HW TO LAYOUT SUBURBAN HOME ;RBERT j. KEI AWAY I away - Southern Branch of the Diversity of California Los Angeles 0055 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below MAY 5 1923 MAY 4 1925 NOV 8 NOV9 APR 2 -1957 1KCH5 TT1-TTW %170 I.D-UIB! 01 Form L-9-5w-7,'22 PLATI I. I-'ICut my |>:ith ami my miml be as a part of every fragrant (him: tliat shona and grew around me. DOI'OLA* JKKIKM i>. HOW TO LAY OUT SUBURBAN HOME GROUNDS BY HERBERT J. KELLAWAY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT FIRST EDITION FIRST THOUSAND NEW YORK JOHN WILEY & SONS LONDON : CHAPMAN & HALL, LIMITED 1907 ( eoo^ UtC 1908 COPYRIGHT, 1907, HERBERT J. KELLAWAV ^ 15 ! 3 K PREFACE. OUTDOOR art is to-day recognized as necessary to the com- pletion of a home. What are the best methods to pursue ,in designing small suburban grounds? As an assistance to those with moderate incomes wishing to secure beautiful surround- ings, the following thoughts are written. They are not intended to deal with the treatment of large estates or explain the many principles of landscape architecture, but only as an incentive to good taste. The need for planning and "counting the cost" before begin- ning the construction of the house is apparent. The problem should be treated as a whole, rather than to consider the grounds as an afterthought. It is not my intention that the plans and sketches shown shall be designs to be carried out, but only as an example of what can be done. Every site presents conditions and oppor- tunities which should be taken advantage of in the develop- ment. As every locality has plants that are indigenous to the region, it seems useless to merely give an extended list of trees and shrubs, but to direct the reader to a means of securing the knowledge in one's own community. In the hope that many may be inspired to seek better things about the home this small work is sent forth. HERBERT J. KELLAWAY. BOSTON, MASS., June, 1907. CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER I How TO BEGIN A SUBURBAN HOME PLANNING BEFORE BEGINNING . 3 CHAPTER II CHOOSING THE HOMESITE THE TREATMENT OF DIFFICULT SITUATIONS 8 CHAPTER III PRACTICAL UTILITIES AND ART COMBINED 16 CHAFFER IV OWNERSHIP THE SURVEY THE PRELIMINARY PLAN AND THE GRADING PLAN 23 CHAPTER V A GOOD DESIGN NEEDS GOOD CONSTRUCTION , . 31 CHAPTER VI ARCHITECTURAL ADORNMENTS ON THE GROUNDS 50 CHAPTER VII How TO MAKE A LAWN . . < . 55 CHAPTER VIII WHAT TO PLANT AND How TO MAKE THE PLANTING PLAN 64 CHAFFER IX How AND WHEN TO PLANT 79 CHAPTER X How TO KNOW THE PLANTS TO USE THE SPHERE OF THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT THE VALUE OF GOOD DESIGN 91 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE PLATE I. Frontispiece PLATE II. House Designed in Harmony with Natural Conditions ... 5 PLATE III. A Well Developed Suburban Community 5 PLATE IV. An Example of Good Development 9 PLATE V. Winter Scene 9 PLATE VI. A "Back yard " made with a Simple Lawn and Garden . . 17 PLATE VII. The Rear of the House Made into a Terrace Garden with Sundial 17 PLATE VIII. Walled Flower Garden, Street Side 21 PLATE IX. Walled Flower Garden, Inside View 21 PLATE X. Drive Located on Simple Curves 33 PLATE XI. Steps and Walk Made to Fit Slope 41 PLATE XII. Shrubbery at Base of House 41 PLATE XIII. Stepping Stones to Overcome a Grade 45 PLATE XIV. A Well Built Wall 45 PLATE XV. Kitchen Entrance Screened in Conjunction with Laundry Yard 47 PLATE XVI. One Type of Laundry Yard Fence 47 PLATE XVII. Wall Built of Boulders and Ledge Stones, covered with Vines 53 PLATE XVIII. Service Entrance to Estate 53 PLATE XIX. A Terrace Flower Garden 57 PLATE XX. A Flower Garden, Box Bordered 57 PLATE XXI. Brick Walk in a Terrace Flower Garden ....... 59 PLATE XXII. A Flower Bordered Walk 59 PLATE XXIII. Wall and Gate at Kitchen Entrance 71 PLATE XXIV. A Brick Boundary Wall 71 PLATE XXV A Tree and Shrub Embordered Lawn 73 PLATE XXVI. An Open Lawn Between House and Street 73 PLATE XXVII. Natural Style of Treatment . . . 77 PLATE XXVIII. Natural Style of Development 77 ix Illustrations. PLATE XXIX. Aprear.mce of House Before Planting ................ 81 PLATE XXX. Appearance of House After Planting . . . ... 81 PLATE XXXI. Appearance of House and Grounds Before Treatment . 86 PLATE XXXII Appearance of House and Grounds After Study and Development ............... 85 PLATE XXXIII. Appearance of House and Grounds After Grading and Before Planting .............. * PLATE XXXIV. Appearance of House and Grounds After Study and Planting .......................... S9 PLATE XXXV. Terrace Garden, Herbaceous Perennials ...... 93 PLATE XXXVI. Herbaceous Flower Garden ............ 93 PLATE XXXVII. Simple Treatment of Ordinary House ...... 95 PLATE XXXVIII. Simple Entrance to Kitchen Porch and Yard ... 95 PLANS AND MAPS. PAGE PLAN I. Preliminary Plan for Treatment of Level Open Lot 13 PLAN II. Topographical Map Estate "A" 25 PLAN III. Preliminary Plan for Estate "A" 27 PLAN IV. Grading Plan for Estate "A" 31 PLAN V. Simple Treatment of Nearly Level Lot 39 PLAN VI. Planting Plan Estate "A" 67 PLAN VII. Tape Measured Survey of Estate " B " 99 PLAN VIII. Preliminary Plan for Estate " B" 101 PLAN IX. Preliminary Plan for Estate "C" 103 PLAN X. Topographical Map of Estate "C" 103 PLAN XI. Cross Section of Estate "C" 103 PLAN XII. Preliminary Plan of Estate "D" 104 PLAN XIII. Topographical Map of Estate "D" 105 PLAN XIV. Topographical Map of Estate "E" . . . 107 PLAN XV. Preliminary Plan for Estate "E' ; , . . 109 HOW TO LAY OUT SUBURBAN HOME GROUNDS. TT SITING out grounds, as it is called, may be considered as a liberal J ^ art, in some sort like poetry and painting ; and its object, like that of all the liberal arts, is, or ought to be, to move the affections under the control of good sense ; that is, those of the best and wisest; but speaking with more precision, it is to assist Nature in moving the affections, and surely, as I have said, the affections of those who have the deepest perception of the beauty of Nature ; who have the most valuable fee/ings, that is, the most permanent, and most independent, the most ennobling, connected with Nature and human life. WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. CHAPTER I. And a Man shall ever see, that when Ages grow to Civility and Elegance, Men come to build stately, sooner than to garden finely; as if Gardening were the Greater Perfection. FRANCIS BACON. |HE first man, Adam, began life in Paradise, the garden of Eden. Is it too much to say that the home spirit is inborn; the love of home a force and the desire to own a home the crown of a man's am- bition? The mystical ideal is ever present not in mere wood, stone, and land, but is clothed about with life. The memories of childhood days are of the living things, the home folk, the animals, the trees, the flowers. There is no deep attachment to inanimate objects unless embodied with the mystery of home life and spirit. Man wants a home. t The delights of ownership and the responsibilities are subject to the same laws, whether it is the rich man in his palace or the poor man in his meagre cottage. The ability to realize and attain the ideal is limited by circumstances. Often the supposed excessive expense is in the imagination. If the ideal were made tangible in the form of a well out- lined plan of action and development the desired result would be secured. Without such plan not infrequently funds are spent in securing poor or second-class treatment of the home grounds. Can the ideal be attained? Yes; perhaps not all at once, but little by little as funds permit. The scheme must be out- lined and a determined and settled purpose will accomplish what was seemingly the unattainable. The house is usually the first thought. Instead the beginning should be on the ground, the location, quality, surroundings, and possibilities 4 How to Lay Out for development. The adaptability of the site to secure the ideals of the home builder should be considered, whether it is a shrub embordered lawn, a flower garden, or natural or wild grounds. It is possible to create effects on almost any site, but every natural feature should be utilized. A home well begun is half done. Consideration should be given, besides the cost, to the "upkeep" or maintenance. The cheapest method of development and least cost for care is to have mostly lawn and shrubbery. The more details planned, such as arbors, terraces, and gardens, the greater will be the expense for keep- ing them in order. See Plates II, VIII, IX, and XX. Moderate places can be kept in order as a morning and even- ing exercise to the busy city worker. If larger ground* an attempted it may be necessary to hire a man by the day occa- sionally or secure his services permanently. This cxpens. , an be found by inquiry as to prevailing rates. Another item of expense that should be thought of, is the purchase of fer- tilizers and materials for repairs. It is a good idea not to attempt too much or plan beyond one's means or possible future income. Often one sees a house occupying the larger portion of the grounds, built out of proportion to the size of the lot available. Such large houses give the idea of a one-sided life. It i- an inside life, not broad and cheering as the home plot well devel- oped can give. The house is usually the first thought and when- shall it be placed, it being a universal feeling that anyone can locate a house. The inexperienced usually determines the location of the grounds without serious consideration as to the loca- tion of the walks, drives, lawns, clothes drying yard, coal hole, or sufficient thought as to sunlight. A fine view i- often the determining point. This,^tt first, may be inspiring to the owner and to the occasional visitor, but the effect of the views gradually wears away. Consideration of comfort, sunlight, and air are more lasting and need serious thought. PLATED II. House designed to harmonize with red cedars existing on the ground, showing good taste. PLATE III. A well studied development of a suburban community, stepping stones in lawn lead to covered gate. Suburban Home Grounds. 