Chapter IV: Foreword (2)

Near by, on Huntting Lane, the wild garden belonging to R. Cummins, Esq., is considered the best piece of work of its kind in the country. It is wonderfully composed with natural pools and streams, tea-houses and rustic bridges suggestive of the Japanese art, yet lovelier than the trim Oriental type of water garden because so delightfully wild and overgrown with massive plants, vines, and shrubs, without, however, being disorderly in appearance. It is an especially rare treat in early July at the season of Japanese Iris.

At the west end of Long Island, near New York, gardens are almost as plentiful as those in the region of the Hamptons. For lack of space the illustrations of the lovely garden at Manor House, Glen Cove, and the picturesque pool at Cedarhurst must alone represent this section. Later periods of bloom succeed the Tulips at the Manor House, giving continuous color all summer to this charming place. The view of Mr. Steele's garden at Westbury is a fine example of an ideal hillside planting leading to the flower-beds on a lower level.

* * * * *

Probably the oldest garden in New York State is the one at Sylvester Manor, on Shelter Island, between the shores of Long Island and Connecticut. This charming little flower-plot is reached by a short flight of descending steps. Some of its old Boxwood appears in the illustration of the pool which is a part of the garden scheme. The original owners of Shelter Island were the Manhasset Indians. "In 1651 Nathaniel Sylvester came from England with his young bride, and here they planted the Box, still one of the wonders of the place, and erected the first manor-house with its oak doors and panels and mantels fitted in England, and brick tiles brought from Holland. The present house was built in 1737 with enough of the woodwork of the old house to maintain symmetry in traditions, and stands to-day as it has stood the better part of two centuries, filled with its old furniture, paintings, and curios. Here is kept the cloth of gold left by Captain Kidd and many other things that time and space forbid mentioning." The old homestead has always remained in the family in direct descent.

V

NEW JERSEY

It would take much time and long travel to discover the State possessing the greatest number of fine gardens, but there is little risk of misstatement in placing New Jersey as fourth or fifth on the list; New York, including Long Island, in the lead, then Massachusetts, and possibly Pennsylvania or California next. Near the sea the climate is, of course, an especial incentive to flower-growing, and along the Jersey coast, especially in Monmouth County, there are numerous gardens. Many excellent specimens are to be seen at Princeton, Trenton, Short Hills, and Morristown, as well as in the country around Bernardsville, in all of which places garden clubs are rapidly developing the cult. Only about fifty miles separate Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth Beach, in central Jersey, from Morristown, Short Hills, etc., at the north, so that spring gardens practically begin in both sections at the same time, with possibly not more than three or four days' difference between them. While the south Jersey soil does not always encourage gardening, the northern half of the State may be considered on the whole quite fertile, and the summer temperature is not too hot for flowers. Occasional droughts are to be expected, but the water-supply is usually adequate. In the northern part of the State the usual date for Crocuses is March 25; Daffodils, April 15; Lily-of-the-Valley, May 12; late Tulips, May 10; German Iris, May 22; Oriental Poppy, Columbine, Lupin, and Pyrethrum, May 26; Roses, Peonies, Anchusa, and Sweet William, early June; Delphiniums, June 20; Hollyhocks, July 1. In fact, the climatic condition, as it affects plant life, is very similar throughout the region surrounding New York City--not different enough to require special attention.

The beautiful garden at Glen Alpine is one of prolonged bloom from May 22 until frost, and its planting plans are shown in the author's "Continuous Bloom in America." Both English and Italian inspiration commingle in this beautiful spot. Its setting of old trees on three sides, with the upsloping hill to the rear covered with choice blossom trees and evergreens, as well as the ancient hedge, furnish a background in keeping with the dignity of the place. The pergola is only the beginning of an interesting upper shrub and bulb garden with rambling paths. Other views are given in plates 86 and 172.

