him have it built with a simple, pointed roof, and restrain his impulses in the direction of destroying its outlines with a maze of rustic work. Its pyramid form is useful in giving a certain punctuation to the skyline. He may even decorate it with a weather-cock, HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN 1 35 which would be quite appropriate and useful in the picture. I do not demand that the garden-house shall stand out naked amidst its surroundings; it will be better associated with trees and shrubs. It is not desirable to have a uniformity in height in these artificial structures. If arches or a pergola are intro- duced into the scheme, do not let them soar up to the level of the weather-cock on your garden-house. Trees are always useful in attaining that necessary height in the garden picture for which the designer must work. They must be placed so that their shadows do not intrude upon the flower borders, and, as I have already stated, their arrangement must be innocent of symmetry. Let no two be at the same distance from your standpoint, and select them of different kinds and sizes. Grouping is preferable to scattering, or placing the trees in "serried rows." By carefully weighing these various points, with the plan before you, it will not be difficult to arrive at a provisional arrangement of the accessories we have been discussing. You 136 GARDEN PLANNING may next jot down on the plan where you think an arch, tree, or pergola will be of value, and you will then have all but completed your labour — on paper. Lastly, such smaller accessories as sundials^ y Fig. 31. — Arrangement of trees vases, and rockwork can be located, and in- dicated to scale on the drawing. All this time we have left the vegetable plot alone, after cutting it off from the flower territory, and we must now revert to it. Some gardeners may prefer to treat it as a thing HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN 1 37 apart, to be concealed at all costs. Gardens, however, are so small in these days of dear land that we cannot afford to neglect the possibilities of the vegetable plot in the general garden effect. Therefore we should see how far we can use it to increase the apparent space at our disposal. A good way of effecting this result is to contrive that a flower border, or borders, continue from the flower garden into and through the vegetable plot, thereby extending the garden vista to the extreme limit of the ground. In certain circumstances it may be advisable, for the sake of obtaining a particular effect, to adopt a division between the kitchen and flower garden which is not a straight line. It may be a bold curve or a cranked line. The division may be definitely marked by a fence or hedge, or less conspicuously indicated by an informal line of shrubs. Much depends upon the disposition of the other factors and the gardener's views as to the desirability or not of allowing his vegetable productions to claim attention. I would not for a moment contend that the kitchen garden is unsightly. On the contrary, its bold masses of green may 138 GARDEN PLANNING be valuable as background, and by no means unbeautiful in themselves. Still there are times when the tenants of the vegetable plot do not look their best — as, for instance, when Brussels sprouts tower lankily skyward, and peas are yellowing and sinking into disorder. The planning of gardens of larger size than the typical example just treated involves the same general principles, though the details and style of treatment may be different. It is mainly a question of scale, though the inclusion of additional features facilitated by the larger area of ground available may tend to complicate the problem. Still the mode of procedure should be along lines similar to those already described, and the planner must ever be alive to the importance of studying aspect and of building up a picture in three dimensions. Gardens of irregular outline may in- volve some early difficulties in planning, but they are generally amenable to treat- ment on common-sense principles, and not infrequently such gardens are, by their unusual shape, eminently adapted for obtaining pic- turesque effects. Examples of such gardens will be found in a later chapter, reference to HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN 1 39 which will afford the reader more guidance than further written description. When, by reason of the nature of the ground, its extent, or the special predilections of the gardener, the main lines of the garden are to be treated in curves, the key to the best result is not always so easy to find. To those who may have difficulty in thinking in curves, I may suggest that they first lay down the main lines of the plan in straight lines, after- ward translating them into sinuous ones. This may be of some help, but it will not remove all the difficulties, and it is not easy to give rules to cover the whole ground. It may be taken as bad practice, however, to associate curves with straight lines, as, for example, to oppose a straight grass edge to a curved border, leaving a path of varying width between. I am not sure that the practice of running a border, whose near line is a series of curves, along a straight fence is to be com- mended, though it is often done. Its best excuse is that the shrubs and taller plants in part conceal the foot of the fence and render its straightness less conspicuous. In the laying down of curves geometry helps 140 GARDEN PLANNING US but little. The eye is the better guide, and a length of rope an excellent help when marking out the ground. The rope may be laid along the proposed route of a curved path, and its perspective appearance noted. If the curve fails to satisfy the eye the rope can be moved and rearranged until a good result is obtained. All curves which are parts of circles are easily described with the help of a cord and centre peg. When setting out curves the course of which has first been laid down on the plan the method of offsets is the easiest. (See Fig. 30.) This is sufficiently explained in the illus- tration, where a boundary fence is the datum line. When the curve passes over an open space a special datum line must be laid down, either by the use of a stretched cord or a row of pegs sighted into line. CHAPTER X Sloping Gardens Gardens upon sloping ground, if the slope is considerable, demand special treatment, which will vary according to circumstances. Such gardens may be made picturesque and interesting, but are hardly desirable acquisi- tions to the horticultural enthusiast. This is particularly the case if the aspect is other than southern. In a steeply sloping garden the aim should be a quite informal or naturalesque treatment. Winding walks may be carried across the slope, turning upon themselves in an Irregular zigzag. Here and there pockets may be carved out of the hillside to make level space for flower growing. Terracing, the only effective way of securing sufficient level space, is always a costly matter, and when the slope is considerable it would result in a heavy, artificial effect as seen from 142 GARDEN PLANNING the lower levels. On the whole it is better not to attempt too much on a steep hillside. The first illustration indicates in sectional view the treatment I should adopt. Trees and shrubs may be used with good effect to mask the slopes and outlines of the artificial work. The Fig. 32. — Terracing — sectional view entrance drive or walk should be carried in a direction across the slope as far as possible, and if excavation and banking have to be done, it may run suf- ficiently far back on either side to provide space for flower ground. Fig. 33. — Terracing — sectional view In the case of small gardens, some simple system of terracing like that indicated SLOPING GARDENS I43 in the second sectional view is the best treatment. The natural slope is shown by a dotted line and it is evident just how much excavation and banking is necessary. By a little care in fixing the levels it may be contrived that the excavated soil is just sufficient for making the banks. This is an example of a slope away from the house. When the garden slopes toward the house a different method should be followed, because the effect of looking from a low level up a slope is that little or nothing on the level Is seen. Fig. 34. — Terracing — sectional view Thus, If terracing is done with a view to obtaining level stretches, the beds and borders will be hidden from sight until the observer ascends to their level. It is better, therefore, that the terraced part should be given a slight slope toward the house, as Fig. 34 shows. Gardens falling away from the house are liable to be very dry at the highest point. 144 GARDEN PLANNING On the other hand, gardens which slope to. ward the house throw the rain-water to the lower level, necessitating some system of drainage for carrying it away. In treating of terracing in small gardens I do not use the term in the sense of walled terraces. Walls are costly and not always sightly adjuncts, especially in a small garden. The drop from one level to the next may be made by means of a grassed bank, a retaining board, or a rock-faced slope, according to circumstances. When the slope is to the south, the face of the bank Is well placed for treatment as an alpine garden, and I know of no better way of dealing with it. ^On grassed Fig. 3S.— Steps in path slopes shrubs may be used to conceal the horizontal margin of the slope. Paths which pass from one level to another SLOPING GARDENS I45 require to be stepped, and this may be done in many ways. Possibly the most economical method is to fix wooden risers by nailing them to stout pegs well driven into the soil at each end, and to fill in the treads with gravel beaten down and brought to a fair surface. Re- taining boards should be fixed at the sides, as shown in the illustration. Gardens in which the natural slope is trans- verse to their length do not involve the same difficulties, and they are not usually found of such steep gradients,- or, if they are, their small width, compared with their length, makes the problem of planning a simpler one. It often becomes feasible to effect a change of levels at the path line in some such way as appears in this sectional view. Fig. 36. — Dealing with a transverse slope In this illustration it will be seen that a raised border is made on the higher side of 146 GARDEN PLANNING the path, supported_ hy a retaining board, rubble wall, or by rockwork. If the lower boundary is a fence, the water which drains to that level will tend to rot it. It is good practice, therefore, to make the fence open for two or three inches above the ground sur- face. If the boundary is a wall it may be necessary to introduce a rubble drain along its foot. In neither case, however, would such an expedient be necessary unless the soil was a heavy and impervious one. A narrow border along the lower boundary will usu- ally serve as sufficient drainage. ^5 Dealing with a transverse slope When the slope is steep in a transverse direction it may be necessary to re- make the ground by raising the lower side with soil taken from the higher, and if the lower boundary is a fence this would necessitate a bank, as it would not be feasible to allow any depth of soil to lie in contact with the fence. SLOPING GARDENS I47 The existence of such a bank as seen in the illus- tration (Fig. 37) is not a very sightly feature in any garden, and should only be adopted when the circumstances preclude any other arrangement, and in that event the best plan is to plant the head of the bank with shrubs or with a hedge. The only other case to be mentioned is that in which the slope is diagonal, and for that no special guidance can be offered, because so much will depend upon the amount of slope and its direction considered with reference to aspect. The aim should be to model the surface in such a way as to secure the proper conditions for horticulture and the convenience of the garden user, without attempting too much work of an artificial character. It should always be remembered that dead-level plateaus on a considerable slope proclaim themselves as man's handiwork, wherefore it is well to conceal as much of this work as possible. In some cases it may be desirable to effect a compromise by not setting out to bring the ground to a series of levels, but by merely modifying the original slope to a series of slopes 148 GARDEN PLANNING of less gradient. In all such problems the main point is not to outrage Nature, but rather to coax her in the direction in which we wish her to go, covering up our footsteps as we proceed in the work, so that the final result shall not disclose too obviously what it owes to spade work. As steps are necessary adjuncts in sloping gardens, I may give some further suggestions for making them. An alternative plan to the one already de- scribed is that shown in the third figure in the illustration (Fig. 38), in which the treads are made of stout boards supported on pegs driven Into the ground. Yet another plan is to attach the treads to cheeks of wood, making a single complete structure, as in the fourth figure. When the path passes through rockwork I always build the steps of rock pieces. Bricks may be employed for steps, either set in mortar or laid loose, as in the first figure. They are better laid on edge, and it is well to chip off the angle where the tread and riser meet, or to use bull-nosed bricks. Slabs of stone make good steps, and by their weight keep in place if well bedded, without SLOPING GARDENS 149 Fig. 38.