 |
| LANDSCAPE GARDENING |
Certain shrubs
are good to use for hedge purposes. A hedge is rather prettier usually than a
fence. The Californian privet is excellent for this purpose. Osage orange,
Japan barberry, buckthorn, Japan quince, and Van Houtte's spirea are other
shrubs which make good hedges.
I forgot to say that in tree and shrub
selection it is usually better to choose those of the locality one lives in.
Unusual and foreign plants do less well, and often harmonize but poorly with
their new setting.
Landscape
gardening may follow along very formal lines or along informal lines. The first
would have straight paths, straight rows in stiff beds, everything, as the name
tells, perfectly formal. The other method is, of course, the exact opposite.
There are danger points in each.
The formal
arrangement is likely to look too stiff; the informal, too fussy, too wiggly.
As far as paths go, keep this in mind, that a path should always lead
somewhere. That is its business to direct one to a definite place. Now,
straight, even paths are not unpleasing if the effect is to be that of a formal
garden. The danger in the curved path is an abrupt curve, a whirligig effect.
It is far better for you to stick to straight paths unless you can make a
really beautiful curve. No one can tell you how to do this.
Garden paths may
be of gravel, of dirt, or of grass. One sees grass paths in some very lovely gardens.
I doubt, however, if they would serve as well in your small gardens. Your
garden areas are so limited that they should be re-spaded each season, and the
grass paths are a great bother in this work. Of course, a gravel path makes a
fine appearance, but again you may not have gravel at your command. It is
possible for any of you to dig out the path for two feet. Then put in six
inches of stone or clinker. Over this, pack in the dirt, rounding it slightly
toward the centre of the path. There should never be depressions through the
central part of paths, since these form convenient places for water to stand.
The under layer of stone makes a natural drainage system.
 |
| LANDSCAPE GARDENING |
A building often
needs the help of vines or flowers or both to tie it to the grounds in such a
way as to form a harmonious whole. Vines lend themselves well to this work. It
is better to plant a perennial vine, and so let it form a permanent part of
your landscape scheme. The Virginia creeper, wistaria, honeysuckle, a climbing
rose, the clematis and trumpet vine are all most satisfactory.
close your eyes and picture a house of natural colour, that mellow gray of the weathered shingles. Now add to this old house a purple wistaria. Can you see the beauty of it? I shall not forget soon a rather ugly corner of my childhood home, where the dining room and kitchen met. Just there climbing over, and falling over a trellis was a trumpet vine. It made beautiful an awkward angle, an ugly bit of carpenter work.
Of course, the
morning-glory is an annual vine, as is the moon-vine and wild cucumber. Now,
these have their special function. For often, it is necessary to cover an ugly
thing for just a time, until the better
things and better times come. The annual is 'the chap' for this work.
See Also:
See Also:
Comments
Post a Comment