At Cherrycroft, the garden also blooms continuously, and some of its plans are likewise given in the book above-mentioned. The pergola and tea-house lead out to a maze formed by a tall Arbor-Vitae hedge. Adjoining is a Rose garden, more or less continually in bloom, and near by a garden for cutting-flowers. The outlook over the formal garden, both from house and pergola, is upon a sea of flowers, possibly unequalled in its profusion of bloom. The four beds encircling the pool are first covered with Pansies and English Daisies, each bed containing one large clump of German Iris, edged with Cottage Tulips. For later bloom, white Petunias fill two beds, light pink Petunias the other two beds. Surrounding the rim of the pool there are Campanula medium, alternating with fall-sown Larkspur, the former replaced by Balsam. The four large beds opposite the pool-beds are planted in predominating tones of yellow, blue, pink, and dark red respectively, with white freely intermixed. The beds on the upper level are treated rather similarly.

At both Glen Alpine and Cherrycroft nurseries of cold-frames abundantly supply the many annuals and perennials required to fill the broad beds. The prevailing colors required in both gardens are pink, dark red, blues, and yellows. Of the latter, the stronger tones are used only in yellow and blue beds. If there is strict adherence to their planting schemes the richness of their bloom will continue through future seasons. But, alas! how uncertain the fulfilment, when the most necessary flowers may disappoint at the eleventh hour, or the gardeners fail to abide by the plans, especially concerning the color scheme!

At Ridgewood Hill the planting is for spring and autumn bloom, and its three-terraced garden is an excellent piece of work, nestling to the hillside with its vista of hills beyond. This lovely nook deserves to rank among the best in terraced gardens.

Mrs. Fraser's garden, enclosed within the semicircle of the house and a curving Hemlock hedge, is veritably a gem in lovely color-blending. All the periods of the garden season are represented here, difficult as it is to accomplish continuous bloom in narrow beds. First Pansies and early Tulips, followed by the later ones, flood the little court with wonderfully tinted tones. Then Lupins, Canterbury Bells, Sweet William, Chinese Delphinium and Lilium candidum, followed by Larkspur, Zinnia, Snapdragon, Scabiosa, Salpiglossis, Heliotrope, Ageratum, and compact Petunias, Gladioli, and September hardy Chrysanthemum. Constant ministration to the needs of this garden keeps it in a state of fresh bloom and order.

The garden at "Onunda," Madison, attracts many visitors and has long been famous for its beauty and order. It is ablaze with color from May to October. Annuals in richest massing fill all the small beds, and perennials with annuals are closely grouped in the wall beds. The color effect is unusual and the adjoining Rose garden is complete with choicest bloom.

The planting at Blairsden, near Peapack, is probably the most perfect in the State. The accompanying pictures give a limited idea of its beauty. The hill covered with wild shrubs sloping to the lake, the formal garden, the water garden and Rose garden, with the long inclined pathway seeming to lead out to space immeasurable into the green Garden of Everyman, combine with the scenery to make it a place of remarkable beauty. The formal garden with vine-covered brick wall is like the villa, Italian in design.

The numerous gardens of Short Hills must be represented by one charming glimpse of Brooklawn, an idyllic spot embodying the creative sense of a poet. Its design is quite unusual in the garden world, and perfect in its simplicity. Informal rather than strictly formal, with beds of curving lines and grass paths it may be considered the most original plan in this collection.

Old Princeton, with its picturesque university, is additionally favored in possessing gardens worthy of such associations and equalling the best in our country. The one at Drumthwacket is probably more reminiscent of English gardens than any other. The broad beds, profuse in glowing yet orderly bloom, are especially lovely in June. The garden has the benefit of ancient trees as a setting and the richness of its planting combined with the white balustrade lends a noble effect, comparing favorably with many of those abroad. The beautiful water garden, reached by a winding stone stairway, is encircled by willows and forest trees which fill the little lake with green reflections.

A winter garden is a luxury so rare that one dwells with keenest pleasure upon the view from Thornton--a most perfect specimen of its kind. This evergreen planting is the central scheme of an elaborate plan and divides the perennial and Rose garden on one side from the "cutting" garden on the other. The best of the evergreens in clipped forms, Barberry with its bright winter berries, Laurel, and Rhododendron foliage unite to enliven the winter scene in this pleasant space, when outside all is gray and lifeless.

Mrs. Seabrook's garden belongs to still another distinctly different class, illustrating a planting which appeals strongly to the many Americans who ardently admire simplicity in outdoor art. Here we find a sweet place in which to live in idle hours, with favorite flowers well-kept, a pool, and shaded retreats from summer sun.