— Steps ISO GARDEN PLANNING the need for cheeks, though it is best to make the risers of brick to prevent soil from working out from beneath the tread. On moderate slopes the riser ma^ be of soil left at an angle and turfed. There is something quite un- •tJ^ 3 Fig- 39- — Spreading steps conventional in such steps as illustrated in the second figure. When the slope is moderate, but long, it is well to break the line of steps into two or more flights, as a concession to appearances. When the difference of level is small, a good effect will result from spreading the steps in one of the ways shown in Fig. 39. I have avoided reference to architectural features associated with steps, as, for instance, side and wing walls, pillars, and caps. These, SLOPING GARDENS I5I if introduced into a small garden, should be unpretentious, and as far as possible designed to accord with the architecture of the house. If capped with flat stones the pillars may carry vases with good effect, always provided the latter are chosen with taste and a sense of proportion and fitness for their surroundings. CHAPTER XI The Rock Garden There is no feature in the modern small garden so badly contrived as the rock garden, or "rockery," as it has come to be called. It is too often but a formless heap of stone rubbish or clinkers in which a few sickly ferns struggle for existence. A rock garden need not be large to be interesting, but it must be properly con- structed and placed where the sun can reach it. To the real flower-lover the rock garden is a delight. There is no corner of his domain which yields more interest. It is a garden with- in a garden, a place where nature has all her own way, rewarding him with quaint and beau- tiful flowers and varied foliage from early spring to winter frosts. It is well to under- stand the scope and purpose of the rock gar- den, a thing all too often overlooked. The common plan of heaping together a mass of stone and mineral curiosities into a grotto- IS2 THE ROCK GARDEN I 53 like structure, and sprinkling the whole with soil, is the outcome of a misunderstanding of first principles. Let us look into the matter closely, and see just why our alpine plants should be associated with such apparently un- congenial material as stone masses. The answer is clear, if we inquire as to the character of their native habitat. The casual observer who has wandered through the Swiss uplands will have seen a wealth of plant life, jewelled with gorgeous blossom, clinging apparently to the bare surface of a rock, and he will have won- dered how the solid stone could furnish food for so luxuriant a display. Yet if he had pushed his investigation carefully on the spot he would have found that every plant was rooted deeply in some crevice filled with soil. Here, then, is the explanation. The rock is but the flower pot. But it serves a very important purpose as such, holding a reserve of moisture gathered from the sky, and yearly collecting an ad- ditional store of soil, the fine debris of the moun- tain-side. Thus the plant has availed itself of natural conditions eminently adapted for its welfare, and therefore it flourishes. The rock garden is man's attempt to imitate 154 GARDEN PLANNING these natural conditions, and if it fails in this, its principal function, how can it serve its pur- pose as a home for the plant? The idea, not by any means uncommon with those who have not looked closely into the question, that there is some magic virtue in the rock itself by which these plants obtain food suitable for their needs, must be aban- doned. The function of the rock pieces in our alpine garden is twofold. They serve to give us a suggestion of the natural environment of the plants we wish to grow, which is good; but, better still, they conserve the moisture in the soil, and thus ensure that the plants have a constant supply of it in all weathers. This being so, it is well to select our rocks from material which is porous, and therefore capable of holding in its substance a certain reserve of moisture. Yet an impervious stone is better than none, as it reduces the area of soil subject to evaporation. The next point to understand is that the soil in our rock garden must be well drained. This may be attained by ensuring that it is of a porous character and of sufficient depth. Drain- age is assisted by elevating the rock garden. THE ROCK GARDEN 1 55 or, what comes to the same thing, by sinking Its floor below the general level. It is not necessary to be lavish of rocks. In a well-designed rock garden the soil should bulk at least as largely as the rocks. Position — The rock garden should be as far removed from a formal environment as possible. It is, or should be, our best attempt to imitate a piece of nature. If it is associated with walls, greenhouses, or other artificial surroundings the illusion falls to pieces. It Is better also to keep it away from the neigh- bourhood of trees, whose roots would find their way into the soil and exhaust it, and whose leaves In autumn would sadly litter its surface. Moreover, it is well to be consistent in our mimicry, and to remember that the landscape Is Innoct^nt of trees at the altitude where alpine flowers thrive best. Aspect — The above conditions being satis- fied, the only other one of importance is that the alpine garden should have a sunny aspect, though this does not imply that every part must enjoy full sun; nor would that be desirable, since there are plants which will thrive all the better in shade or partial shade. 156 GARDEN PLANNING One great charm of the rock garden is its variety, and that can best be maintained by- providing all the conditions of aspect and ex- posure demanded by the various plants avail- able for our purpose. Materials — Perhaps the best material for the purpose is sandstone, but in most cases the gardener has to be content with what is most easily obtainable in his district. A hard, close-grained sandstone, granitic rock, or tuffa, limestone, and conglomerate will do. Soft stones which crumble away under weather influence are obviously unsuitable. If natural stone is unprocurable, or its cost prohibitive, then the gardener must make shift with brickyard waste, but he should select that which is porous. Clinkers, vitrified brick fragments, dressed stone blocks, portions of decayed statuary, lumps of alabaster, minerals, and sea-shells should never be seen in the alpine garden. Tree stumps also should be avoided, as they harbour fungi to the detriment of the plants. The stone pieces should not be too small nor too uniform in size. Good bold pieces up to the largest size the gardener can conveniently THE ROCK GARDEN 1 57 handle should be procured, and by preference they should be quadrangular, though only very roughly so. Professional constructors sometimes use an artificial stone made on the spot, by plastering a coloured cement over a basis of rough brick- work. I have seen some very clever work of this kind, indistinguishable from a natural out-crop of rock, and, for all I know to the con- trary, it may serve excellently. But unless done by skilled hands accustomed to imitating the form and stratification of the natural rock, it would be a failure. I have seen it suggested that good imitation rocks may be made by coating brickyard waste with Portland cement. The objection to these processes is the liability of the artificial surface to be flaked off by frost or rough usage, thereby exposing the fraud. Soil — In this particular we cannot do better than follow nature. We have seen that in alpine regions the crevices in the rocks become filled with fine debris, the disintegrated par- ticles of the rock itself, and therefore contain- ing small stones and sand, with which, of course, is associated humus derived from decaying plant life. This, then, suggests an artificial 158 GARDEN PLANNING mixture for our rock garden In which similar ingredients find place. Such a mixture may- be made as follows: Good friable loam ... 6 parts Chips of sandstone ... I part Sand or road scrapings . . 2 parts Leaf mould i part To this may be added a moderate proportion of well-decayed stable manure. The whole should be well mixed and is then ready for use. Although the above compost will suit the greater number of plants usually grown in a rock garden, it is unsuitable for bog plants and for those which thrive best in a calcareous soil. To meet the needs of these it is desirable to reserve a place where some peat may be intro- duced for the benefit of the bog plants, and to add a limy constituent to the compost (lime or broken limestone) for those parts of the gar- den in which it is intended to grow lime-loving plants. Beyond that it is hardly feasible or worth while to go in specializing the soil. The prepared soil must be entirely free from clay, and to ensure this care should be taken to obtain the proper kind of loam. THE ROCK GARDEN I 59 Making — Having obtained the rocks and the soil, and having selected a suitable site for the rock garden, the forming of its contours may be undertaken. In most cases a path will pass through it, but this will have to be made last. Bearing in mind the importance of drain- age, the gardener must first decide whether his rockwork shall stand above the general surface or be partly sunk below it. On heavy clay soil the former plan is best; on a gravel, or other kind of porous soil, the latter. A sunk garden has the advantage that the excavated soil is useful for building up the banks, provided, of course, that it is suitable as an ingredient in the compost just described. The gardener may next proceed to mark out the plan, by pegging or otherwise, and then barrow the soil into place. Now comes an im- portant part of the operation, for the final effect is controlled by the way in which he arranges his heaps. He should endeavour to avoid a formal or symmetrical distribution of masses, which is never seen in nature, by throw- ing them up as if their shape and height were a matter of chance. i6o GARDEN PLANNING The illustration below gives a suggestion of what should be aimed at. Not until he has com- pleted the whole of the base-work should he add the rocks, because as the work proceeds he may- Fig. 40. — Earthwork in the rock garden find it advisable to raise the ground here or lower it there to improve its contours, which he should view from various standpoints to make sure that he has obtained a good general effect. That much accomplished, the gardener may commence to place his rocks by outlining with them the foot of each slopCjthereby at the same time defining his path. For this part of the work he should select rocks of various sizes, here and there introducing a bold mass to ac- centuate some angle, thereby avoiding the effect of an artificial edging. This edging must be well done, with the rocks in close contact, THE ROCK GARDEN l6l Otherwise much soil will be subsequently washed out on to the gravel; but no cementing medium should be employed. Such crevices as remain may be well rammed with compost, and will then offer temptation to the plants to thread them with rootlets, by which the soil will be sufficiently held in place. In laying down the line of the path no at- tempt should be made to maintain equality of width throughout. On the contrary, a much better effect is secured if the path varies in width. I would even advocate the placing, at one or more spots, of an island of rockwork in or near the centre of a specially contrived ex- pansion of the path. (See Figs. 105, 116, 129.) Fig. 41. — Rockwork section The soil may next be brought forward to stand level with the rocks at all points, thus affording a basis on which to proceed with the next tier, which, with those above it, must be contrived as a number of irregular pockets l62 GARDEN PLANNING Standing at different levels, and not as a series of parallel terraces, which would be an obviously artificial