7 This method of procedure often involves the owner in much needless expense, whereas a far better result can be obtained by planning before beginning. There is as much reason for planning the grounds as there is for planning the house. The position for the various depart- ments, such as the front approach, the servants' approach, the laundry yard, the stable yard, flower garden, tennis court, lawn, location of trees and shrubs, and the grading should all be determined before beginning the work. Each department should bear its proper relation to the other. No dream paper plan that is drawn to look pretty and pleas- ing will do, but one that is made to fit the ground, and to utilize all the available existing materials. Emphasis is often laid upon the plants and planting. Greater stress should be put upon the design and arrangement. The grourid must be shaped and developed right for the same reason that jewels merely adorn but do not make a woman beautiful. See Plates V and XXV. In locating trees and shrubs simply bear in mind the present and future effect after the plants have grown to maturity. It is almost a truism that the composition which looks so simple and complete is the hardest to attain. How to Lay Out CHAPTER II. Choose, then, between the masterpiece of gar- dening and the work of nature; between what is conventionally beautiful, and what is beau- tiful without rule. VICTOR Hroo. |HE nature of man and his tastes may be e\: by the works he does or the choices he mak Expression may be given in the architectural or formal style of gardening, while others may l>e satisfied by the informal or natural style. Instead of clinging to one style there is often a desire to have both, a touch of the irregular well kept lines with an opportunity to retreat to the easy flowing grace of the natural or wild treatment. See Plates XX VI and XX VI I. The choice of the site is important as providing opportunity for the realization of these desires. Often a site is chosen for no other reason than that a friend or neighbor will live next door. Much expense and disappointment ina^\ be saved by con>i Is there adequate provision for fire and police protection in the municipality? What are the taxes and assessments of the nmniripality? Is the street accepted and maintained by the town, or is it a private way to be maintained by and at the expense of the abuttere. PLATE IV. An example of good suburban development. PLATE V. Winter effect. . Even in winter shrubbery in masses is beautiful although barren of leaves. SIAIEJVOKMA1. SCHOOL ' Suburban Home Grounds. 1 1 Is the street if unaccepted as a public highway of the legal width? What is the elevation of the district? Is it swampy or is the site subject to the drainage of adjoining land? Are there stagnant pools in the neighborhood causing the breeding of mosquitoes? Is the district healthy? Has it a reputation for malarial infections? Has the site been filled with ashes and refuse making a poor foundation for the house or for the treatment of the ground? Is there a good, pure water supply, and, if wells are to be depended upon, is there any drainage from neighboring cess- pools or stables which is likely to contaminate the water? Are there nuisances in the neighborhood such as piggeries or foul smelling factories? If sewers are not in the vicinity, is the soil of such a char- acter that proper cesspools can be built? Is the neighborhood of such a character that the general trend of improvement will be upward? What is the character of the soil and subsoil? Is it adapt- able for either lawns, trees, shrubs, flower gardens, vegetable gardens, etc? Are building materials available in the vicinity? that the cost of building may not be excessive. Are there restrictions as to the minimum cost and character of the buildings? In well ordered communities on tracts of land that have been developed by a competent landscape architect, the location of the roads and the shape of the lots are determined so as to provide the best site for the house and development for each lot. A restriction line or building limit is placed upon the ground varying from 25 feet to 50 feet in width from the street line to secure a uniform arrangement of houses. See Plates III and IV. On the side lines of the lot a restriction line from 10 to 25 feet is placed according to the size and character of the lot, so 1 2 How to Lay Out that any structures in the form of barns or out buildings may not cut off the light or deteriorate the value of the next adjoin- ing lot. Other restrictions are often placed as to the character of buildings and the use of shrubbery, trees, or any incongruous objects which would be detrimental to the artistic development of the neighborhood. \Yell restricted land, other things being equal, is usually safe property to secure. Although the lir.-t enM for the land may be greater, the ultimate success can be reasonably assured. Is the lot situated so that the house and grounds will receive a maximum amount of sunshine? A southerly exposure is best. Is the lot located so that the prevailing wind may be felt in the living rooms of the house? Usually the prevailing wind in summer is from the southwest. With this in mind 1 1n- living rooms of the house should be placed with a southerly or westerly exposure. The kitchen can well be placed in the portion opposite to the prevailing wind that the odors may be carried away from the house. To obtain these benefits in special cases calls for special plans from an architect rather than a ready made plan. A southerly exposure is also best for the treatment of the grounds or the building of a flower garden. But few plants can grow in the shade. Sec Plate XX and Plans I, V, and VII I . Are the views, local or distant, satisfactory? The best views should be obtained if possible from the living rooms of the house. The local views of the prospective site may be charm- ing, but the views of the distance may be of such a character as poor factories, stone quarries, barren cemeteries, stagnant pools, barns, etc., that they cannot be obliterated either by planting or by structural means. In choosing the site some cheap land may be offered because the irregularities of the surface, the inacre^ihility from t In- struct, or the need for filling cause added expense. These lots PLAN I. Preliminary plan for treatment of level open lot. (Area about one acre.) Suburban Home Grounds. 15 appear at first thought to be aosoiutely worthless because there is apparently no development possible upon the first; investigation. Yet for the exception of the increased cost of development the lot is an acceptable one. These waste lots often give an opportunity for originality of treatment of homes that are unique. 1 6 How to Lay Out CHAPTER in. True art is expressive before it is beautifull at it- height it i- -till tin- adornim-nt ut a service. CHARLES ELIOT. IN the choice of a home site the practical uses must not be overlooked. There must be reason and con- venience in arrangement before the beautifying features are introduced. Notwithstanding the im- pression that art is not practical it is worthy of note, as keen observers will find, that in the works of the masters of the land- scape art there is a simplicity that is charming, a convenience that is reasonable and direct. The practical utilities are made the means of expressing the beauties of art whether in beauty of line and direction, contour or shapeliness, or the disposition of the embellishments of trees and shrubs. There is a prevalent idea that there must be a front yard and a back yard to every estate. The front is to be neat and well kept, while the back yard is neglected and considered waste space. See Plates VI and VII. This notion is fast passing away and the desire for privacy has led to the development of the lawn or garden front. In- stead of the refuse and offal boxes liein^ scattered about the premises they are carefully placed in an inclosure near the kitchen entrance. Sec Plates XXIII and XXIV. The practical adaptability of the house to the site is worthy of serious thought. Of the many tyjx-s the level open lot i- the ea>ire held by a retaining wall and steps lead down to the house. In this latter case it will be necessary to use the catch basin anogin. Place the outline of the house on the survey in the position thought of on the ground, whether 25 feet or more from the street line and t he- supposed position from the side line. Then study the loca 9 s Suburban Home Grounds. 