VI

PENNSYLVANIA

The most zealous advocate of gardening in the early days was William Penn, the original proprietor of the State, who persistently urged his Quaker followers to plant gardens around the homesteads. With numerous old ones and an ever-increasing number of new gardens the State stands among the foremost as a garden centre. In olden times the Quaker ideas against extravagant appearances resulted in the making of simpler places than those built by the people who settled in the Southern States; but these modest Pennsylvania gardens did not suffer the ravages of war, and many of them have lived serenely through the years.

Andalusia came into the possession of the family of its present owners in 1795, and a village has gradually grown around the place. The garden is about one hundred years in age, and has been long noted for its trees and hedges, its fruits and old-fashioned flowers. The simplicity of its plan, so characteristic of the early gardens, detracts nothing from its charm, but rather is it filled with picturesque features that are truly American.

At Fancy Field the formal garden is made somewhat on the plan of a type of small English garden that is becoming familiar to us through the English prints. This formal view is but one of a group or series of lovely enclosed and connecting gardens, all seemingly bound together by a long pergola bordering their rear;--a most pleasing study, as is also the garden at Edgecombe, with its old Box and perennials, shut in peacefully from the outer world and suggesting the type so dear to the heart of the lady of the olden time.

Krisheim was the name given by some early German settlers in 1687 to a locality where is now a famous garden. This beautiful enclosure, in its spring garb, so unique in style, and with an adjoining flower garden, has its place among the best of the many that adorn the State.

The garden at Willow Bank is a charming home of flowers, and its attraction is enhanced by the spacious green court surrounding it, giving double privacy to the flowery sanctum within.

Typical of some of the splendid newer gardens of the State is the one at Timberline, rich in its background of old trees, gracefully designed and planted. It is one of the best productions of a celebrated architect.

The Ballygarth garden, a section of which is shown in this chapter, is beautifully situated on one of the oldest estates near Philadelphia, and is of the kind so evidently the creation of a garden lover.

Near Philadelphia the climate is slightly warmer than in north New Jersey, to which spring bloom comes at least a week later. In this vicinity German Iris appears about May 15, Sweet William, May 28, and Delphiniums, June 10, Hollyhocks, June 18. The time of the first frost is as variable as it is elsewhere. Pansies are usually wintered in the open, with a certain amount of covering. Tender annuals are set out about May 10. The soil is mostly fertile enough for good results in the garden. The best-known gardens lie chiefly in the neighborhood of Philadelphia.

VII

MARYLAND

Flower gardens adorn many of the places in Maryland, most of them of the old-fashioned kind so characteristic of the Southern States, and others of a more recent date. The latter, though less elaborate than those of New England, are quite as attractive in the studied simplicity of their design.

Conspicuous often are the Ivy-edged paths sometimes replacing the low Box border, and the great growths of Box and rare shrubs, once imported luxuries from old England, speak the prosperity of early days.

In the low country of the interior the midsummer climate is humid and hot enough to discourage the flowers of this season, but when certain annuals are kept sufficiently moist and mulched they may pass unscathed through the trying season and join the few fall perennials for several weeks of bloom.

Winter protection is not a matter of importance and Pansies need but an ordinary covering of leaves. An extreme of cold, which is rare, might bring disaster to the leaf-covered Canterbury Bell in the open, but this is one of the gambles in garden life.

In Maryland, as generally elsewhere in this section, spring and June gardens prevail. The Crocus season opens in early March; Daffodils follow a little later; late Tulips and German Iris come near May 1; Sweet William and Peonies about May 20; and soon after the Delphiniums and Hollyhocks appear. Spring work begins three weeks earlier than in the latitude of Long Island, and frost may finish the persistent Marigold near November 1; but, as elsewhere, by that time green life has had its day, vitality has been spent, and nothing satisfactory can be expected of any but the hardy late Chrysanthemum.