arrangement. Here again bold pieces of rock must be used at irregular intervals, constituting miniature ramparts, over which some pretty trailing plant will later on make a gay show, or which a delicate arenaria may clothe with its velvet greenery and tiny white stars. Fig. 42. — Rocks in relation to soil The rock masses should not be deeply buried. A good rule is that on the exposed side no rock should be deeper in the soil than one fourth of its height, or sufficient to effectively anchor it in place. The rock masses should not lie higgledy- piggledy, but there should be some kind of relation amongst them, which is best secured by giving all the flattened masses a slight tilt in some particular direction, to convey the idea of a naturally inclined stratification. THE ROCK GARDEN 163 Rocks set on end, sugarloaf fashion, are not infrequently seen in the gardens of amateurs, but they should be omitted by those who aim at the best effect. If height is desired at some given point, a couple of bold masses may be superimposed, led up to by other pieces, as would occur in nature. Fig. 43. — Arrangement of rock masses The pockets or spaces of bare soil should vary in size, and be irregular in shape. They should never take the form of a series of scal- lops. Some inclination may be allowed to the soil, but not much, or it will certainly travel downward with each shower of rain. Rough steps may be introduced at a suitable point or points, say to give access to the rock garden from the grass plot. These steps may be built of flat rock pieces, their crevices being filled with soil, in which rock-foils and stone- 164 GARDEN PLANNING crops may afterward be encouraged to grow. If these steps be introduced, it is better to carry them between two adjacent mounds than to make them ascend a conspicuous elevation. A visit to a well-made rock garden in the winter- time will afford the gardener much practical guidance in this kind of work. He will see just how far it is possible to reahze a natural- istic effect, and may gain some wrinkles in re- gard to the disposition of his rocks. Although in the past the real rock garden has been a negligible quantity in American gardens, recent years have seen a greatly increased interest in their building. The fact that the rock garden offers the gardener the chance of growing a large collection of plants of small size and low stature that would get lost in the open border, is to many people a sufficient justi- fication for the introduction of this feature. There are rock gardens in which the chief charm is their rocks, placed together so skil- fully that they might be mistaken for a natural out-crop. Such gardens have cost their owners many hundreds of dollars, but they are no bet- ter for their purpose than the more simple type of garden I am describing. The gardener THE ROCK GARDEN 165 must try to avoid appearances which indicate too obviously the artificial character of the work. For instance, a promontory formed at a bend in the path should have a line more nearly approaching the first than the second figure in the accompanying illustration. Fig. 44. — Arrangements of rock masses An artist would instinctively produce good contours; the less favoured individual must be guided by these precepts, and by such examples as he may find to imitate. Though I do not offer it as an inducement to indifferent work, I may remark that Nature is ever kind to her votaries, and when the garden has been planted she will do her best to conceal shortcomings. For bog plants it is well to arrange one or more bays, in which the peat may lie in a level surface, as peat is unstable on a slope. An i66 GARDEN PLANNING angle in the general structure may be cut off by a line of small rock pieces (not a straight line), and in that way a large pocket at the base- level can be made, in which the peat may be laid on a not too porous subsoil. Bog plants demand a water-logged home. If water is •♦■-'•M,-,:^ Fig. 45. — Arrangements of peat in the rock garden associated with the rock garden, the place for bog plants is at its edge, where the peat may be allowed in actual contact with the water. When all the rocks are in place, and the result when critically viewed is satisfactory, the gar- dener should proceed to fill in all holes and THE ROCK GARDEN 167 crevices with his compost, using a thin wooden blade, or bricklayer's trowel, to probe them, to ensure that the soil gets down to the lowest levels. After the first heavy shower of rain he should go over the structure again, replen- ishing the soil where it has sunk in. If of necessity he has had to use brick waste as a substitute for rocks, his task will not have been so easy, for it is not possible to entirely disguise their character. Yet with a little ingenuity he may secure a very passable result. The large masses will consist of many bricks cemented together in the burning, thus show- ing a decided, if rather artificial, stratification. These pieces he should place with their longer joints horizontal, or at such a slight tilt as he may decide. He may be tempted to so place them that their component bricks stand on end, with a view to availing himself of the crannies between them, but that would be a bad arrangement, as will be understood from the foregoing considerations. There is no need to outline the back margin of the bank with rocks. The soil there may just run off into the level of the ground. When the structure of soil and rock is finished l68 GARDEN PLANNING the gravel floor of the rock garden may be laid in the way directed for path making. I need hardly warn the reader against the use of water-worn rock pieces which have a uniform pebble-like shape. I have seen them used, but only with grotesque effect. On the other hand, a few rounded pebbles introduced along the margin of the rock structure are not out of place, suggesting, as they do, an old water-course, and serving to retain soil washed down from the higher levels. Planting — No special directions are needed for the practical work of putting the plants into the soil. It should be done in the same way as when planting a bed or border, and at the same sea- sons according to locality. The mode of con- struction I have described ensures that there is ample depth of soil. Discrimination should be used in selecting the plants for special positions. The smaller subjects like sedum, saxifrage, and semper- vivum will thrive when rooted in crannies, and some on the porous surface of the rock itself, as witness the common house-leek. A few of these plants may be established at the margin of the rockwork and allowed to THE ROCK GARDEN 169 intrude upon the gravel within limits. They will soften the hard line where rock and gravel meet. Plants of trailing habit should be put near the top of a miniature precipice, over which they will hang their flexible shoots and in due course paint its surface with brilliant colour. Tall plants should go mostly to the higher levels. Give each plant elbow-room to allow for growth and expansion, but plant fully, so that when the plants are established there shall be little bare soil visible. Chinks in the vertical surfaces should not be neglected — they will carry their share of plant life, if care be taken to insert the roots and ram the soil well in contact with them. Ferns will thrive in similar places, and, preferably, they should be located in the shady corners. The choice of plants is a vast one, but it is well for the novice to limit it at first to the more hardy kinds, than which he will find none more beautiful. At the back of all, on the topmost level, small flowering deciduous and evergreen shrubs may be associated with tall perennials like starwort and snapdragon. lyO GARDEN PLANNING Space and means may forbid a very ambitious effort, and it may thus be necessary to confine the rockwork to a single bank against the boundary wall or fence. In that event it is well to clothe the artificial background with ivy or other creepers. The rock garden should not end abruptly. It is better to let it gradually merge into the general surface of the ground, some detached pieces of rock being placed on the level beyond the raised part of the rock garden, just as we should find in nature. Many alpine plants will thrive perfectly well on the level, if they are protected from the encroachment of coarser plants. Thus these outlying rock pieces may be enshrined in masses of phlox, aubri- etia, or dianthus, which, unconstrained by any rocky limits, will spread into wide cushions of colour. Learn to know your plants by sight and don't label them. The appearance of a labelled rock garden in the spring, before the plants have put forward their foliage, is depressing, and reminiscent of the auction room. Wall Gardens — Nature has shown us how she can clothe an old wall mth her treasures, THE ROCK GARDEN I7I and the plants thus naturally established often display a charming habit in adapting themselves to their artificial home. Who has not seen a ruined wall topped with pinks, or with snap- dragon, toadflax, and sedum, or hung with the charming grey foHage and glistening white flowers of cerastium? To imitate this is not difficult, but we require the right kind of wall; not the new, neatly pointed red brick affair, but a thing of cracks, crevices, and crannies, such as we find enclosing some old country garden. Given this, the rest is easy. We have only to rub some fine soil into the chinks and to sow the seed of such plants as we desire, covering them up with soil to prevent the birds abstracting them, and in due course we shall have our colony of alpines. If no wall exists, then we must build one, and in doing so we may make provision for as much plant life as we please. The wall may be of concrete, rubble, rough stone, or old bricks. Of these, perhaps the best are the last three, though with bricks, unless ample spaces are left between them, there would be difficulty in finding sufficient lodgment for the plants. Stone and rubble, using irregular 172 GARDEN PLANNING blocks, would give opportunity for earth pockets and crevices of various sizes. There should be no pointing, and only so much mortar used as is necessary to secure stability. Large spaces may be filled with the compost recom- mended for the rock garden and then sown. The smaller crevices may be filled with soil mixed with the seeds. The sowing should be done in the autumn. CHAPTER XII The Rose Garden In a small garden there is nothing to be gained by providing a separate place for the roses; on the contrary, they may be freely associated with the other flowers In bed and border with the best effect. Just why it became the practice In days gone by to give the roses a department to themselves is not clear, though there seems to have been some Idea that the rose standard did not harmonize with plants of bushy habit. In the present day no such consideration pre- vails, and gardeners do not hesitate to admit the rose into every part of the garden. We cannot have too many roses, and there is no position where they are out of place. The walls and fences deserve their share. The house walls are never so beautiful as when clothed with healthy and prolific climbers. In the shrubbery they help to redeem the 173 174 GARDEN PLANNING masses of monotonous green foliage. On the lawn, as standards or pillars, they add a wel- come note of colour, and in beds and borders they contribute their quota to the general effect. Even as hedges, roses have their use, and for arches, pergolas, and festoons no more charming climbers are available. Pegged down, or trained over the beams of a pergola, they make glorious masses of flower and foliage. I have written enough to show that the rose has no claim to be kept in a place by itself, yet this does not imply that the rose garden is necessarily a superfluity where ample space exists. Indeed, there is something extremely attractive in a well-planned rose garden. It is a practical token of homage to the queen of flowers, and it demonstrates that the rose, before all other flowers, can be grown in a place by itself without producing a monotonous effect. This follows from its variety in form, colour, and foliage. A sunny site should be selected for the rose garden, and, following ancient usage, we cannot do better than lay it out formally. I am no advocate of a formal garden in its severest mood, but formality is not the product of THE ROSE GARDEN I75 shape alone in the garden details, as I have elsewhere shown. I can conceive of beds and borders of informal outline treated quite for- mally in the planting and accessories. I can- not imagine any benefit to the roses from planting them anyhow. We know little of the rose in a state of nature, for our garden roses are mostly a product