29 tion of walks, drives, gardens, lawns, and tennis courts in their relation to the house and to each other. See Plans III, IX,. and XV. The height of the first floor above the street should be deter- mined, allowing for the height of the under pinning of the house and the necessary slopes to the street. At this point if there is much difference in elevation a cross section should be made to assist in determining the height. See Plan XI. Before going too far, examine the practical points such as the coal delivery, the delivery of supplies to the house, the relation of the living room windows to the sun and to the lawn or garden. There may also appear difficulties in grade for the walks or drives which will need adjustment. See Plate XX. That which is usually carried in the mind's eye on the ground will appear out of place and awkward when drawn on paper and studied. Drives that would seem easy enough in grade, and graceful in alignment, will be found to be excessively steep and crooked when drawn and figured. The supposed position for a lawn or flower garden will be found to be impossible. The bulkhead or coalhole may need to be moved or a flight of steps or a door introduced into the design of the house in order that access to the lawn or garden may be made direct. After- thoughts in building are always expensive, and there are many examples of what "not to do" in the houses and grounds that have been carelessly constructed. See Plans VII and VIII. The outlines of the beds of shrubs and position of the trees are then added to the preliminary sketch, but not until all the practical points have been determined. There must be a use for every portion of the grounds the same as there is for the house, whether for service, pleasure, or adornment. If the problem is too difficult an experienced landscape architect will be of assistance in sifting the chaff from the wheat in the ideas and give unity and originality to the scheme. Having determined the preliminary sketch the next step is to enter more into detail of both house and grounds. 30 How to Lay Out At this point, if the home builder has not sufficient confi- dence or knowledge (and most mm are wise cnoiiirh to know their deficiencies) to carry out in detail the plans for the house an architect should be consulted. When the architect's plans are completed and the specification- are drawn, the \\i>e man plans his grounds in detail, or calls in a landscape architt --t to make a plan that will use all tin- materials excavated econom- ically. The plan is called a grading or working plan. It will show the excavation and fills to be made to get the de-in-d shape, the location of the walks, drive-, etc., with their proper grades and indicate the depth of topsoil to be used for a lawn, garden, or for planting beds. See Plan IV. A specification accompanying the plan should state the character of work and kind of material required. It is not necessary to complete all the work planned at one time; a portion can be carried out with the excavated material- from the cellar. The remainder of the work can he completed from time to time as funds become available. By thus working to a definite end, the completed whole will eventually be secured. The work should be thoroughly done for good results. PLATE X. Drive located on simple curves at side of property, carriage turn close to kitchen door and laundry yard. Visitors alight halfway up the drive. Shrubbery border screens drive from house lawn. Suburban Home Grounds. 35 CHAPTER V. What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. GOOD design needs good construction. The execu- tion is often beset by many difficulties largely caused by lack of knowledge or the failure to appreciate the value of good work. Man can judge of, and will pay for, a good piece of wood or stone work, but in the grounds there is often an effort to save expense at the loss of good results. By all means the use of poor soil or rubbish should be avoided in the filling, as it will show later when an attempt is made to grow grass or shrubs. The disposition of the subsoil and the topsoil must be carefully watched. Not every man who can handle a shovel well can grade well; the workmanship of the skilled artisan is' displayed even in this menial type of work. A man with good judgment will save extra expense by scheming the work to avoid much double handling of soil. A good way is to clear the topsoil from a small area in both the portions to be excavated or filled, and pile the soil in some convenient yet out of the way place. Then make the exca- vation or the fills, and when more area is needed to work on, clear away some more topsoil and place it over the filled subsoil in its permanent position. In grading or shaping the ground every effort should be made to have the slopes graceful and smooth. There is a line of beauty known as the ogee curve, which can be used in grading with as good results as by artists in their work. See Plan XI. In making the side slopes to a drive or walk, care should be taken to grade them to graceful lines and make them soften into the adjoining grounds, avoiding any sharp or abrupt angles. If anyone observes the natural slopes which occur in 36 How to Lay Out fields they will see that there are no harsh lines, and wherever man has made excavations, nature is trying to soften the sharp een tin- house, it is a poor plan to make the drive meander about. It should be made as direct as possible. To the moderate home. there should be some reason for building the drive other than for the delivery of coal. The added expense of basketing the coal at 25 cents per ton is more than offset by the en-t (1 f the maintenance of the drive. See Plates X and XVIII. It is a poor plan to make the house appear like an oa-i- in the desert by the encircling of the drive. The drive Mirl'ace is not very handsome in itself and should not be made wider or more extensive than is nere ary. l.awn-. -hnibberie-, ami trees arc more to be desired than barren drives. Many a beau- tiful lawn lias been separated from the house and spoiled for enjoyment l>y a poorly located or uimerr.ary drive. If then- are no existing feature- to In- .-aved or as a guidance or excuse for a curve it may be necessary to plant trees and shrubbery to give reason for the direction planned. Never u-e a flower bed or small architectural object or an urn: they are too trivial. The width of the drive i- determined by the frequency of use. If the distance i- -hort mid there is but little dnvini: a width of 9 or 10 feet i- ample. If the di-tance i- louder or where there is need for carriage-. pa--inu r each other, the drive >hould le made 11 or Hi feet in width. On no account should a drive be made 1'J feet in width, a- it i- too wide for a single drive and not wide enough for two vehicles to pass without Suburban Home Grounds. 37 damaging the turf edge. It is a very deceptive width to per- sons driving and meeting another carriage as it looks wider than it really is. A muddy drive is a poor introduction to the home grounds. The surface drainage from the land adjoin- ing the drive and the drainage of the drive itself may need to be taken care of by means of subsoil drains. If the subsoil is clay or very wet, underdrains should be used on the sides or in the middle of the drive. This is done by digging a narrow trench 3 feet or 4 feet below the proposed finished surface and laying 2 inch or 3 inch agricultural tile at the bottom of the trench in such a slope that the water will run through them. The joints of the tile should be covered with bur- lap or tile collars used in addition to prevent the joints becom- ing clogged. The water passes largely from the land into the tile through the joint. In filling in the trench, first throw some hay, stone, or inverted sod over the tile, then spread a layer about 6 inches in depth of small field stone, broken stone, or coarse gravel as an additional means of drainage. After this is done the soil may be refilled and tamped with a rammer. The surface water can be taken care of by forming a groove or turf gutter at the side of the drive or by building a narrow gutter of stone or brick. If there is a large quantity of water flowing from the adjoin- ing surface it may be necessary to use a catch basin. A very economical way to build one is to use