There is another region of this State to be separately accounted for that has been more or less overlooked, and where the climate is more inviting to summer gardening. From near Snow Hill, on the narrow peninsula south of Delaware, a resident writes in part: "As to this eastern shore, its flowers, climate, etc., too much cannot be said in its praise. The wonder is that this section has been overlooked by wealthy people seeking homes. With proper planting one can have flowers in the garden ten months of the year. During the winter Holly and other choice evergreens give plenty of color for the lawns." The distance across between the Chesapeake Bay and the sea is about thirty-five miles. Near the shore the place has a climate of its own, and summer gardens need not wilt as they do inland, providing they can at times be moderately sprinkled. Usually the summer climate is pleasant with an evening sea-breeze in hot weather; sometimes a prolonged dry spell causes many things to suffer, but as a rule all sorts of flowering plants succeed--Roses, China Asters, and bulbous plants especially grow to perfection.

The illustrations representing Maryland are gathered from the vicinity of Baltimore, the particular garden region of the State. Hampton is the oldest of them all, being an entailed estate and one of two old manor-houses in Maryland still extant. A severe cold snap a few winters past did great damage to the Box, which in consequence had to be cut back, but time, it is hoped, may restore its original form and beauty. The spring view of one of Hampton's gardens was taken recently prior to the period of fullest bloom. This charming Box-edged parterre, with its fine surroundings and associations, is possibly the best-known in the South.

Evergreen-on-Avenue is delightfully located on the outskirts of Baltimore, where many old country-seats abound. The lower garden only is discernible in the illustration, showing the dignity and charm of an evergreen garden, relieved by a massing of color in narrow beds which form a setting to the clipped Box and other shrubs. The upper garden is full of bloom and kept chiefly as a place for cutting-flowers. Some of the paths on this estate are edged with broad bands of Ivy.

The wild garden at Roland Park is a work of art too intricately devised to be treated satisfactorily by picture or pen. The eye can only absorb and memory retain it, but description will ever fail to present it. At every turn there is a delightful surprise, at every season it is lovely; even January finds it so dressed in evergreen that winter seems far away. A few years ago the hillside was a wooded and abandoned stone-quarry until purchased for the purpose of creating a place of beauty out of chaos. An inspired imagination only could have wrought this miracle.

The old Indian name for the Cylburn plantation was Cool Waters; it covers two hundred acres, about five miles beyond Baltimore. Cylburn House is of stone with broad verandas, and stands majestically on a high plateau, surrounded by gardens, shrubbery, and an extensive lawn, which is fringed by a beautiful primeval forest that stretches away on three sides to the valley below. The garden is one of the old-fashioned rambling kind, made lovely with a combination of tall shrubs and flowers and occasional trees.

The fair little glimpse of a section of the garden at Ingleside breathes of spring perfume and color, with that indescribable sense of peace pervading especially a little enclosed garden where good taste and harmony prevail. So great is the impression of seclusion produced by the attractive picture that the farmer's cottage in the near background seems almost disconnected from this inviting spot. The four white standard Wistarias are remarkable enough to demand special attention. The beds are early filled with the Tulips of both periods, blooming in company with the Wistaria. Annuals follow, and the place is kept in long bloom under the careful supervision of the owner.

At The Blind, Havre de Grace, on the Chesapeake, is a charming and typically Southern garden with ancient Box hedges for a background, and filled with the bloom of many old-fashioned hardy plants and shrubs. The property of two hundred acres is partly under cultivation and partly covered with Holly and ancient trees. Around the gray stone mansion in springtime the place is like a fairy-land, with hundreds of blossoming shrubs and fruit trees. Originally the land belonged to the Stumpp family, who acquired it by grant from one of the early English governors. It is now in the possession of a New Yorker, who keeps it as a shooting-preserve and stock-farm.

VIII

VIRGINIA

Virginia was the first of the States to adopt a luxurious mode of living. Its early men and women, so recently English, were not many of them of the strictly Puritan type, but rather the ease and pleasure loving class, and shortly their fertile plantations, developed by countless slaves, yielded rich results, and Virginia, followed soon by the neighboring States, became famous for homes and gardens on an extensive scale.

One of the earliest and best of these estates was Mount Vernon, so well preserved and yet so familiar as not to need an introduction or even a space in this book. Brandon, Westover, Shirley, Berkeley, Castle Hill, and others on the River James, as well as some of the splendid places in the "hill country," have been renovated in recent years and should be considered among the treasures of America.