of the nurseryman's art. They are perhaps the most artificial of all flowers. We shall not therefore be In danger of out- raging good taste if we make our rose garden on formal lines, by which I mean if we plan It on a symmetrical basis. The most common method Is to cut the rose beds in grass, and there Is much to be said in favour of grass as a setting for our roses. In evolving a design it Is well to observe certain points now to be mentioned. The beds should not be elaborate in outline nor too small. The groups should show a geometrical relation be- tween their component beds In the way I have advised for groups of flower beds generally. The Illustration (Fig. 46) shows typical rose gardens as I might plan them on a grass space, and It should be noted that the outlying 176 GARDEN PLANNING 'Ml ^ p f^i ® u t^j^. ^ O Fig. 46. — Rose beds in grass Fig. 47. — Rose beds in gravel THE ROSE GARDEN 1 77 borders give a sense of enclosure and sanctity to the whole arrangement, which may be enhanced by planting their outer lines with standards or pillars. The introduction of arches at suitable points is an excellent device for obtaining height. The necessary shelter in exposed situations may be contrived by the use of rose or sweet- brier hedges, or of roses trained upon a skele- ton fence. It is not unusual to carry a path through the rose garden, or to set it where two paths intersect at right angles. The point of inter- section is sometimes marked by a sundial or vase. When a path or paths lead into the rose garden, the beds may be separated by gravel, thereby excluding grass altogether. Such gardens are shown In the accompany- ing illustration (Fig. 47). I have no quarrel with that arrangement, and it may be made dainty and trim by the use of neatly clipped box edgings. One loses, however, the delight- ful background an emerald turf supplies. There is no reason why the rose garden should take a shape having equal dimensions both ways. It may be long and narrow, and I am not 178 GARDEN PLANNING sure that that is not the best form, especially when space is restricted. It can be better brought into harmony with the adjacent parts of the garden. As a walk, too, it is less tedious to traverse. Roses make considerable demands upon the | ^ • n^ uM .iiiii i i in 111 1. 1 1 i n .. i hh ii j m i iii ^U I I Fig. 48. — A long rose garden | soil, and therefore rose beds and borders should be deeply trenched in the first in- stance, and treated liberally with manure. The common impression that clay soil is essential for roses is not altogether correct. They will thrive in almost any soiL provided they are well supplied with fertilizing matter. In light soils the manure we give them is not retained so long as in heavy soil, and thus, under care- less culture, they may suffer starvation. For this reason, if the soil is sandy and light, it is well to add a proportion of heavier material THE ROSE GARDEN 1 79 to give it tenacity and retentive quality, and in manuring to use cow manure. If the garden is made upon turf, then dig in the sods, and add any other decaying vegetable matter you may have available. On heavy land it may be necessary to drain the rose bed. This may be done by throwing out the soil to a depth of three feet, adding nine inches of rubble or brick rubbish, and then filling up with soil. In such ease it is well to bring the level of the beds well above that of the ground. Thorough preparation of the rose bed is the surest guarantee of future success. Planting should be done in the autumn, preferably between mid-October and the end of November, though it may be done later if the winter be open. The operation of plantmg cannot be too carefully conducted. Holes ^should be dug of ample size, with the bottom formed dome- shaped to facilitate arranging the roots. These should be separated and distributed radially over the bottom of the hole. Fine soil should then be placed over the rootlets, moving the stem of the plant up and down i8o GARDEN PLANNING to allow it to penetrate among them. The remainder of the soil may then be added and firmly rammed down. It should not be heaped round the stem, but left slightly depressed so as to facilitate watering. It would appear that there is little to be gained by care in spread- ing the roots, experiments showing that careless plant- ing is equally favourable to the plant. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the care devoted to arranging the roots as widely spread as possible at the foot of the hole Fig. 49.-Pianti„g a rose Tcuders exccllcnt servicc in bebw"fhrg'"un^^Lr7rci"(B" anchoriug the plant to the Then prune at c. soil, enabling it the better to withstand the buffeting of the wind. If no rain follows planting, it is advisable to give some water about a week after, and a mulch- ing of manure may then be put around each plant to afford protection from frost. Roses must not be crowded together too closely. Standards should not be less than THE ROSE GARDEN l8l' three feet apart, and bushes not less than one and a half to two feet. I question whether It is ever desirable to use standards of greater height than three feet. The lanky, bent specimens one sees occasion- ally pointing skyward are truly ugly, and have no raison d'etre. Standards look better in groups than in single file, though the latter arrangement may sometimes be desirable when it is intended to introduce a well-marked line. The disposition of the plants in a rose garden is largely a matter of taste. With many beds to fill, we may devote each bed to several roses of the same colour or kind, and thus get our colour effect in masses. On the other hand, with a less elaborate garden, contrasting or harmonizing colours may be associated together in the same bed or border. The range of colour in roses is so great and so har- monious that one can hardly make a mistake, except perhaps in associating the magenta- tinted varieties with reds and pinks of purer hue. The former, carrying as they do a note of blue, go better side by side with whites and yellows. The presence of too large a l82 GARDEN PLANNING proportion of whites is to be condemned, as they tell more strongly in the picture than coloured varieties. China roses, with their dwarf habit, beautiful foliage, and brilliant colours, should not be overlooked. They may be used in beds by themselves, in the front part of the borders, or between standards where the climate allows. Much more is to be said about roses, for which there is not room here; and the reader specially interested had better turn to "The Amateur's Book of Roses and How to Grow Them. " CHAPTER XIII Water in the Garden There is something so delightful in the living, moving presence of water in the landscape that gardeners may be excused their desire to introduce it into their flower ground. Yet in a garden of limited size it should be recog- nized that the effect which appeals to us amidst natural surroundings is practically unrealizable. At the same time the conditions may be such that water can be introduced without appearing to be too artificial a feature. This applies particularly to gardens bounded by a natural stream or through which such a stream passes. When the water has to be derived from the domestic supply and contained in artificial ponds it is a different matter. But even then it may be possible to avoid offence provided the gardener contents himself with simple arrangements. Any sense of artificiality that may arise can be counteracted by the inherent 183 184 GARDEN PLANNING interest in luxuriant water growth and the delightful blooms we get from such purely aquatic plants as water-lilies and lotus. It may, however, be stated at the outset that the making of a water garden is a simple matter compared with its efficient maintenance. No gardener should lightly embark upon the task unless he is prepared to give unremitting attention to his water plants and to their artificial homes. This implies frequent chang- ing of water and cleansing of ponds. In town and suburban gardens organic matter, dead leaves, and other undesirable things are wafted by the wind or fall upon the water surface, where they remain to decay and defile the water. When a running stream is available, these drawbacks operate less prejudicially, though they are not altogether absent. I shall first consider the case of a garden bounded by a stream at its far end. We may assume that the water is pure enough for our purpose. The probability is that the gardener would have no rights over the water, but also that no objection would exist to his diverting some of it through his garden. In such an WATER IN THE GARDEN 1 85 event he might excavate a backwater, say with an extension in the form of a bay, as shown in the illustration (Fig. 50). By this means he would obtain a piece of running water (A), and a piece (B) more or less stagnant, but not so stagnant as to require any special device for changing it. The depth need not exceed eighteen inches. The island C would be useful for treatment with bold waterside plants, and the mar- gins of the back- water and pond could accommodate others of less sturdy growth. Clear spaces should be left for access to the water's edge and to permit of the plants being seen. A small collection of dwarf hybrid nympheas may be established In the pond B and in the backwater, with which might be associated our common native pond lily. Other plants may be added If Fig. 50. — A water garden 1 86 GARDEN PLANNING space permits, including such interesting sub- jects as the pickerel weed, the flowering rush, and water buttercup. Typha and swamp mal- low might be planted along the fence line at B. Irises will thrive at the margin of the water, as well as such favourite flowers as phlox, trollius, spirea, and a host of others. With very little trouble in the making and common-sense management, a piece of water of this kind could be made a source of perennial interest. When all is complete and the plants are established it would only remain to keep the entrances clear and to remove all rubbish which might find access to the water. No deciduous trees or shrubs should be placed near the water, for reasons already explained. A water system of this kind might be wedded to a rock garden with a good effect. In excavating the water bed the sides should slope gently to the edge, or trouble will ensue by the banks breaking away and fouling the water. This also ensures that the soil is water- logged for some distance from the water's edge, and is therefore in a condition for sup- porting a colony of semi-aquatic plants. WATER IN THE GARDEN 1 87 When a stream intersects the garden, a rather more ambitious effort is possible. The general treatment should be such as to considerably expand the water area, and this may be done by adopting an arrangement like that illustrated in Fig. 51, in which a lily pond is made in that part of the garden beyond the brook, having inlet and outlet, thus se- curing a water cir- culation. Bays should be formed on the near side. Com- munication across the stream may be by means of a simple bridge, or F»g- si-— A water garden stepping-stones if the water is shallow. The gardener should resist the temptation to give a "rustic" character to his bridge. It should be a plain affair, well and firmly built, as befits its purpose, and provided with a hand-rail on either side. What has been written in regard to making and plant- 1 88 GARDEN PLANNING ing in the previous case applies to this one also. As water gardening is never likely to engage the attention of more than a minority of gardeners I need not multiply examples. The hints I have already given will prove suffi- ciently instructive to those who may wish to avail themselves of the possibilities of a stream accessible from the garden. I shall now refer to a type of water garden which is frankly artificial and depends for its water supply on the kitchen tap or the pump. This last condition demands that we should study economy of water, and that can best be done by devising what I may call a cir- culating system. The first consideration will be the planning of the ponds (for such they are) and in that we must be guided by the levels in our garden and our desires in the matter of water area. If there is a distinct slope in the garden surface, so much the better; it will help us to a simple arrangement for running off the water, as must be done from time to time to keep our ponds clean and their tenants in healthy condition. The waste or overflow from the pond or WATER IN THE GARDEN 1 89 series of ponds must be provided for, and when the garden slopes toward the house the most convenient way is to carry it into a gully in '^- '^H ^: '^^■i'-^ •' ^i''^' Fig. 52. — Soak-away drain connection with the house drainage system. When the slope is in a contrary direction the best expedient is to make a "soak-away" drain, as shown in the illustration (Fig. 52). This is merely a pit sunk in the soil and filled with rubble, into which the overflow pipe is conducted. The ponds must be constructed with an impervious bottom, say by the use of cement or concrete. 