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Preliminary Considerations (Making a garden the first)

In making a garden the first consideration is the proper selection of a site. Few of us are so favored as to possess all of the necessary conditions for an ideal location, yet under the most unpromising circumstances we may all have a garden. The plant world is so enormous and so varied in its likes and dislikes, that many a beautiful plant will be glad to brighten the gloomiest spot with its cheerful bloom.

A few suggestions in landscape work will be of assistance in formulating plans for the location. The point of primary importance is to make the garden fit into its surroundings that it may add to the general harmony of the place. How often have we seen gardens that resemble square patches placed with no apparent reason in the middle of the lawn? A true blotch on an otherwise lovely landscape. It is well to take [1] advantage of any natural feature on the grounds, such as a fine view or a clump of trees; nothing shows off a garden to better advantage than a background of trees, provided they are not inside the garden enclosure so that they will not appropriate all the food and moisture intended for the plants. The beauty of a fine view is also a great asset and can be enhanced by plantings of trees on either side of it, thus making a vista of an attractive landscape beyond.

When there is no natural background a very effective one can be designed, by the use of deciduous trees or evergreens, or by a combination of both. For example, hemlocks, dogwoods and Judas tree artistically grouped are very beautiful. Plant the dogwood in front of the hemlock; it blooms before the foliage develops, and the hemlock sets off the bloom to good advantage.

It is not possible to give set rules for the designing of an artificial background, since each place is a problem in itself and the opinion of an expert is well worth while. The placing of the garden, its background, enclosure and its planting are works of art, like the painting of a picture. Undulating ground sometimes suggests opportunities for gardens at different levels, or a winding stream can be glorified by naturalistic plantings. [2] Aim to have the effect one satisfactory picture, instead of several disjointed ones which will appear spotty. The arrangement of the various component parts of the place, such as the house, garage, drying yard, kitchen garden and flower garden, lawn, trees and shrubs, should all receive the most careful attention before any building begins. It is well to seek the advice of an expert at this stage so that no one part of the place will be sacrificed to the other, but all will fit in to make a perfect whole.

If the house is not attractive it is advisable to partly cover it with vines and place the garden some distance away; when this is the case a wider scope in the choice of design is possible, for a garden close to the house must be in keeping with its architecture. When the flower garden adjoins the house it should be so placed that the main part of the garden is seen from some important part of the house, such as the hall, living room, dining room, terrace or porch, from where the combination of line and color will be a constant delight. The exposure must be carefully chosen; the north side of the house is to be avoided owing to shade and north winds. A southwestern exposure on ground sloping slightly to the south is very desirable. A southeastern exposure is also good, except for peonies. This handsome plant that glorifies the June garden objects [3] to the early morning sun which shines on buds wet with dew sometimes causing them to shrivel and turn black. Gardens in hollows suffer sooner from frosts; cold air, being heavier, settles in the lowlands causing autumn-blooming plants to turn brown.

The position of the garden having been determined, the next point to decide upon is the garden boundary or enclosure. We cannot fully appreciate the beauty of fine furniture when it is placed in a room that does not set it off to advantage; and why should the flower garden be an exception to this rule? It, too, must have its proper frame. The enclosure can be made in various ways: stone, brick, stucco, evergreens, privet hedges, shrubbery borders, fences, and trellises can all be used. In the opinion of the writer the least attractive of all these enclosures are fences and trellises. They are appropriate for gardens of a very simple type and when used it is well to cover them as completely as possible with vines, which will in time give a more or less solid bank of green. Soften the corners with shrubs or evergreens, depending upon the size of the garden. Sometimes a flowering tree or two can be introduced advantageously where space permits. A border of flowering shrubs as a garden enclosure is quite popular and during the blooming season it adds an extra touch of color that is always welcome. Do [4] not dig a separate hole for each bush, but instead prepare a border especially for them and they will repay you in beautty for your extra trouble. This will also offer an opportunity to plant an occasional clump of perennials along the edge, which will give a touch of color here and there, when the blooming season is over for the shrubs. The disadvantage of the shrubbery boundary is that it does not so completely bind the garden together as the other enclosures, nor does it give the trim, symmetrical appearance as, for example, privet or evergreens. The directions for the preparation of the soil, the planting and subsequent care of the shrubs can be found in Chapter IX.

An enclosure of California privet is the most usual of all, and while the effect it gives is not nearly so handsome as that of evergreens or walls, still a good deal can be said in its favor. It is easily grown, gives a quick effect, is hardy, inexpensive and of neat appearance. On the other hand it is an expert robber of plant food; this difficulty must be overcome by giving the neighboring perennials extra portions of fertilizer. It is not particular as to soil requirements-any ordinary garden loam, well enriched with manure, will meet its needs. If the best and the quickest results are wanted it will be worth while to open a trench eighteen inches or two feet deep; loosen the bottom with a pick, [5] put in first a generous layer of rotted manure and fill in the trench with top soil or, preferably, compost if available. This can be done spring or fall; if the planting is done in the autumn it is well to mulch the plants after the ground is frozen, so as to help them survive the first winter in their new quarters.

If the hedge is not growing the way it should matters can be greatly improved by top-dressing it with well-rotted manure applied spring or autumn and lightly worked into the soil around the plants. If manure is not obtainable bone meal cultivated in the soil in the autumn will become available to the plants the following spring. Annual pruning from the beginning must be diligently attended to, otherwise the growth will become thin and topheavy. The aim must be to have a solid healthy growth, from the base up. Pruning in this_climate is necessary twice a year, every June toward the latter part of the month and again in late August.

Evergreen enclosures owing to the richness of their coloring make a beautiful setting for all flowers. Madonna lilies never seem such a pure white nor the delphinium such a heavenly blue as when they are planted in masses next to this curtain of dark green. Hemlock, arborvitæ, Japanese cypress and Norway spruce are the best kinds to use. Hemlock is very [6] Courtesy of J. Horace McFarland Company