Mr. William du Pont is the fortunate present owner of Montpelier, the home of President Madison, in Orange County, and situated between Charlottesville and Richmond. This splendid garden was planned by Mr. Madison soon after 1794. To quote Mr. Capen:[4] "On the plan of our House of Representatives, it is made in a series of horseshoe terraces leading down to a flat rectangular stretch of ground. The walk from the entrance to the garden passes first under a charming rustic arbor, and then through a dense Box hedge in which some of the bushes have grown so high that their branches form an arch overhead ... and when one emerges from the arch of Box he finds spread before him in panorama the entire garden ... the Box-edged aisle down its centre and every bed in flower.... It must have been a rare garden, for trees and shrubs sent to Mr. Madison by admirers from all over the world were jealously guarded and nurtured."

At Rose Hill the terraced garden, with its distant view of hills and valley, is among the best-known places of this section. Here the flowers, most carefully tended, bloom considerably during the period from April to October, which is unusually prolonged for a Southern garden. Flowering plants and clipped evergreens border the broad, grassy terraces and an air of simple stateliness pervades this charming Virginia garden.

Delightful indeed is the spacious formal garden at Meadowbrook Manor, on the James River. So cleverly arranged is the combination of trees and flowers that the latter do not suffer from near association with the trees--many of which are evergreens combining with the Box border to gladden the winter garden with summer green, and giving the livable, homey sense to this lovely enclosure in summer-time. In the old days the property was known as Sequin and belonged to relatives of Sir Thomas Gates of the same name. Upon this land in 1619 were operated the first iron-works in the country.

Characteristic of the gardens of the older period is the lovely view of the garden on the Valentine place overgrown and ripe as only a garden can be that has lived through the years; unpretentious, yet richer in that mellowed growth than the most costly planting of modern date.

In Virginia, mountains cover a part of the State, and the temperature necessarily varies according to locality. The climate, at least of Albemarle County, brings out the Crocuses in February or early March; winter Jessamine in early February, sometimes January; Daffodils in mid-March; Lily-of-the-Valley and Cottage Tulip early in April; German Iris in mid-April. Roses and Sweet William appear in early May; Delphinium in late May; Hollyhocks in early June; Phlox, July 1. And thus before midsummer's heat many of the best hardy perennials have come and gone. While summer bloom in the highlands is not necessarily destroyed by hot weather, unless unusual drought occurs, yet the autumn garden is apt to be a more refreshing sight with its fresh crop of Roses, the late Chrysanthemum, Cosmos, and indefatigable Zinnia. Of course to the south, and where altitude is lacking, the somewhat higher temperature will more or less alter these garden dates.

FOOTNOTES:

[4] "Country Homes of Famous Americans."

IX

SOUTH CAROLINA

There are few new gardens in South Carolina, but an untold number of old ones deserving to be revived. Around Charleston, especially, old-time mansions, quaint walls, and gateways abound that are an inspiration to lovers of graceful antiquities. To restore an abandoned garden must be indeed a joy to one with enough imagination to recreate flower places fitted to the surroundings.

The illustrations in this chapter give some idea of the richness of the early gardens laid out by the wealthy owners of many generations past. Magnolia-on-the-Ashley, considered by some as one of the world's most beautiful sights, especially in springtime, is the most famous place in the State. It is owned by Colonel Drayton Hastie, who inherited it from his grandfather, the Reverend Mr. Drayton, an Episcopalian minister, in whose family it had remained since the latter part of the seventeenth century. In the days of the Reverend Mr. Drayton it was discovered that the garden had been laid out over land containing extremely valuable phosphate deposits, but neither he nor his descendants would have the place disturbed for the sake of an increased fortune, and the garden continues as it was, the delight in early spring of visitors from all over the world. To quote one who resides near by: "The garden first came into notice about a hundred years ago. In spite of all the cultivation, it still suggests the heart of the forest, with the old Oak and gray moss and wild flowers mingling with Cherokee Roses, Jessamine, etc. These Magnolia gardens are not only wonderfully beautiful, but, I believe, quite unique. The great show is not Magnolias, or even the Camellias, although they are lovely--but the Azaleas, which grow in such profusion and variety of shades that one loses all sense of individual plant and flowers and perceives only glowing, gleaming masses of color veiled by festoons of gray moss, giving one a delicious feeling of unreality, almost enchantment. In Owen Wister's 'Lady Baltimore' there is a beautiful description of Magnolia. The coloring on the post-cards is not in the least exaggerated." Live Oaks over two centuries old draped with gray moss suspended from the branches! This wonderful growth is not an uncommon sight in the Southern States.