190 GARDEN PLANNING Fig. 53 shows both the mode of forming the bottom and of building up the sides, and calls for little by way of description. If rock or rubble sides are used, as in D, they must be built in cement, care being taken to make the joints watertight. The floor may then be made with six or eight inches of con- crete, faced with cement. The surface should not be finished to a dead level, but should h ave Fig- S3- — Ponds a slight fall toward the outlet, to facilitate running off the water. If the pond sides are built of cement, C must be followed, making the edges battered, and finishing them neatly at top with a rounded nosing, which can be done with a former of WATER IN THE GARDEN I9I wood like that illustrated. Fresh cement of good quality should be used, tempered with a third part of sharp sand. Pipes for inlets and outlets should be inserted when the sides of the pond are being made. If a single pond is installed it will only be neces- sary to carry a waste-pipe from its bottom to the drain. This should be done in a straight line, if possible, to facilitate unstopping in case of obstruction. The most suitable piping Is iron gas pipe of not less internal diameter than one and a half inches. A plug must be provided to close the inlet, and this may be a simple cone of wood fitted to the bore of the pipe. When two or more ponds are made, they should be connected by piping into a single system, the waste-pipe connecting the one nearest the drain to it. If all ponds stand at the same level, the connecting pipes may enter and leave at the bottom, but if the levels are stepped, as would be the case on sloping ground, the overflow from each pond to the next lower one of the series must be placed at the water-line, other- wise the water would all flow to the lowest 192 GARDEN PLANNING pond. This point is made clear in the dia- grams A and B. The filling up and renewal of the water may be done conveniently with the garden hose. Although I have applied the term "cir- culating system" to the arrangements just described, it should be understood that they are not adapted to ensure a constant move- ment of water, which is quite unnecesly sary. Water-lilies will thrive in perfectly stagnant water which has not been changed for months, but it is neither wholesome nor pleasant to allow the same water to remain in the ponds indefinitely. Hence the usefulness of some means for running off the foul water and refilling with fresh. When the gardener has done his work, he should fill the ponds, mark the water-level, and allow them to stand for a week, noting whether there is any leakage, which would show itself by a drop in the surface level. If all is satisfactory, the water may be run off and the ponds will be ready for planting. The end of May is the best time for planting WATER IN THE GARDEN I93 the hardy nympheas. The soil may be a compost consisting of: Pond mud 2 parts Loam I part Leaf-mould i part Road scrapings . . . . i part If the first ingredient cannot be obtained it may be omitted and double the quantities of loam and leaf-mould substituted. A layer of drainage material (broken tile or brick rubbish) should be spread upon the pond floor, on which the compost should be heaped to the water-level height at the points where the plants are to be placed. The water may then be admitted and allowed to stand for a couple of days to assume the temperature of the atmos- phere. The plants may then be inserted in their mounds, which by this time will have settled down considerably below the water- level. The water may be run off and renewed at fortnightly intervals, or even less often if it shows no tendency to become fouled. Twice a year the ponds must be thoroughly cleansed to remove decayed vegetable matter, leaves 194 GARDEN PLANNING and rubbish which are certain to accumulate at the bottom. The introduction of animal life is useful in restraining undesirable vegetable growth, water-snails particularly. Goldfish will do well even under somewhat unfavourable conditions of stagnation, and are equally useful for the purpose. The matter-of-fact gardener may question whether all this trouble is worth while for the purpose of growing a few water plants. I think it is. Indeed, the sight of only three or four good, healthy water-lilies in flower in one's own garden is sufficiently interesting to constitute ample recompense for some small initial trouble and outlay, and the enthusiastic flower-lover will not grudge the subsequent labour of tending them. I know one such person who grows a col- lection of miniature nympheas in tubs sunk in the ground with most gratifying success. Where space is limited his example may be followed. The best plan is to excavate a deep hole, say twice the depth of the tub, and to fill the bottom with rubble, so.that when the tub is bedded upon it the rim will stand WATER IN THE GARDEN I95 just above the level of the ground. A centre- bit hole must be made in the bottom of the tub and fitted with a plug long enough to give a good hand-hold. A piece of perforated zinc should be nailed over the hole at its under side, to prevent coarse debris running through and choking the drainage material below. These expedients, simple enough to put into practice, are all that is necessary to provide for an occasional change of water. Fig. 54. — Tub for water plants' The hard circular outline of the tub is the only objection on the score of appearance. The best way to mask it is to pack some boggy soil around and between the tubs, and to grow in it small water-side plants, which, if suitably 196 GARDEN PLANNING chosen, will spread over the rims and hide their outline, without unduly excluding light and air from the water plants. If possible rain-water should be used. The nympheas particularly are intolerant of hard water. When introducing fresh water it should be run in slowly if it is sensibly colder than the atmosphere, otherwise the plants may be chilled and checked in their growth. It is quite easy for the supply to dribble in from a hose, the waste plug being loosened to permit the foul water to escape slowly at the same time. Besides the nympheas there are many other interesting if not as conspicu- ously beautiful plants that may be grown in the water garden. The calla has already been mentioned, and is perhaps best kept in the water garden. The lotus has a rich tropical effect, and is best planted in a tile con- tainer as its roots spread through the soil, into the surrounding ground. The English arrow- head is a bold, handsome, and desirable plant. Typha — the reed-mace (commonly called "bull- rush") — is easily estabhshed, and the native yellow flag, though only semiaquatic, will thrive in shallow water on a deep bed of soil. CHAPTER XIV The Vegetable Garden The owner of a small plot, who loves his flowers and values a completely artistic general effect in his garden, is usually content to leave vegetables alone. In town and suburban gardens I think he is well advised, because the atmospheric conditions may not be favourable to the growth of culinary plants in that state of cleanliness which fits them for food. But, leaving this consideration out of the question, it is doubtful whether the results are commensurate with the trouble involved, when you can buy good vegetables cheaply. I would say nothing to deter the enthusiast from taking up vegetable culture if his tastes lie in that direction. It is as interesting to some people to grow a cabbage as a chrysan- themum. There are gardens and gardens, and, given a pure atmosphere and sufficient space, the 197 198 GARDEN PLANNING vegetable garden may find its legitimate place and usefulness. The reader who has studied the general principles I have applied to the designing of a flower garden will have noted that I advocate placing the principal flower borders near the north boundary, wherever that may come, and that I gave good reasons for running the principal path alongside or between them. Generally this path starts from the house and terminates somewhere at the remote end of the garden. If the vege- table ground Is to occupy its usual place at the end of the plot, the main path may con- tinue into and through it. On the other Fig. 55. — Borders through a vegetable garden hand. It may be more convenient to approach the vegetable plot by an offshoot from the THE VEGETABLE GARDEN I99 main path. In either case I advocate the use of a device to which I have already referred. This consists in continuing the flower borders on both sides of the path through the vege- table plot, in the way shown in the illustration. The result is to extend the principal garden vista In length, thus increasing the sense of space, and, at the same time, to screen, more or less, the part devoted to vegetables. It is true that these borders absorb a certain amount of space, but that must be allowed for in fixing the dimensions of the vegetable plot. To complete the scheme it only remains to add a transverse hedge or other barrier at the near end of the vegetable plot and the thing is done. These supplementary borders, if preferred, may be reserved for flowers intended for cutting, and some part for raising seedlings, striking cuttings, and other utilitarian purposes. I have in mind a charming suburban garden arranged in this way, in which the kitchen plot with its borders of bold perennials, backed by espaliers, and edged with herbs, is not the least interesting part of the garden. But there are many other touches the gar- dener may give to his vegetable ground to 200 GARDEN PLANNING bring it into harmony with the garden as a whole. A bower-like structure can be made to support a colony of scarlet runners, whose coral flowers will give a piquant note of colour to an uninteresting corner, the while it provides the gardener with succulent food. The bold, handsome foliage of the rhubarb, and the rambling growth of the vegetable marrow are good to look upon, and did they not contribute to our table they would assuredly be grown for their beauty alone. And what is more graceful than the fairy foliage of the asparagus ? Bearing these points in mind, therefore, the gardener may make picturesque capital out of his kitchen garden tenants if he is careful to dispose them to advantage. I do not wish it to be understood, however, that any steps taken in that direction are to be in opposition to the common-sense principles of vegetable culture. The gardener with a heart attuned to vege- tables will find places for a few fruit trees, which are always useful in the garden picture. The abundant blossom of his cherry, apple, and plum trees is a valuable asset at a time of year when flowers are scarce, when the borders THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 20I have scarcely awakened from their winter sleep. What is more beautiful than a spray of rose-flecked apple blossom arching the path, or, later, the sun-kissed fruit showing its ruddy spheres amidst the darkening foliage? And if the flower garden is to invade the vegetable plot, why not the converse? Fruit trees upon the grass plot have just as much value as the che tnut or laburnum, both for flower and shade, and against a north wall they will cover much uninteresting brick and mortar, and yield their crop without detracting from the usefulness of the border for flower- growing. Even the boundary hedge between flower and vegetable plot may be made of espaliers, or such easily trained fruit bushes as logan- berry, wine-berry, and blackberry. The gardener of resource will find no diffi- culty in putting these hints into practice. There is nothing new in them. The associa- tion of flowers and vegetables in the kitchen garden was common in the walled-in gardens of a century ago; but the practice was not introduced with quite the same objects as those here detailed, because in those days the 202 GARDEN PLANNING vegetable ground was a thing by itself, and no one thought of blending it with the flower ground. Apart, however, from this question of har- monizing the two main departments of the garden, I would advance the plea for neatness, order, and picturesque effect in the kitchen garden. The soil should be constrained by- edgings to keep it off the paths, and for this purpose there is possibly no better material than ordinary builder's bricks laid on edge. Just inside the brick line a row of parsley plants will make a