three lengths of vitrified sewer pipe, 20 inches in diameter, set on end. On top, an iron grating is set to fit into the bell of the pipe. The middle length of the pipe should have a "T" outlet usually about 6 inches in diameter. From this the drains can be connected and laid to the desired point of discharge. Smaller sized catch basins can be built to take care of a smaller flow of surface water. The joints of the pipe should be all sealed with cement mor- tar, and it is a good plan to set the bottom upright pipe in cement. This then forms a catch basin that will hold the debris 38 How to Lay Out running into the basin. This basin will need to be out occasionally. This is done by removing the grating and using a long handled shovel. The drain pipes should be laid on an inclination sufficient to get good flow. In excavating for the drive all the topsoil and poor subsoil should be removed to a depth of 2 feet if necessary, and a foun- dation replaced of good clean material, gravel or refuse stone. The bottom should then be brought to a rounding surface, allowing for the depth of the finishing material, gravel, ma- cadam, or Telford. If there is but little travel, a gravel drive will be satisfactory. It can be built by using two layers of gravel 4 inches in thick- ness. The bottom layer should contain the larger stone< i the required quality in the pit. If the gravel is too coarse it should be screened through a 2$ inch mesh screen. A two and one half ton horse ring roller is the best to use for rolling the dim- on small grounds. If there is more driving, or there is not a good quality or quantity of gravel in the neighl>orhood, a macadam drive should Ix? made. This can be built by using 4 inches of ( rii-h. d stone of the 1J inch size, laid and shajx'd in the same manner as for the gravel drive and rolled to a firm surface. On this rolled surface is next placed a 1 inch layer of smaller cm-lied stone and screenings mixed. This should lx> watered and rolled until a smooth hard surface is obtained. The v.-une crown should l>e made in finishing as dcscril>ed for tin- drive. If there is a great amount of use, or if there is a lame quan- tity of stone on the grounds, a Telford drive can be built en a Suburban Home Grounds. 43 foundation shaped 1 foot below the proposed finished surface. The bottom layer of stone is composed of pieces of broken stone averaging 8 inches in size, set upon end. The spaces between the larger stones are filled and wedged with smaller pinning stones. On this bottom foundation layer a 3 inch layer of the medium size 1 inch or 2 inch crushed stone should be placed and thoroughly rolled until smooth. After this has been done a finishing layer 1 inch in thickness of small crushed stones and screenings mixed should be placed, rolled, and watered until a smooth hard surface is obtained. If necessary a little clay or binding gravel may be used for a binder in the finishing courses. The grades of the drive should be as easy as possible; an approach or main entrance drive should not have over 5 feet rise in the 100 feet, a service drive not over 7 feet. In extreme cases it may be necessary to increase these figures to 10 feet in the 100. Walks or paths are designed and built on the same deter- mining principles. There should be some reason for their being: as, to go to an arbor, a tennis court, the doors of the house, or other buildings. Mere meandering walks without any occasion for their use are not objects of beauty. They may be constructed either of gravel or macadam, and the widths vary from 2 to 8 feet according to the purpose to be served. The grade of the walk should be as easy as possible, never over 12 feet in 100. A crown of $ inch to the foot on the sides and rounding in the middle is ample for a walk. See Plates XXI and XXII. In steeper slopes where it is desirable to carry a walk, steps should be used to overcome the steep grade. These can be built to fit the ground or may be short flights with a short run of walk between each flight. The steps may be built of wood, stone, or brick. See Plate XI. When there is but little use, yet a means or communication is desired, stepping stones should be substituted for the walk. 44 How to Lay Out This will remove the effect of the walk dividing the lawn and reduce the maintenance to a minimum. Stepping stones are made by using slabs of stone or flat boulders set into the lawn flush with the surrounding surface. A good distance apart for the stones for convenient walking is 22 inches on centres. If settlements should take place on the lawn about each stone, it is a very easy matter to raise or lower them to conform to the surface. If they are kept at the proper elevation a lawn mower will pass over and cut the grass without the need of using shears along the edges as is often used in other kinds of walks. See Plates III and XIII. A clean yet more expensive method is to build the walk of brick. A good foundation should be made to avoid settle- ments. If the work is properly done there will be no repairs. The bricks can be laid herringbone fashion, lengthwise, cross- wise of the walk, or in various patterns. A little curb edge may be formed along the side of the walk by elevating a brick on its side about an inch above the general surface and the earth filled (lush with the top. The color of the brick should harmonize with the building and its surroundings. Yellow brick should Ix; avoided, red is the most pleasing color to use. See Plate XIX. The use of artificial stone, often called granolithic, makes a good but more expensive walk. The foundation for this kind of walk must be thoroughly made and good under drainage provided to avoid disturbance by the action of frost It may be necessary to remove poor or clayey soil to a di-pth of :> feet and the space filled with dry gravel, broken -tone, or boiler cinders. See Plate XV. The walk Is then divided into sections varying from feet square by the use of strips of wood nailed to -tak<-> driven into the ground. If wttlnnent takes place, each block will >.-pa- ratc as a single stone without cracking. The >tne< can l>e laid alternately or continuously by Handing the joint, or with a -nip of paper placed between before laying the m\t block adjoin- PLATE XIII. Stepping stones to overcome grade to street end of terrace garden. PLATE XIV. Well built wall, note raked out joints and slight batter. Turnstile instead of gate. PLATE XV. Kitchen entrance screened in combination with laundry yard. PLATE XVI. A laundry yard' fence designed in harmony with the house. Suburban Home Grounds. 49 ing. The bottom layer of the walk is usually laid 3 inches in thickness, composed of one part best American Portland cement, two parts clean, sharp sand, and four or five parts broken stone. After the bottom layer is thoroughly rammed, a finishing layer one inch in thickness is laid, composed of one part cement and one and one half parts clean, sharp sand or one part cement and two parts stone dust. The surface is then finished smooth with proper tools and protected from the weather by coverings until the surface is firm and hard. The rate of grade in a granolithic walk should not be over 5 feet in 100 feet, never over 7; a safe rule is to use it only on walks that bluestone flag stones would be used. The surface is so smooth that it is dangerously slippery when too steep. The color of the walk can be varied to red or slate by the use of coloring pigment. Slate blue color may be obtained by the use of lamp black; slate color is obtained by the use of one pound of lamp black to a barrel of cement. Red color is obtained either by the use of red sand or ground red sandstone or Venetian red or both mixed. Reds are liable to fade. The limit of color is five pounds to the barrel of cement. 50 How to Lay Out CHAPTER VI. And some praise must IN- allowed by the most scrupulous observrr to him who does best what multitudes are contending to do well. S. JnHNSMX. ANCY free the dreamer thinks of arbors, -eats and cool retreats, yet to build and make real in line< of beauty Is no dream. An arbor in the ground- may form a vista point in the landscape, lie the e\<-u-e for ending a walk or the means of commanding a line view that otherwise would not be seen from the house. If near the hou-e, it should be designed to l>e in keeping with the architecture of the building. If at some distance away from the hou-e -pnire poles, cedar slabs, or roots make good work. It is usually better to have a floor rai-ed .-it least one step from the Around. It is a good plan l>efore building to ob-erve structures that. have lx*en built by others ami note if they are inharmonious with the house and grounds. Then avoid these in building on the home grounds. The more dignified name for an arbor is a pergola (the name is wrongly u-ed, useful to inclo-e a l;i\vn. a flower garden, or help hide some objectionable feature in the neighborhood. It should look when built a- if it belonged to the place and not appear as if dropped by a passing wind without relation to the house or lawn. See Plans V, and VIII and Plate XIX. (ira|N> or flowering vines can be grown over it making on hot summer days a pleasant retreat from the heat of the h<>u-e. See Plates VIII, IX and XXI. A seat to end a walk or command a view is better built on plain and unobtrusive lines. If bui't more on the .