Columbia, the capital, has the famous Preston garden, and for many generations this beautiful property remained in the families of the Hamptons and Prestons. By a marriage a century ago the Hampton estate came into the possession of the Prestons, and for many years the stately garden with its aged Box and shade trees, its choice shrubs and plants, has been an object of veneration to garden lovers. A descendant writes: "There is no interest of importance attached to the past history of the Preston place, except that it has sheltered quite well known persons in its day, Henry Clay, Thackeray, and Miss Martineau among others, for its owner had acquaintances among prominent people in this country as well as abroad, and delighted in showing them hospitality when they happened in his neighborhood." After the war it shared the fate of almost all the other Southern estates that could no longer be maintained as in former years, and finally became a woman's college, and once more receives the needed care.

In the low coastal country, including Charleston, spring opens in February with Camellias, Daffodils, and bulbs. German Iris appears at Charleston soon after March 15, Phlox in June. Delphinium and Hollyhock and some others do not thrive in this section. The flowers that are carried over for autumn bloom are hardy Chrysanthemum, with Cosmos, Salvia, Marigolds, and Zinnias, and a few others able under care to resist the summer heat. Frost may come by November 15, but in winter thin ice forms only about three times, with the thermometer at twenty-five degrees. White Camellias sometimes begin to blossom at Christmas time. Such is the climate of this level. In the higher regions of the State climatic conditions are somewhat different and the summer heat is not as extreme.

X

GEORGIA AND FLORIDA

Summer gardens, on account of the climate, are not attempted in the States of the far South; but as popular winter and spring resorts the grounds at these seasons about the villas and hotels are adorned with Palms, Roses, and other plants adapted to the climate. Charming spring gardens in formal designs are found in Georgia, where, because of its somewhat cooler climate and better soil, there are a greater number of private estates than in Florida. The former State doubtless suffered more than any other in the Civil War and, consequently, enforced neglect of the old gardens brought ruin to most of them. At present some of the finest places in Georgia are delightfully located outside of the larger towns, and many gardens, some new and others renewed after a half-century of oblivion, adorn the home grounds of those who are so fortunate as to reside here at the most favored seasons.

The illustrations of the gardens at Green Court are fair samples of the extensive planting in many places. Spring bulbs begin to open in this lovely spot by the middle of February, Camellias often come in January, German Iris appears the middle of March, Delphiniums in April.

In Georgia the summer heat finishes most of the bloom, and few would venture with autumn flowers. "The Roses, however, when well tended, rest during summer to bloom gloriously again in October and until the time of light frost, which comes in December." The interior of the larger garden at Green Court, surrounded with its splendid outer court, is more spacious than the glimpse through the gateway would suggest. The charm of this enclosure, like Southern hospitality, is a combination of bountifulness and grateful simplicity. Green Court deserves to stand as a representative garden of its State.

With an almost similar climate the adjoining State of Alabama has its gardens also, but, unfortunately, photographs are not now available.

Palms of every description are the characteristic plants of Florida. The State is generally flat and open, but in the north the country is more wooded, often wild and swampy, with picturesque winding little rivers meandering to the coasts.

The conditions in the populous districts of Louisiana and Texas are so similar to Florida, where gardens are concerned, that it is unnecessary to use further space in describing plant life in these States.

XI

TENNESSEE AND MISSOURI

From Tennessee the following description of its garden life is agreeably presented: "Here in the South interest in this subject is always increasing. We have many old and beautiful gardens full of sentiment. The mistress of the place is always head gardener, and in no instance does she relinquish her position to another. I am filled with enthusiasm in garden matters, and would preach the gospel of the garden to all women."