fresh, massy, green band, and elsewhere the other herbs may help to outline the garden divisions and give finish to the beds; at the same time all will be con- veniently accessible. Let us now look into the more practical details of the kitchen garden design. It is good practice to subdivide the plots into separate beds with narrow paths between, as shown in Fig. 55. Such beds may have dimensions determined by the space available and by the owner's intentions as regards the crops to be grown. In a small vegetable ground annexed to a THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 2O3 garden of the size under consideration, a width of twelve feet in most cases would be a good dimension to adopt, the length of the bed running transversely and being determined by the width of the ground from path to boundary fence. The transverse paths need not be more than eighteen inches wide, and may be of cinder, if no better material is available. The object is to give easy access to the bed and to permit the use of the barrow without having to run it over loose soil, and thus to lighten labour. At the same time, this orderly subdivision of the ground improves its appearance, giving a business-like aspect to the garden and facili- tating systematic cropping. A space should be reserved, preferably screened off, for the deposition of rubbish, and for the storage of manure, flower-pots, stakes, and other accessories which careless gardeners are too prone to leave about in odd places. The box edgings one finds in old gardens — "as prim and square-cut as a Puritan pastor" — are charming to look at, but they are charged, and probably rightly so, with harbour- 204 GARDEN PLANNING THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 205 ing snails and other animals which prey upon our culinary plants. Still I am not sure that I would not put up with the havoc of these ma- rauders to enjoy the solid green outlines and the air of old-world methods these edgings suggest. There are other modes of associating the vegetable garden with the flower ground. When the whole plot is wide in relation to its length, it may be convenient to reserve a strip of ground along one or both sides for kitchen garden purposes, and in that event the treatment may be based upon the design here illustrated, the object, as before, being to retain a certain decorative quality without detriment to practical requirements. The method of doing this is made sufficiently clear by the diagram. If space and other conditions suit, there is no objection to cutting off the kitchen from the flower garden entirely by a separating hedge; because in the case under consideration there would be little gained by blending the two, since the additional vista so obtained, being in a transverse direction, is compara- tively short. In selecting the site for the kitchen garden the question of aspect must not be overlooked, particularly as it affects 206 GARDEN PLANNING that part of the flower garden adjacent. In the case just considered the hedge shadow must be reckoned with, and for that reason the north side of a garden having an east or west aspect would be the best position for the kitchen garden, other things being favour- able. With a north or south aspect the point would not arise. In gardens of irregular shape it is some- times possible to cut off a triangular or awk- wardly shaped piece for the vegetable plot, thereby giving better form to the rest. Examples of this mode of treatment will be found in the plans which follow. In the actual making of the ground the gardener must follow the directions already given for trenching and manuring. If the garden is of any considerable size a tool shed, which might be used also as a potting-shed, is a great convenience. It may be a very simple structure; but it is well not to disfigure it with corrugated iron or other unsightly material. A thatched roof of straw or reeds would convert it into an almost pic- turesque feature, and there is no reason why it should not support a graceful flowering climber. CHAPTER XV Glass At the risk of creating consternation in the minds of those enthusiasts who adore their little glass houses, I must say that I cannot reconcile the greenhouse with the garden beautiful. My remark, of course, applies only to the small garden, in which I have never seen such a structure that was not an eyesore. Its white paint alone condemns it; but that we can alter. Not so its rigid, spidery lines and glinting glass panes. Yet I admit its utility, and I can realize the pleasures that come to the man who carefully tends its crowd of occupants. My quarrel is with the thing itself. If I were advising the owner of a small garden plot on the question of installing a greenhouse, I should say "Don't," because I know that it is possible to have a garden gay with interesting flowers from March to Novem- ber without glass. 207 208 GARDEN PLANNING On the other hand, if the gardener desired to specialize in chrysanthemums, or some other flower or flowers for which a greenhouse is a necessity, I would concede the point, re- garding it as a compromise; but I should not expect him to achieve a very notable result in the garden picture. I would therefore ask the would-be gardener to consider whether he really wants a green- house, and if he decides in the affirmative, I would tender him such advice as the following: 1. If possible — i.e., if the aspect is suitable — put the greenhouse against one of the house walls, where it will merge into the main struc- ture, and thus lose some of its identity. 2. If that is unrealizable, place it where it will be possible to screen it from view, so that it does not become a conspicuous object in the vista as seen from the house. 3. Select a simple and unpretentious design, preferably a "lean-to" or "three-quarter-span" pattern, and put it against a boundary fence or wall. These patterns are infinitely pref- erable to the high-pitched, ridge-roofed, doU's- house pavilions designed to evoke the admira- tion of the uninitiated. GLASS 209 4. Paint the outside woodwork a pleasant shade of green, not grass colour nor eau-de-nil, but something in between. By observing these hints he may succeed in taking the sting out of his glass box. The gardeners who paint their greenhouses white, picked out with lines of peacock blue, hardly realize the crime they commit. They are blinded to the inconsistencies by the glpry of the structure itself, and think not of it as an element in the picture. For the same reason they give it a place of honour in the centre of the garden's width, and contrive that all roads shall lead to it. The humble garden frame is another matter. It sits snugly on the ground, and does not take on airs. Its usefulness no one can deny, and its place is in the vegetable plot. If, in spite of all, the gardener decides to invest some part of his capital in "glass," then let him beware of the cheap, jerry-built, stock houses which are occasionally offered to a confiding public. They are not all bad, but they all have the same family likeness on paper, and the inexperienced buyer is tempted to buy the largest he can get for the 2IO GARDEN PLANNING sum he is prepared to spend, or the cheapest for a given size. The greenhouse at its best is but a skeleton structure, if we neglect the glass, and is an easy prey to weather influence. If framed of wood of small scantling, or of unsound quality, the decay comes sooner and proceeds more rapidly. Joints give and parts warp out of shape, "and then the deluge" in a literal sense. Once a house becomes leaky it is almost hopeless to attempt to make it sound again. Better, therefore, to do without than to install a cheap affair that will do duty only for a few seasons. The best guarantee of quality is price and the reputation of the firm from which you buy. The term "conservatory" is generally applied to a glass house forming a permanent annex to the house. It has the advantage over an unwarmed detached greenhouse of borrowing warmth from the house in winter, and is useful for protecting pot plants from frost. If taste- fully kept and of sufficient size, it forms an ex- cellent approach to the garden. One not infrequently finds one on the north side of GLASS 211 the house, where it gets no sun, and Is, therefore, only fitted for sheltering a few ferns. Builders Indulge In flights of fancy In con- nection with the conservatory, In the form of chevaux-de-frise, ornamental finlals, and col- oured glass panes. They hope by these at- tractions (?) to sell or let the house. The man of taste, however, will prefer the structure to be a piece of good plain woodwork glazed with clear glass. I know of nothing more dis- tracting than to enter a conservatory into which the sun Is casting contrasting beams of blue and yellow light indifferently upon flowers and foliage. If for purposes of privacy it Is desirable that the glass be translucent It Is better to use white prismatic or ground glass. Leaded glass In which the prevailing tint Is a pale green Is not objectionable. The con- servatory floor should be tiled and sloped to a gutter to carry to the outside the water spilled in spraying the plants. A heating system is essential, and in this con- nection it is well to take and abide by the expert advice of the established greenhouse builders. Much benefit will be had from a perusal of the book "Gardening Under Glass." CHAPTER XVI Fences and Hedges I have already pointed out how insistently the boundaries of a small garden declare them- selves. Whichever way we turn the vista is closed by a wall or fence, and whatever expe- dients weadoptto render these artificialfrontiers inconspicuous — whether by growing greenery over them or trees and shrubs against them — we cannot entirely keep them out of sight. I have shown, however, that by adopting a rectilinear treatment they can be made to har- monize with the garden lines. But that will not help us much if the fence itself is an eyesore. The suburban gardener very often has to take things as he finds them, but he who builds his house has the matter in his own hands, and for his guidance, therefore, I may offer some suggestions on the subject of fencing. I must make a passing reference to walls. All walls are much alike, but it is worth while to FENCES AND HEDGES 213 make the wall high enough to permit of grow- ing vines upon it when it receives full sun. A height of six feet in most cases would be suflfi- cient for the purpose. As regards the fence there are two consider- ations — appearance and durability. The former implies both design and surface, the latter, material. Of the woods available, oak is unquestion- ably the best for a fence, not only on account of its long life under all conditions of weather, but on the score of appearance. It should not be painted or its charm of colour will be destroyed. Who has not seen and admired the pearly grays and opalescent tints of an ancient park fence, and noted how admirably it harmonized with the natural growth at its foot? I know of nothing which better ac- cords with flower and foliage than the weath- ered surface of an old oak fence. If the pales are cleft, so as to show the natural figure of the wood, the efi"ect will be better and the life of the fence longer. Under ordinary circum- stances a height of five feet is suflicient, but with open country around and no likelihood of intruders less height may be desirable, 214 GARDEN PLANNING FENCES AND HEDGES 215 particularly if there is an attractive landscape beyond. The character of the immediate environment should determine both the height of the fence and its design, which may be open or closed, or a combination of both. The construction should be simple, because elaborate fencework is likely to usurp attention and to detract from the glory of the flower ground. The practice of allowing the posts to stand above the top line of the fence, breaking the skyline, is a good one. The designs illustrated should be sufficient guide as to the type of fence best suited to a small garden. The closed pattern has sawn oak posts and arris rails and cleft pales. If shaped at the top between the posts, as shown, its appearance is improved. The "windowed" pattern is an adaptation of the park fence, by the addition of raised heads to the posts and a more substantial top rail. The latter should be "weathered" to throw off the rain. The half-open fence with lattice top is just the thing on which to train creepers. Paled fences should always have a pHnth 2l6 GARDEN PLANNING board to protect the lower end of the pales from moisture, and to act as a barrier against burrowing animals. Oak fences should be put together with cop- per or galvanized nails; ordinary iron nails cause unsightly inky stains. If the