-tyle of an old fash oned Ix-nch or form, it wil be less conspicuous than the many commercial designs offered for sale. Suburban Home Grounds. 51 The arbor or pergola may be planned so as to form one side of the laundry or clothes drying yard, helping to make a very desirable feature. See Plates XV and XVI. If a laundry yard fence is to be built it should be about 7 feet high, and designed architecturally correct. The posts of such a fence may be either of red cedar, white cedar, chest- nut, or locust, so that the chance of decay will be largely over- come. Make the mesh of the lattice close enough to hide the clothes from general view, and yet open enough to allow a circulation of air to dry the clothes. The use of a laundry yard should be encouraged as it is a great aid in keeping the grounds neat and helps to form an artistic setting when vines and shrubbery are well placed. A very practical advantage from the housekeeper's standpoint is, that the clothes are shielded from the gaze of outsiders, and the despoiling by dogs or other animals. The clothes may also be laid on the grass to bleach in perfect safety. Spruce poles set closely together with the bark left on make a good fence. This kind of fence will last for years and will avoid the necessity of painting. Fences may be needed along the street front for the pro- tection of the grounds. A height of 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches will serve all the purposes required. It is better to substitute a hedge or border of shrubs planted about a concealed wire fence, thus wild animals are excluded and the grounds made more attractive. A woven wire mesh fence on the side lines covered with vines makes it an economical and good way to protect the grounds from encroaching neighbors. See Plates XXIII and XXIV. For more permanent effects build a wall. The foundation of the wall should be laid deep enough to be below the work- ing of frost and wide enough at the base to carry the wall built above. A good safe rule to use in building bank walls is to make the base one half the height in thickness. See Plates XVIII and XXVI. Terrace and bank walls look better when built with a batter 52 How to Lay Out or slope on the outer face. Thus the tipping over effect often seen in plumb walls will be obviated. See Plate XIV. The treatment of the coping of the wall affords an oppor- tunity to give a finishing touch. The finish of the face of the wall and the manner and method of laying the stone, calls for taste and skill. Open joints, with the mortar raked well back from the face of the wall, form a more pleasing and substantial treatment than if the mortar is >ineaive made use of in many ways. If from a higher region it might be conveyed to a fountain basin in the centre of a flower pardm. or a natural treatment can be made in the form of cast -aton . cement, concrete, or brick, the practical points must not be overlooked, such as the drainage and the liability of damage by frost. PLATE XVII. Wall built of boulders and ledge stone covered with vines. Top of stones are about three feet above sidewalk. PLATE XVIII. Service entrance to estate. Front entrance court is about fifteen feet away to the left, screened by well studied plantation. Suburban Home Grounds. 55 CHAPTER VII. One cultivates a lawn even with great satis- faction; for there is nothing more beautiful than grass or turf in our latitude. The tropics may have their delight but they have not turf; and the world without turf is a dreary desert. CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER. |HE joy and delight of every home builder is a good iwn. Without it all efforts at adornment seem futile. The green carpet is the canvas upon which the house, trees, shrubs, and flowers depend for set- ting. How to obtain a good lawn and how to keep it good, re- quires more thought than any other portion of the grounds. A weedy patch, a brown or sunburned spot is so conspicuous as to need immediate treatment and is often hard to cure. How often one sees a lawn dug over and reseeded with but the same poor result! The real secret is to have the conditions right, and the workmanship and materials of the very best. Added to these must be skill and good judgment to secure the results. The quality of the soil and the subsoil should be examined, and if there is a deficiency of the requisites for a lawn, the lack should be supplied. Cold, soggy, wet land must be improved by subdraining, and ledgy land by blasting away the ledge to at least 3 feet below the proposed new surface, or the ledge may be filled over to get the proper depth of soil. A moist soil is the best for a lawn with a slight mixture of clay or a clay subsoil which retains a certain amount of moisture yet is not wet. Clay may be added to very sandy soil, or sand to very heavy, stiff, clayey soil to get the proper conditions. If the soil is sour, air slaked lime can be used to correct the acidity. It is often thought that the use of manure or fertilizer is a need- less expense because it is buried in the ground and nothing can 56 How to Lay Out be seen of the money expended, yet there is no surer way of securing lasting results than by the use of plenty of good man- ure and fertilizer. Manure should be very well rotted, mixed stable manure or cow^nanure is the best. Manure which contains shaving or wood chips is a very poor kind for making a lawn. As the wood decays on the ground a fungus is formed which causes bare spots. Commercial fertilizers may be used to advantage in many instances. They act, however, more as a stimulant to the soil than as a permanent treatment. Manure puts humus into the soil which feeds the plants after the com inn vial fertilizer has lost its power. The practice of placing manure on the grass about the home in the fall is rather disgusting in that it makes a barnyard of the premises all winter. The use of sheep manure <>r wood ashes in the spring during the April rains is equally a^ beneficial. If it is desired to use manure, two or three weeks' div.-- inj in the spring during the April showers is more effective than manure placed in the fall upon the frozen ground. In tin- latter method all the fertilizing juice- \\a-h away into the street or sidewalk. A common practice in building is to scatter the excavated cellar material about the house over the existing topsoil, spread on top a few inches of good soil, and expect to get a good lawn. As a good lawn is dependent on the quality and quantity of the topsoil, it is desirable to remove and save all ji>td soil about the building. Then after the subgrading has been done respread the topsoil at least one foot in depth. The top-nii should be kept clean and free from stones, roots, and weeds. The grading or the shaping of the ground is p-poii-iMe j h many ways for the appearance of a lawn. A slightly convex surface gives the appearance of extent, and one .Alight ly con- cave of narrowness. Any ugly banks or ridges should l>e removed, or >haped to secure graceful smooth lines. When the prop. -r depth of top- PLATE XIX. Terrace flower garden. Pergola at end. Laundry yard seen through opening at left. PLATE XX. Flower garden, box bordered, adjoining a small conservatory. p. 57 PLATE XXI. Terrace flower garden. House before had appearance as if it were sliding off hill. Brick walk with birch edge. PLATE XXII. Flower bordered walk Suburban Home Grounds. 61 soil and shape have been secured the manure should be evenly spread and spaded in 8 or 10 inches deep. Grasses have long roots and will seek the manure which might seem to be buried so deeply. The manure should be used at the rate of 15 to 20 cords to the acre, depending on the quality of the soil and the kind of manure. After the manure has been dug in, a good commercial lawn fertilizer, at the rate of 500 or 600 pounds to the acre, should be used to act as a stimulant to the grass seed. Then the ground must be raked, all the hollows filled, humps smoothed and rolled to an even surface. When the ground is smooth, sow the seed at the rate of about 70 pounds to the acre, then give a final raking or rolling. Nothing but the very best lawn grass seed should be sowed. The kind known to the trade as recleaned, fancy cleaned is the best. Buy seed only of honest, reliable dealers. A good mixture for general purposes is to take two parts Kentucky blue grass, two parts of Rhode Island Bent, two parts Red Top, and one part white clover. Other mix- tures of different proportions and kinds of seed can be made to suit special conditions. Weeds will be a source of annoyance coming either from the manure, poor seed, or the soil itself. A heavy sowing of seed to form a thick mat will help to kill out the weeds. When weeds appear they should be dug out of the lawn. The best time to seed is just before a shower. Heavy rains are liable to wash the seed away and make gullies in the lawn. These scars should be repaired and reseeded immediately. Any bare spots where the seed fails to come up should be re- seeded after waiting a reasonable time, say, about two weeks after seeding. Patience and perserverance is the price of a good lawn. There is a difference of opinion as to the best season to seed a lawn, some claiming that the spring is the better, others the fall. If the seed is sown early in the spring good results will be secured, but if sown late the summer droughts will burn 62 How to Lay Out the young grass before it becomes established. Good surce-s is obtained by sowing in the fall. The last two week.