Daffodils appear in February, Lilies-of-the-Valley and Cottage Tulips in mid-April, German Iris soon after. The droughts of midsummer may injure but not necessarily destroy the flowers. The winter thermometer occasionally falls to twenty degrees above zero in the cooler districts, and such plants as Snapdragon and Campanula medium are more safely wintered in a slat-frame. But winter once over the tender annuals can be put out as early as April 25. These conditions apply almost equally to the neighboring States of Kentucky and North Carolina, having as well their records for old-time gardens.

The planting at Rostrevor speaks delightfully for the many others belonging to this section of the South. This garden, filled with Lilies and other blossoms, shows that the Southern woman is as truly a flower lover as were they who planted the early gardens in the days before the war.

What more tantalizing to the garden devotee than the glimpse beyond the gates of Longview garden as illustrated in this chapter, and again in a later section? Such views as these, so exceedingly artistic in themselves, suggest a still more lovely interior, at present withheld because adequate photographs are lacking.

In Missouri, as in Kansas and elsewhere in the Middle West, there is great variableness of climate from year to year, and never is it an ideal district for _summer_ flower gardens. While much attention is being given to shrubbery and perennial beds bordering the lawn, there are few actual gardens, formal or otherwise. The discouragements of a trying summer climate limit the bloom in most of the places to the flowers of spring and June. Early flowering plants and bulbs, German Iris, Foxglove, Canterbury Bells, Columbine, Peonies, Lilium candidum, Roses, and Hollyhocks, give considerable satisfaction. But many other perennials are not at all permanent. To quote an experienced amateur gardener: "The climate of Kansas City, Missouri, is subject to every eccentricity, and at times is very trying. One of my experiences was a four or five inch snow-storm on the 3d of May after a month of warm spring weather, when German Iris and many other things were in full bloom, and Peonies in bud. Everything was mashed down and then it froze. Often when Peonies have been in bloom torrential rains have nearly ruined them. The greatest trouble with the summer garden is the extreme heat and dryness of the air. The earth can be kept moist around the plants, but many things wither in the dry air. With the greatest care a garden of annuals might be kept looking fairly well through July and August, but I am glad to get away from mine early in July."

The climate of these adjoining Middle States is practically the same throughout, with possibly even more sunshine than in the eastern States. "In May and June there are frequent heavy showers, but rarely all-day rains. In the later summer and autumn cloudy days are exceptional. The eastern side of Missouri is said to be slightly cooler than the western part; Kansas City averages a somewhat higher summer temperature than Washington, D. C., which is in the same latitude. Spring bulbs and many spring perennials appear three weeks earlier than near New York City." The gardens usually look spent by September, but in the cooler sections, with an extra amount of summer care, there may be still seen flowers sufficient to adorn a garden during some weeks of autumn.

The garden at Hazelwood, near St. Louis, is laid out with curving grass paths and broad beds. The bright display begins with Daffodils, and the beds retain rich bloom into the middle of June. In September, after good care, Marigolds, Zinnias, Snapdragon, Cosmos, hardy Asters, Chrysanthemum, and Helenium are the autumn decorations. Frost usually finishes everything about October 15. The winter temperature is often ten degrees below, and the tender plants, like Foxglove and Pansies, are more safely wintered under slat-frames covered with straw, and Larkspurs should have a light covering of leaves. Surely the gardens that are faithfully tended through such changes and chances of climate as found in this section bespeak the highest degree of devoted patience.

XII

ILLINOIS AND INDIANA

Illinois, with its claim to countless fine estates, includes a plentiful share of gardens, and more especially in the lake region, where luxuriant growths of trees tell of congenial soil and climate. As a background the great lake stretches like a sea beyond many of the beautiful flower-borders, which bloom almost as richly as those near the distant ocean.

Unfortunately some of the finest plantings are not illustrated in this book, which is limited to gardens of a formal design, and the type characteristic of Illinois is mostly informal, as so frequently seen in America,--an arrangement which does not lend itself satisfactorily to photography. In such a plan the flowers are usually massed in long, broad beds bordering the lawn, the front lines are laid in irregular curves, with trees and shrubs for the background. Groups of shrubs with other beds are sometimes used to break a wide stretch of lawn, and make a rambling and delightful sort of garden scheme. But in photography detail is lost when the camera is at sufficient distance to include more than a small section of such a design. For this reason pictures can never do full justice to the flower planting on such notable places as those of Albert N. Day, Esq., Lake Forest; Wm. C. Egan, Esq., Egandale, Highland Park; George Higginson, Esq., Meadow Farm; and W. G. Hibbard, Esq., both at Winnetka, and many others.