gardener cannot afford the cost of oak, he must use pine or other boarding for his pales, but certainly he should have oak posts and pUnth boards, though he may omit the latter if he stops the pales just clear of the ground. The pales will need painting either with a tar solution (a preparation of Stockholm tar, not coal tar) or with good oil paint. If oil paint is used, the colour is important. It is difficult to select a tint which harmonizes well with flowers and foliage. Perhaps the best is a subdued green of a sagey tint. One disadvantage of painted fences is that the paint has to be renewed from time to time, and that Involves the temporary removal of creepers and other plants which may have been trained over them. Wire fences are not desirable for a permanent purpose, but are permissible when It is wished to mark the garden boundaries whilst a hedge FENCES AND HEDGES 217 is coming to maturity. At the points where the wires start and end the posts should be stout and well strutted, to enable sufficient tension to be put on the wire to make it taut. The intermediate posts may be lighter, but should be firmly planted to ensure their re- maining upright. Barbed wire is an invention of the enemy and should never be admitted into the garden. Fig. 58. — Stretching wire fencing The ordinary galvanized iron telegraph wire (No. 8 gauge) is the most suitable. It may be attached to the stretching post by "screw- eyes," which should be galvanized, or by the 2l8 GARDEN PLANNING simple expedient of passing it through holes made with a carpenter's gimlet and twisting a knot in the protruding end. This should be done in the manner illustrated. The stretching is best managed with a block and Fig. 59- — Open wooden fencing tackle, but if the gardener cannot command the use of this appliance, he may make shift with an extemporized lever in the manner shown. When the wire is taut, the end should be FENCES AND HEDGES 219 knocked up with a hammer close to the hole and turned two or three times round a stout nail. Kinks and bends in the wire may be rubbed out of it with the hammer handle whilst it is under tension, before the final tightening. Two good types of open fence are shown in the next illustration, and they call for no special description. In the all-rail pattern the post heads are made separately and nailed on, their purpose being to protect the end grain of the post from the weather. Temporary fences may be made of rough unbarked cedar or other timber that may be readily and cheaply procurable. The lattice or "rustic" fence is short-lived, and in long lengths its diagonal pattern is monotonous. Its appearance is much improved by adding a top rail of halved timber flat side down. A better type is that next illustrated, the posts being of unbarked cedar, and the side and top rails of the same halved. Ordinary iron cut nails may be used with advantage, as their "rusting-in" makes them hold all the better. In setting out a fence care should be taken 220 GARDEN PLANNING to keep a straight line from point to point, by using a stretched cord as a guide for fixing the posts. The tops of the posts should be Fig. 60. — Larch fencing adjusted in line by sighting, two T pieces being fixed as levels to work from, one at each end of the stretch. The spacing of the posts will depend upon the design and character of the fence and the length of timber purchased for the rails, but ten feet is the maximum advisable, and less is better. Of iron fencing there are patterns for all purposes, and I need not speak of them. Trellis — Trellis naturally falls into this sec- tion, and some words of guidance in its proper use may be useful. Ready-made trellis is so cheap that it does not pay to make it at home when the ordinary diamond pattern is wanted. FENCES AND HEDGES 221 In erecting a screen of trellis a well-framed support should be provided, as there is very little strength or stiffness in the trellis itself. The rule should be to support all the edges by allowing them to butt against the centre of the frame, securing them by fillets nailed thereto. The practice of leaving a raw edge at the top is slovenly, and leads to the premature decay of the trellis. All trellises should be painted with two or three coats of good oil colour, well worked into the angles at the Fig. 6r. — Construction of trellis screen crossings, for it is there that the rain finds its way in and starts the process of decay. 222 GARDEN PLANNING The diagonal pattern has come to be so com- mon that most gardeners accept it without question, but where much treUis is used it looks better arranged with the laths vertical and horizontal. If the gardener is handy with his tools, and blessed with sufficient leisure, he may try his hand on "woven trellis," using cleft oak laths and working on the plan illustrated in Fig. 57. He must design his squares of sufficient size to admit of bending the laths without difficulty, and he should pin them at their crossings with oak pegs. A trellis of this kind will not re- quire to be painted, and it has a character of its own which raises it far above the machine- made article. I need hardly add that the interlacing may be omitted and the laths joined up in the ordinary way, using either oak pegs or galvan- ized nails. Hedges — We may consider hedges as liv- ing fences. They not only serve to mark the garden boundary and the subdivisions of the garden, but they materially assist us in the garden picture. I know of no better back- ground for a wide herbaceous border than a FENCES AND HEDGES 223 well-grown hedge, provided no wall is available. Hedges, however, occupy more width than fences, and we must allow for this in our plan- ning. Also there must be allowance for lateral growth beyond the width to which we intend to train the hedge, because we cannot trim at frequent intervals. Also something addi- tional should be allowed to keep the flowers outside the radius of the roots of the hedge plants. As wind-screens hedges are superior to fences because they allow air to filter through, and thus reduce the velocity of that which passes over them. Of hedge plants commonly in use nothing beats privet. When properly cared for it is very effective as a screen, and it grows rapidly. Moreover, it thrives in almost every kind of soil, and is happy alike in shade or sunshine, and does not ordinarily suffer from cold or rough winds. Thorn is of less rapid growth but makes a thoroughly business-like hedge, and, ow- ing to its spines, cattle rarely attempt to break through it. If well trained from the first so as to make the bottom full and close, 224 GARDEN PLANNING it will exclude even the "harmless (?), neces- sary cat." Of evergreens, hemlock, box and arbor-vitse are all admirable, but slow in growth. The hardy orange {Citrus trifoliata) makes a dense, impenetrable hedge and is evergreen in the South but sheds its leaves in the North. There is no reason why we should not make hedges of many of the beautiful flowering shrubs, save only the question of cost. Lilac, ribes, deutzia, snowberry, philadelphus, med- lar, diervilla, flowering quince, rose, sweet- brier, blackthorn, viburnum, elder, berberis, althea, and spirea are all suitable and attrac- tive subjects, and in the light, warm soils in the South fuchsia and hydrangea may be added to the list. I see no objection to a mixed hedge, in which several of the above subjects are associated together. There are pictur- esque possibilities in such a hedge that are worth exploiting. Sweetbrier makes a charming hedge and stands exposure well, but it is unsuited to town gardens, where its viscous foliage would collect and retain the sooty constituents of the atmos- phere. In planting a hedge the ground should FENCES AND HEDGES 225 be trenched and manured and the plants carefully lined up. The spacing will vary with the subject, and the nurseryman will always advise on this point. The training of a hedge involves periodical trim- ming. In the first instance this should be directed to encouraging the lower growth, without which the hedge can never be an efficient barrier, and might develop into an eyesore, ^'s- 62.— Sections of hedge The best method is to trim to a wedge shape, tapering from bottom to top on both sides equally, and to leave the top quite sharp. The width at bottom, for a hedge which is eventually to be restricted to five feet in height, need not exceed two feet. The tops of the plants should not be touched until they reach the prescribed height. Fig. 62 A shows the section to be worked to in the first instance. When the bottom is well filled in with growth, and the plants have obtained the maximum height, or have sprung above it, the top may be cut to a uniform height, and dressed flat as in Fig. 62 B, or rounded 226 GARDEN PLANNING if preferred. Subsequently the sides may be trimmed vertically. In long lines of hedging it is desirable to break the top line by allowing the hedge plants at intervals to grow above the general Fig. 63. — Hedge tops level, trimming them into some definite form, as shown in the illustration below. Gaps in the hedge, to accommodate through- paths, may be bridged over by training the adjacent plants into an arch, for which a tem- porary support would be required. The gardener should never forget that his hedge makes considerable demands on the soil, and he must therefore not expect that flowers will thrive in close proximity to it, wherefore he should allow sufficient width in all borders which skirt a line of hedging. Box Edgings — These are miniature hedges. The objection that they encourage and harbour FENCES AND HEDGES 227 insect pests may be dismissed by the practical man, who will avail himself of the fact to search out the intruders and destroy them. The best dwarf form is Buxus sempervirens var. suffruticosa. It should be planted in April or May. A narrow, clean-cut trench of tri- angular section should be got out, and the box plants inserted in a close line, the soil being drawn up against them with a board held in the right hand, whilst the left forearm holds the plants in line. Box edging should not be allowed to grow to a greater height than six Inches, and the clipping should be done with care so as to preserve the height uniform, and to main- tain a clean line, whether it Y\g. 64. — Planting box is straight or curved. The edging best time for cHppIng is at the end of May or during the first week in June. The best shape in cross-section is square- topped with battered or vertical sides, though If it pleases the eye of the gardener the top angles may be rounded. Ivy Edgings — These have a bold, handsome appearance, but are not suitable for gardens 228 GARDEN PLANNING of restricted size, and in town gardens they are apt to become coated with soot, nor are they reliable in the North as they winter-kill. Where space admits, however, and the temperature is safe, excellent effects may be obtained with ivy. It is only necessary to insert the plants and to peg them down to the soil, which in time they will cover with abundant growth. An annual clipping in April or May will soon produce a neat effect. Other Edgings — Many other plants are in use for edgings, such as the ground myrtle, euony- mus, and pachysandra, etc., but as they present; no special difficulty in management, and have no special features to commend them, I need only refer to them by name, as a reminder to the gardener who is casting about for some- thing different. The Verge — This makes an admirable edg- ing where space permits, and where it is not subject to unfavourable conditions, such as the drip of trees. To ensure the best effect it should be trimmed with mathematical accuracy. As the mowing and trimming involve consider- able labour it will not commend itself to the gardener of limited leisure. CHAPTER XVII Tile and Other Artificial Edgings These nave a wider application than the living plant edgings just noticed, and they are a necessity in a well-kept garden. When turf and soil or turf and gravel come into juxta- position the clean-cut edge of the turf consti- tutes a good enough edging. The case is different where soil and gravel meet. The qualities which should distinguish a good edging are durability (both as regards resis- tance to weather influence and accidental fracture); flexibility, to permit it to be laid in a good curve if necessary; stability, to enable it to keep in place; and, lastly, moderate cost. Tile Edgings — These may be just plain roofing tiles, or special edging tiles with a "fancy" margin, of which many patterns, good, bad, and indifi'erent, are offered for sale. Of the former I have little to say beyond point- ing out that they are usually too thin to resist 229 230 GARDEN PLANNING the wear and tear of every-day usage, and the porous kinds are subject to fracture by frost. Special edging tiles are made of the following materials: Porous brickware (red). Hard brickware (red). Stoneware (brown). Blue brickware (slaty blue). The first is undesirable on account of its brittleness and liability to fracture by frost, and the last on account of its unpleasant colour, though it has the advantage of toughness and strength. Between the other two materials there is little to choose. Both are durable and unobjectionable in colour, and the gardener may decide as he thinks best. If price is a consideration, he would find the hard brick- ware the least expensive, though prices may vary according to district. When it comes to selecting the a pattern he cannot be too circum- spect, and he had best confine Fig. 65.