- in August or the first two weeks in September is the be.-t time. In the fall weed seeds are not so vigorous, the rains and heavy dews are almo-t certain, and there is time enough for the grass to get established before winter. Good judgment should be -hown in caring for a lawn. The fir-t mowing of a newly seeded lawn should be done with a scythe. Avoid too do-e dipping of the lawn during droughts. Do not let the grass grow too tall as it shades the root* raining the grass to have a burnt appearance. Good turf is the one essential for a tenni- lawn. A quirk method of securing the finished surface is to sod the area. Sprinkle some screened topx.il and commercial lawn fertilizer over the sod and sow a little grass seed, water and mil. A .-pace of about 50 feet by 100 feet is usually needed and allowed for a tennis court. Tennis has developed from the simple game played on the lawn to one played on a specially prepared dirt or gravel court. The desire to own a court has caused all idea- of beauty in the lawn or home surrounding- to be abandoned. The unity of what was once beautiful home surrounding- has often been de-t roved. I'nless kept in con-tant u-e and repair they are apt to become barren wa-te- with -tnm'jling weeds. Sudi -urface- -hould lx> hidden from view of the hmi-e by a fence covered with vines or a plantation of taeefl and shrul>s. To make a gravel tenni< court a spare about ."><) feet by 100 feet should have all the top-oil and poor -ub-oil removed. If the ground is very wet the land -hould be underdrained. Then use the same methods for building the gravel court a- is adopted for the building of gravel or macadam drive-. If the court 'cannot be made level. slo|>e either way about i inch to the foot and in the direction of the irein-ral -lope of the land. The back net can be made a permanent fence by th u-e of Suburban Home Grounds. 63 gas pipe rails 8 feet high and electric welded mesh wire vine securely fastened to the rails by galvanized or copper wire. The mesh of the wire chosen must be of a size to keep the tennis balls from being driven through the fence. The gas pipe should be painted dark green. 64 How to Lay Out CHAPTKH VIII. There are too many who have no idea of im- provement, except by increasing the quantity, the quality, or the value of an estate. The beauty of the scenery seldom enters into their thought; and, What will it cost? or, What will it yield? not. How will it look? Mt-ins thr gen- eral object of inquiry in all improvements. KKPTON. |HAT shall I plant? is the usual question of thr improver, not where shall I plant or how will the grounds look? If there is an open space or a nice dean expanse or breadth of lawn there is great temptation to plant in the middle a tree, a bush, a flower bed, or a rockery. It has almost become a belief that he who plants a tree is a benefactor only plant never mind art or artistic feeling in the location of the tree. Sometimes one will hear a remark, "I don't need any plans; just give me the hushes; I can see it all in my eye how to plant on the ground." Such words are not infrequent from s<>-calle plants. Clematis. Lonicera Halleana ; 12 plants. Hall's Honeysuckle. Wistaria Chinensis, 2 plants. Chinese Wistaria. Crimson Rambler Hose; 7 plants Variety Dorothy 1'erkins. Ain|>cl<>pMsquinc|uefolia; 23 plant>. Woodbine l\ ah nia latifolia ; 5 plants ; 3 ft . apart . Mountain Laurel. Ligustrutn Ibota; 3 beds; 25 plants, 3 feet apart. Japan 1'rivet. Andromeda floribunda; 5 plants: 2 feet apart. Lily of the Valley Bush Spiraea Van Houteii; 3 beds; 2'.t plants; 3 feet apart Van Houtte's Spiren. Ligustrum Kegelianum: 3 beds; 30 plants; 2J feet apart. .- U'l'm.-t. Herlieris Thunbergii; 2 lds; 17 plants; 2 feet apart. Japan Marlx-rry. Viburnum IxHitago; -1 beds; 3H plants; 2} feet apart. Bbwpbemr. Japomra; 1 2 feet apart Cydonia Japomra; 1 bc<. 26. 28. -'" 30. 31. 32. 3*. 34. .", '> :{f). 37. 3s. 39. 10. 11. 42. 43. 11. Crataegus oxycantha coccint-a Horepleno; 2 pl-.nt-. l.nnlish Hawthorn. In.llius Euro{)cu8; bO plants; 1 foot apart. (Uobe Flowrr. Spring bulbs in edge of lied Croc-us; Scilla: Hyacinths plants: 1 foot apart. Christmas Fern. Aspidium marginale; 15 plants; 1 foot apart. Evergreen Wood Fern. Di.-ksonia punctilobula ; 12 pi. mt-, is f.-.-t apart. :llll-r I I Til. Osnmnda ( laytoniana: 12 p'ants; 2 inches apart. Whit,- Cro/icr. Peonies; 50 plnnts: 2 fc.-t apart. Name.l \'arit-ti-. Phlox: tall flowering; 60 plant*: 2 feet apart . Named varieties Spiraea: Anthony Watorer: 12 plants: 2 feet apart Anthony \\aterer Spirea Forsythia .-usponsa; 6 plant-: 3 leet apart. Wwping Golcta it. II New Dwarf Crimson Rambler; 5 plants. Maby Maby M.-ir-ly hybrid n>elphininrn pniixliflornni : 12 plants; 1 foot apart. larkspur. Papaver mulicaule; 20 pi beirc resTvee made two feet in depth of good topsoil, and if this quantity does not exist the sub-oil should be removed and good topsoil substituted. 1 he -oil -hould have well rotted manure mixed with it before planting the shrut>s. It is a good rule to prune the top- of trees and -hrul>< to equalize the loss of roots caused by moving. This may not be so ornamental when first set out, but the plant -ooii regain- new, vigorous growth which repays for the. loss of the I ranch- < After the trees and shrubs have become established they need but little care. PLATE XXIX. Appearance of house before planting. PLATE XXX. Appearance of house after planting. Note the softening of the architecture uniting the house to the ground. Suburban Home Grounds. 83 Should the shrubs grow too rank, or if it appears necessary to prune, the best time is after the plants have bloomed; if before the plants have bloomed, all the flower buds are sac- rificed. For instance, forsythia, spireas, honeysuckles, etc., bloom early in the summer. They should be pruned after blooming so the buds will set for the next year's growth. Later blooming plants like altheas and hydrangeas should be pruned in the winter during the months of January and Feb- ruary. Deciduous hedges may be pruned in the spring or after the plants have flowered. Evergreen hedges are best pruned in May before the beginning of the new growth. To prune old trees cut the limbs close to the tree. Do not leave a stub, as it will decay. Paint the wound with coal tar or paint. To remove large limbs make the first cut some distance from the trunk of the tree and cut from below, then make a cut from above and the limb will fall, leaving a stub. Then cut the stub close to the trunk of the tree. This method avoids stripping the bark all down the sides of the tree. By this method the scar will heal very rapidly by the bark growing over the wound. There is a practice or theory that all shrubs must be pruned up from the bottom and have the top "shin- gled." This is a very bad plan, so avoid doing it. Let them alone, let them grow naturally, for thus is their full beauty secured. The only care needed in shrubbery beds is to remove the weeds, loosen the earth about the roots, fertilize when neces- sary, see that the plants do not dry out and occasionally cut out the dead wood. What is the best time to plant? is often asked. Spring is nature's time for awakening, then all the dormant forces are active and plants set out continue to grow. Spring is therefore the best time. Fall planting, however, is equally successful for a large number of plants, especially if they are set out early enough to allow the plants to get established before frost. The fall allows a longer time in which to work with the added advantage of being free for the usual spring 84 How to Lay Out rush. About October 15th is the time to begin planting, vary- ing with the season in different localities. The time to plant evergreens is in April and May before the new growth begins or in August and early September after the growth has ceased. Kvergreens as a rule should be planted in good soil well drained. On no account should the roots be allowed t<> dry out at the time of planting or later the plant will gradually grow brown or die. \Vln-n the ground is ready unwrap the plant and set into the ground immediately, press the soil about the roots, and water thoroughly. Be sure the roots are covered after watering. Do not let manure come in contact with the roots, and cut off any marred or broken roots. After planting, a heavy mulching of straw, hay, or leaves will prevent drying out and be an aid to success. Hedges whether of evergreens or deciduous plants are often better than a fence for marking the boundary of the property or along the street front. They are also useful to inclose a laundry yard, flower or vegetable garden. In planting a hedge be sure of good soil, then dig a trench about 2 feet wide and 18 inches to 2 feet in depth. At tin- bottom of the trench spread a layer of well rotted manure and mix well with the soil. Then set the plants in a straight line at the distance decided upon, U im he- ..r Is indie- apart. To double the number of plants in the hedge in .-ett'mg them out greatly helps the effect. Alternate the plants and -pace about 18 inches apart in the rows. It is a good plan to -ettle the earth about the roots of the plant by giving them a giod watering and then fill in the hollows with additional -oil and water thoroughly. It is a good rule to mulch. Set the plants a little lower than in the nursery to avoid gap< appearing at the base. Prune the plant- in and endeavor to get a good bushy growth near the ground. In pruning the hedge, the shaj>e adopted should he one that will not shade the lower portion of the plants. A rectangular PLATE XXXI. Appearance of house and grounds before treatment. PLATE XXXII. Appearance of house and grounds after study and development. Suburban Home Grounds. 87 form is good or a rounding form at the top. Hybrid roses need rich soil, an abundance of sun, close spring pruning, and close inspection to detect insect pests. Should insects infest imme- diate spraying is the remedy. The best time to prune is in March. Cut out all the second year growth, one half the first year growth, and cut the weak canes severely. During the growing season it is a good plan to keep the soil stirred about the roots. The use of cow manure water at the time of blooming greatly improves the size and number of the flowers. Roses are great feeders. In the use of vines, choose for the purpose they are to serve, whether for shade, fruit, or flowers. Give the vines good depth of soil and make a large pit. Many failures are due to planting vines against the house in but a few inches of good soil which has gravel and stones under- neath. Vines, like other plants, need good soil and good manure. See Plates XXIV and XXXVII. The revival of the old fashioned flowers, the hardy herba- ceous perennials, is bringing into many a home the pleasures that were enjoyed by the people of colonial days. To be sure, the art of using the home simples such as catnip, sage, and wormwood, has passed. To-day the old fashioned plants are grown for their flowers. See Plates VI, XIX, XXII, XXVIII, XXXV, XXXVI. The great advantage of using perennials is their permanent character. Once established there is no need to sow or replant every spring, as in the case with annuals or greenhouse plants, and there will be a constant yield of flowers for cutting. Perennials are good in an inclosed flower garden, and on the edge of a lawn in the front of a shrubbery border. One great advantage in the use of perennials is that during the latter part of the summer they supply flowers when other plants are out of bloom. Shrubs flower early, and except for these, the latter part of August would be void of bloom. The home builder by choosing a few sure growing varieties, will avoid disappointment from trying many experimental kinds on 88 How to Lay Out account of the soil conditions or aspects not being perfect. If trees are near the flower bed, the shade may cause trouble or the roots of the tree may sap the soil of all nourishment unless a liberal supply of manure is added each year. In plan- ning, choose and arrange the plants so that there will be a succession of bloom. There is often difficulty in arranging the color scheme to avoid the clash of inharmonious colors. The free use of white flowering kinds is a great help in reconciling the warring colors. In natural planting, every effort should be made to avoid straight lines or rows so as to obviate the stiff formal effect. In planting, allow them room enough to grow, and do not put the taller growing plants in front of the lower growing varieties. Start with the taller growing plants and then edge down to the lower growing kinds, but not in ranks or tiers. Try to get variety in outline and sky line. Herbaceous perennials need a good, deep, rich soil. It is well to make the bed 2 feet in depth and add a quantity of good well rotted stable or cow manure. There is little care needed except to occasionally remove the weeds and in the fall give a coating of manure for winter protection. There are a few kinds of jwrennials that are better moved and divided once every three or four years, but, as a rule, the plants should be left undisturbed. In addition to herbaceous perennials a few bulbs such as scilla. hyacinth, and crocus planted along tl : the border and in the grass give an early promise of spring. Care must be taken, however, not to mow the grass in the spring until the bulbs have ripened and sets formed for the next year. "How long before the shrubs will he full grown?" That depends upon the particular plant. As a rule, the first year the plants are set out they Ix-come established and get a new root system, the second year there is a fair growth of the branches, the third year the plants ought to show flowers and be in good condition. VLATE XXXIII. Appearance of house and grounds open to street after grading and before planting. PLATE XXXIV. Appearance of house after grading and planting have been completed. Note varying height of border plantation. Suburban Home Grounds. 91 STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, t*OS HNGHUGS, CAfc. CHAPTER X. The circumstances of gardeners, generally mean, and always moderate, may satisfy us that their great ingenuity is not commonly over recompensed. Their delightful art is practised by so many rich people for amusement, that little advantage is to be made by those who practise it for profit; because the persons who should naturally be their best customers supply themselves with all their most precious pro- ductions. ADAM SMITH. j|HE busy man often finds that he has not time to devote to the study necessary to develop the plans for the home grounds, and decides it is better to secure the services of one who knows how, or at least secure the verbal advice before beginning or spending any money doing work that will later need to be undone. Before doing so, if the home builder is entirely ignorant of the principles that govern the art of landscape architecture, it is a good idea to secure and read some of the standard authors. As the reader goes farther into the subject he will have a growing respect for a profession that he assumed was superficial and perhaps not needed in developing his home grounds. He will find that the range of knowledge required of the landscape architect is greater than of any other pro- fession. Besides reading the standard authors it is a good idea for the home builder to peruse regularly a good reliable home gardening publication of which there are many pub- lished. These give suggestions as to the treatment of various difficulties that arise in caring for the grounds. Then after getting an idea or getting into the atmosphere of the landscape art the reader is in a position to appreciate what a professional landscape architect will advise. 92 How to Lay Out The province of the landscape architect or designer is to advise as to the arrangement of the grounds and prepare plans for their execution. He will mould into shape the ideas of the home builder or suggest entirely new ones. He is to pro- tect the owner from unscrupulous contractors or nurserymen so as to secure the best results at the least expense. Choose, then, a reliable, well trained man in whom can he placed explicit confidence. As his remuneration for services ren- dered is in the form of professional fees there should be no inducement for him to order an excessive amount of work or a larger number of plants than is needed to accomplish the effect. He should have nothing to sell cither materials or plants. His knowledge, training, experience, and above all his artistic taste, are his stock in trade. The best landscape archi- tects very rarely advertise commercially and an 1 known by their experience, training, and work. Avoid the free plan idea. for it is a well known fact that something for nothing is rarely given. There must be pay somewhere. The card of the landscape architect is usually on this order and shows the scope of his work. The undersigned offers his service^ to those who contemplate the subdivision or improvement of hind for -ale. the develop- ment or revision of large and small estates park-, public square*, playgrounds, the surroundings of factories. 