— Edg- himself to simple designs. In my ing tile opinion the tile edging is not a feature it is desirable to emphasize with ARTIFICIAL EDGINGS 23 1 decoration. The plain scallop edge is the least offensive. (See Fig. 65.) Even that is apt to suffer in use, and will show unpleasant gaps where some of the projections have been broken off by a chance blow of the spade. Perhaps the strongest pattern is the so-called "cable" design, but to that there is the ob- jection that it is a barefaced imitation of something which it never quite succeeds in simulating, and which in the reality would be a most inappropriate thing as a permanent feature in the garden. Moreover, these tiles are unsightly when laid in curves. Generally speaking, the edging tile is some- thing one had better do without, and as a substitute for it which has the advantage of greater substance, durability, and stability, combined with lower cost, I commend: Brick Edgings — The common builder's red brick, as I have already mentioned, makes an excellent edging, and is capable of being used in various ways. Laid flat, its top sur- face level with the gravel, it becomes the margin of the path and at the same time an efficient barrier to the soil of the border. Used in this 232 GARDEN PLANNING way it may be associated with a box edging, as indicated in the illustration (A). Otherwise it may be set on edge to stand about half its width above the gravel and soil as in B. There is little to choose between these two modes of using it. Another and less familiar method is to employ it in the form of a concealed edging in the way shown at C. This makes a very neat Fig. 66. — Brick edgings and unobtrusive edging, not easily damaged. When it is carried round curves it should be laid endwise to the line, using half-bricks. This form of edging is also useful as a division between turf and gravel, as it precludes the need for much labour in trimming the turf edge, and at the same time absolutely pre- serves the original line. In purchasing bricks for edgings the gardener should see that he gets hard, well-burnt ones, either wire-cut or pressed. Moulded bricks ARTIFICIAL EDGINGS 233 have a hollow on one side, which makes them unsuitable. There is, however, a kind of brick which is preferable to the ordinary rectangular brick, if cost is not an important consideration. It is the "plinth" brick. It has one of its edges bevelled, as shown in the illustration, and makes quite an ideal edging. Its price averages about Fig. 67.-The plinth brkk , fifteen dollars a thou- ^'^^'"^ sand, which brings it materially higher in cost than the common brick, but still cheaper than the edging tile. Stone Edgings — In districts where stone is plentiful and cheap, it may be used as an edging, and it has the advantage of being obtainable in long lengths. It may also be worked in any section desired, or we may use it roughly dressed. The illustration on page 234 indicates some simple and suitable sections. Sometimes the gardener is in a position to buy cheaply old stone paving, which may be adapted as an edging with good effect. Slate has been suggested for edgings, and in 234 GARDEN PLANNING districts where it is cheap, if used in pieces at least one inch thick, it is durable and efficient; but its colour is unpleasing, and I cannot com- mend it for the flower garden on that account. For the vegetable ground it is quite admirable. Fig. 68. — Stone edgings (sections) The least expensive kind of edging is the common flint, and on the score of appearance and stability it leaves little to be desired. It should be bedded deeply, and the flints should be large ones. The practice common in some districts of whitening flint edgings gives them too much prominence, and on that account I do not favour it. When a bed or border is to be raised above the general level the edging may be built up of flints or brickbats. There is no special virtue in the flint, apart from its abundance and ubiquity. In districts where other natural stone is common it may be used in rough pieces in the same way as flints, with equally good effect. ARTIFICIAL EDGINGS 235 Wood Edgings — The last form of artificial edging that I shall notice is the board edging. It has its usefulness as a temporary expedient when we wish to make our gravel paths before we lay the permanent edging, and it is some- times used in kitchen gardens. Its appearance is never good, and the presence of wood in the soil is at all times to be condemned, because it encourages the growth of fungous life. Unprepared wood is hardly good for more than two seasons. If required to last longer it must be dressed with a tar solution or creo- soted. The best way to secure wood edgings is to nail them to stout square pegs driven firmly into the soil. In putting down edgings of every kind they should never be allowed to stand to a greater height out of ground than is necessary to form a barrier against rolling earth clods. CHAPTER XVIII Garden Plans In the following examples of small sub- urban plot gardens, mostly consisting of plans actually executed, I have applied the principles set forth in the foregoing pages. Each plan is drawn to scale, and accompanied by a scale of feet, and for clearness I have included only such details as are needed to indicate -the general scheme of the garden. These examples may be closely followed whenever the conditions are the same as shown in the plans. It should be understood that for a given set of factors there are many possible arrangements, all equally good, so that per- sonal taste and inclination may be allowed considerable scope, so long as the main prin- ciples of planning are observed. Considera- tions of economy may dictate the omission or modification of certain details, which the gardener will decide for himself. My primary 236 GARDEN PLANS 237 object in presenting these plans is to elucidate the subject of garden design in a concrete form. If they should prove of use in individual cases, so much the better. It should be noted that each plan is made for a special aspect, and that it will only hold good for an aspect not greatly differing from that shown by the arrow with which the plan is marked. But, given the same aspect, the plan would serve for plots of similar proportions and dimensions, and with care to preserve due scale between de- tails, for plots of larger or smaller size. Thus the plan (Fig. 78) might be appHed to a plot of twice the length shown, by lengthening the central grass space and its associated borders, and leaving the features at such end the same as shown on the plan. In all these examples the following points have been observed: 1. Grass is confined to compact areas, with means of access to them at more than one point. 2. Trees are placed so as not to cast shadows on the borders. 3. Principal borders are in full sun. 4. The summer house entrance is in shade or partial shade. 238 GARDEN PLANNING 5. Symmetry in the main features of the plan is ignored. 6. Path space is reduced to a minimum, so far as is consistent with achieving a pictur- esque effect. 7. When grass space is divided, the two areas are not of equal size. 8. The vista from the summer house is made as interesting as possible. 9. No curves or angles other than right angles are introduced into the garden lines, except only where they may serve some useful purpose, as in Figs. 84 and loi. I have adopted the following conventional indications in all the plans: Beds and borders Full black Grass Shaded House Hatched Paths, drives, and vegetable spaces Unshaded Arches, thus Pergolas, thus Glass, thus GARDEN PLANS 239 Fig. 69. —Size, 26 feet by 20 feet. Aspect, SE. The path at its near end communicates with the kitchen yard, and at its far end terminates at an arbour. The space at the angle ot the path might carry a tub or sundial. The north-west boundary fence might be raised with trellis to give increased surface for growing climbing plants. Fig. 70. — Size, 42 feet by 20 feet. Aspect, nearly due E. The path ter- minates at a summer house and gives access to a small yard, in which a tool- shed is shown. Note: In this and succeeding plans, the upper caption pertains to the left- hand diagram; the lower caption to the right-hand diagram. 240 GARDEN PLANNING Fie- ?!• , — Size, 45 feet 6 inches by 20 feet. Aspect, N. The back entrance gate is screened by the summer house, and the yard offers accommodation for garden requisites, and contains a small tool-shed. The e.xpansion in the path might, carry a vase or tub. Fig. 72.- — Size, 6s feet 6 inches by g2 feet. Aspect, approximately NE. About one third of the plot is devoted to vegetables and screened ofi by a hedge and a summer house. GARDEN PLANS 241 Fig. 73. —Size, 69 feet by 15 feet Aspect, approximately S Half the spaM is given to vegetable ground, a glass house being placed at the division. The eastern border continues through the kitchen plot. Fig. 74- —Size, s8 feet by 20 feet. Aspect, E. Thewhole of this plot is laid out ts flower ground. The southern border against the fence is shady, and should be planted with shade-loving subjects. 242 GARDEN PLANNING . Fig. 75- ,— Size, 64 feet by 22 feet. Aspect, N. This aspect admits of flower display close to the house-back. A sundial is shown in the gravel space facing the back entrance, and a flower vase in the square expansion of the path. The small detached grass area might be planted with trees to make a shady corner, and bulbs might be planted in the grass. Fig. 76. —Size, 67 feet by 25 feet. Aspect, NW. About one third of the plot Is screened off for use as vegetable ground, and borders are carried through it. GARDEN PLANS 243 e o Fig. 77.-— Size, 87 feet by 30 feet. Aspect, NNE. A feature is made of a formal group of beds facing the summer house, a sundial occupying the centre of the group. The path terminates in an alpine garden, which com- municates by steps with a detached grass space, planted for shade. The di- viding hedge gives a sense of enclosure to the formal garden, and privacy to th» space beyond. Fig. 78. — Size, 116 feet by 40 feet. Aspect, SW. The summer house, trees, and shrubs screen the diagonal piece of fence. The end space is de- voted to a sunken alpine garden. A low rubble wall retains the borders to north and south-west. A raised circular bed occupies the centre. The roofed space at the house-back is a veranda, from which a pleasant vista down the plot if obtained. 244^ GARDEN PLANNING Fig. 79- —Size, 60 feet by 26 feet, expanding at end to 44 feet. Aspect, NE. THis is not an uncommon shape for suburban plots, and it lends itself to a pleasing arrangement, the pocket at the end coming as a surprise. GARDEN PLANS "■ 1 .HL h -T-tA-t^. *j 1r5* +^ ^•-^Wm H5 Fig. 80. — Size, 126 feet by 27 feet, average Aspect, E. A small vege- table ground is shown at the end, divided oflE by a cranked line of hedging This gives oppoitunity for setting a formal gi^oup of beds in the rectangular space adjoining the sum- mer house. This space would make a good rose garden. An alpine gar- (den breaks off from the main path, and commu- nicates by steps with a shady corner at the south- west. 246 GARDEN PLANNING Fig. 81. — Size, 68 feet 6 inches by 29 feet, average. Aspect, SW. The details are sufficiently indicated in the plan. GARDEN PLANS 247 Fig. 82. —Size, 146 feet by 49 feet, average. Aspect, SE." A yard witli outbuildings separates the flower garden into two almost equal spaces. The front grass area might be reserved for croquet. A small vegetable ground occupies the extreme end of the plot. 248 GARDEN PLANNING Fig. 83. —Size, 148 feet by 54 feet, average. Aspect, NW. A curved roadway, causes a diverging shape. The details of the plan will sufficiently explain themselves. GARDEN PLANS 249 Fig.| 84. ,— Size, 113 feet by 36 feet, average. Aspect, SW. In this case the garden boundaries are of unusual shape, but they do not preclude a good arrangement— in fact, this may be made a picturesque and interesting garden