1 and other public institutions. He will consult with architects. engineers and other< concerning the pi buildings, laving out of drives and walks grading of and the treatment of old and new plantation-. In his service- an- offered where the appearance of tin- worth consideration, whether in the arrangement of or of the objects upon it. A preliminary vi-it and consultation on the ground is essential in most ca*es to acquaint him with the client's wMn >. and with the physical and financial conditions of the case, to the end that he may suggest the most suitable method of procedure. PLATE XXXV. Terrace garden, herbaceous perennials, brick walk. PLATE XXXVI. Herbaceous flower garden. Note the general mass effect. p. 93 XXXVII. Simple treatment of porch of ordinary house, softening the severe architectural lines. (Lot fifty feet front.) PLATE XXXVIII. Simple entrance to kitchen porch and yard. Suburban Home Grounds. 97 If a sketch or plan drawn to scale is desired a survey or topo- graphical map is ordinarily required. Preliminary sketches are then presented, with explanations, for discussion, and when these are approved a finished general plan follows. The general plan can be staked out by a surveyor and car- ried forward by day work under a qualified superintendent, but the best results are rarely obtained without the occasional advice on the ground and more or less assistance from the designer. If the work is to be executed under a qualified superinten- dent, few plans are required; but if by contract, working drawings and written specifications are necessary and such supervision as may be required. Planting plans for both large and small areas, and in any degree of detail, are prepared when occasion requires. Order lists for plants are made from reliable nursery catalogues and the lowest prices obtained for the client's benefit. Professional charges can be had upon application by stating the nature of the work undertaken and the advice required. If desired, a preliminary visit will be made for a fee agreed upon in advance. Having secured the services of the landscape architect and having adopted and carried out his plans, due respect should be accorded to the designer and not endeavor to improve on the design by planting trees or shrubs on a lawn in an inar- tistic setting. Many a good design has been ruined by the so-called practical ideas of the owner, even in the process of the work, thereby ruining the conception and the unity and beauty of the place. It is only after such mistakes have been made that the owner realizes that it is more of an art to design the grounds than it is to paint a picture, for one has under his control the pigments and can idealize or omit any inharmo- nious objects in the scene, the other must make a real picture using materials that are not always under his control. 98 How to Lay Out Suburban Grounds. The landscape architect in his position has more problems of revision than of original conception. Often the skilled man will take the existing shrubs and objects upon the ground and by rearranging them secure with but little expense a pleasing and artistic treatment. A beautiful parlor may be spoiled l>y the poor arrangement of the furniture or by using inharmonious objects; so it is with the small suburban grounds. One advan- tage in getting a professional man to look over one's grounds is that he will see things that are inharmonious which by constant daily observation has been blunted or removed from the perceptions. In developing there should be a liberal amount of patience used, for grass, trees, and shrubs are not subjects of man's will. they must have time to grow. It is often a puzzle how to get or buy the plants. If a pro- fessional adviser is not employed the best way is to make out a list of the shrubs and trees desired and secure estimates from reliable nurseries. Many nurseries issue illustrated catalogues telling of the various plants, sometimes in glowing colors. However, it is a good plan to secure some of these and peruse them as a guide, but they are not to be followed blindly. Tin > often tell of the ultimate size of the plant, the soil, and cultural requirements, the color and time of flowering, the SUMIIIH T and fall effect of both foliage and fruit, besides telling the varieties of plants that can be grown in the locality other than the indigenous kinds. Thus is the beautiful in the home grounds obtained, the ideal reached by prevision, determination, good work, and patience. Never must the design, the arrangement, the desired mass effect or the general conception be lost to mind, and the use of materials be only for the development of the id. -a. He that would attain unto any height must strive. There i> no royal road to beautiful grounds. -3 t ^V^S*** 1 "*^ ;3 <23 I """jr. i * ^ s-> -- ~ /TO c'r-* Vx- - '1 o/dtp&Trre U,o J ^^ rvw^ C'^J r-i^ ^"^* s^l^- ';/?- *-Aw PLAN VII. Tape measured survey of Estate " B," showing the usual scattered unstudied treatment. PLAN VIII. Preliminary plan for Estate " B," shrubs and flowers moved to make a good design. STREET PLAN XIV. Topographical map of Estate "E." Note the exceedingly difficult topography of rocks, ledges, etc. Area of estate one acre. STREET PLAN XV. Preliminary plan for Estate " E." Note in this plan the cellar excavation will nearly build the terrace walls. Material for levelling the lawns to be brought in. INDEX. Agricultural tile, 37. Arbor, 4, 43, 50, 51. Architectural style, 8. Architect, 12, 19, 30. Artificial stone, 44. Border plantation, 70. Boulder bank, 52. Brick walk, 43, 44. Brook, 52. Bulbs, 88. Catch basin, 14, 20, 37, 38. City regulations, 8. Clothes drying yard, 4, 51. Contrast, 70. Convenience in arrangement, 16. Cost, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 29, 30, 35, 76, 84, 88, 92. Crown, drive, walk, 38, 43. Cross section, 29. Crushed stone, 38, 43. Design of grounds, 7, 35, 52, 70, 75, 88, 90, 92, 97, 98. Drainage, 11, 19, 20, 35, 37, 55. Drains, 19, 20, 37, 38. Drives, 4, 29, 35, 36, 37, 38, 43, 92. Evergreens, 76, 84. Excavation, 30, 35, 38. Exposure to sun, 12. Fall effects, 76. Fall planting, 83. Fall seeding, 62. Fences, 51, 62, 84. Fertilizer, 55, 61. Flower garden, 4, 7, 11, 12, 16, 20, 23, 30, 87, 88. Fountain, 52. Gardens, 4, 429. Garden walk. 44. Grades, 29, 43, 49. Grading, 7, 16, 19, 35, 56, 64, 92. Grading plan, 30, 35. Granolithic walk, 44. Grass seed, 61. Gravel drive, 38. Group planting, 69, 70. Gutter, 37. Hedge, 84. Herbaceous perennials, 75, 76, 87, 88. House, 4, 12, 19, 20, 24, 29, 43, 50, 70,. 97. House lot, 16, 19, 20. Hybrid roses, 75, 87. Improvements, 11. Joints in wall, 52. Kitchen, 12, 16. Landscape architect, 11, 16, 29, 30, 64,. 91, 92, 97, 98. Lattice fence, 51. Laundry yard, 16, 51. Lawn, 4, 7, 11, 16, 29, 30, 35, 36, 50,. 51. 55, 61, 62, 64, 69, 70, 76, 84,. 88, 97. Lot, 11, 15, 16, 19, 20. Macadam drive, 38. Maintenance, 4, 36, 38, 55, 75, 76, 79, 87,88. Manure, 55, 61, 80, 88. Mass effect, 69, 98. Mulching, 80, 84. Natural treatment, 4, 8, 20. 35, 88. Neighborhood, 11. North Point, 24. 112 Index KuLsances.il, 12, 16,69,76. Nursery grown plants, 79, 98. Ogee curve, 35. Old fashioned plants, 87. Open lot, 16, 19. Owner's mistakes, 97. Paths, 35, 43, 44. Perennials, 76, 87, 88. Pergola, 50,51. Planning, 4, 7, 29, 35. 36, 70, 90, 92, 97. Plantation bay, 76. Planting bed, 29, 30, 80. Planting design, 7, 26, 64, 69, 70, 75, 76, 97. Plants and Planting, 7, 12, 20, 64, 69, 70, 76, 79, 80, 83, 87, 88, 92, 97, 98. Planting plan, 64, 69 Pools, stagnant, 11. Preliminary plan, 24, 97. Pruning, 80, 83, 84, 87. Reseeding, 61. Rest net ions, 11, 12. Rockery, 52. Rose garden, 75, 84. Rustic work, 50. Screening plantation, 26, 76. Seat, 50. Seed and seeding, 61. Sewers, 11. Shrubs, 7, 12, 16, 19, 23, 29, 35, 30, 69, 75, 76, 83, 84, 88, 98. Site, 4,8, 11, 12, 16, 23,24. Sod, 62. Soil, 1 1, 35, 37, 55, 75, 80, 87, 88. Specifications, 30, 97. Spring planting, 83. Spring seeding, 61. Spruce pole fence, 51. Stagnant pools, 11. Strp>, 43. Stepping stones, 43, 44. Stone, artificial, 44. Street, 8, 11,51. Summer house, 50. Surface water, 19, 20, 37. Survey, 23, 24, 97. Tennis court, 7, 29, 43, 62. Terrace, 4, 20, 51. Topographical map, 23, 04, H7. Telford drive, 38. Topsoil, 30, 50, 80. Transplanting, 79. Transportation facilit Trees, 7, 11, 12, 16, 19, 23,24,29,64, 69, 70, 75, 80, 83, 88, 98. Turf gutter, 37. Utilities, 7, 8, 16, 29, 36, 51. Vegetable garden, 11, 20. Views, 4, 12, 50, 64. Vines, 50, 87. Vista, 50. Walks, 4, 35, 43, 45, 92. Walls, 19, 20, 29, 30, 43, 51. Water basin, 52. Water supply, 1 1 . Weeds, 56,61,88. Wind, 12. Winter effects, 76. Working plan, 30, 97. Woven wire fence, 51, 63. I'M VI RSI I V OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. Ifc, QC'l < ISbb I NOV031986 NOV26 1986 0011968 RECO QL APR19198J APR MtW " 3 1158 00976 5C 0007745,5 llllli'lrli I ! Ill