The spring display of late Tulips at Highland Park and Lake Forest is especially remarkable. Masses of Darwins and Cottage varieties in perfect color blending are planted everywhere, in the woods, in shrubbery, and in borders.

The illustration of the formal garden at Lake Forest, owned by Harold McCormick, Esq., gives a vivid idea of the form and finish of this charming place, which must always stand among the best of middle West gardens, well favored in the beauty of its surrounding trees and generously planted with perennials and shrubs. It has the charm of individuality rather uncommon to large gardens, and stands for that welcome type which seeks to be itself.

Hardin Hall garden, with the great lake as a background, has recently joined the ranks of beautiful American gardens. Every new garden is as a jewel added to the crown of its State, and this little gem in planting is noted throughout the North Shore. Stepping-stones in the grass lead to another green enclosure, designed on a less formal plan,--the whole scheme being most artistically conceived.

The climate near the lake is slightly cooler than in other localities, spring opening from one to two weeks later than inland. The difference in time of spring bloom on this shore and near New York City is only about a week. The climate on the lake front is especially variable. The country is a flat upland broken with wooded ravines.

Out in central Illinois, in Piatt County, there are fifteen thousand acres belonging to a famous estate beyond Monticello. The Farms contains delightful gardens on an extensive scale, quite English in design, and as far as possible in keeping with the Georgian architecture of the house. Juniper Hibernica is freely used over the main garden, enriching with its deep evergreen tones the broad expanse of flower-bordered beds. The walls are covered with Chinese Wistarias, Japanese Honeysuckle, trained peach trees, nectarines, pears, and plums.

Monticello is in the latitude of Philadelphia; the blooming dates almost correspond, but frost destroys a trifle earlier. The highest summer thermometer rarely reaches one hundred degrees, sometimes dropping in winter to twenty-seven degrees below. Tender annuals can usually be planted out after May 15. Mulching and watering is necessary to preserve the summer bloomers.

Famous in the annals of southern Indiana is the large estate at Lexington known as Englishton Park, and for six generations the property of the English family.

Problems of insufficient rain, poor soil, and rocky ground have been overcome by most scientific measures, and now a pool filled with Lilies and bordered with water-loving plants is a feature of a wonderful rock garden abundantly and tastefully planted with the perennials most suitable for rocks or for moisture. The Rose garden near by and long path leading to the house, bordered with beds of perennials, are further delightful tributes to the devoted labor of one who has spent much time on this, her gladdest task.

XIII

OHIO

The difference is slight between the climate of Ohio and other States of its latitude in the East and middle West. While there is no mountainous region, northern Ohio has the advantage of a great lake as its border. On a line with central Connecticut, the temperature of Cleveland is similarly favorable to flower growing, and garden enthusiasts are increasing. Like most of the Middle States, the country is rather flat and the soil fertile as a rule. But, except on the lake shore, the gardens suffer more or less from the hot weather and scarcity of moisture.

In the northern half of Ohio spring bulbs appear simultaneously with those in northern New Jersey, and the later plants follow in the same succession. The southern half of Ohio is in the latitude of Maryland and its climatic conditions are almost similar. The spring and June gardens in the middle West give the best satisfaction. The climate is variable, as it is elsewhere throughout the country.

One charming illustration conveys some idea of the garden at Gwinn, which is eight miles from Cleveland, and undoubtedly the most notable in this State. By early April the spring garden blooms with Hepatica, Crocus, Chionodoxa, Scilla, Sundrops, Pansy, English Daisy, Spring Beauty, Bloodroot, Trillium, Cypripedium, Violet, Tulip, Hyacinth, and Daffodil, followed soon by many later garden favorites. Sufficient water is supplied to carry the bloom safely through midsummer and September, and year by year the beauty of this garden is increasing with the maturing of its trees and shrubbery, and all that tends to complete the dignity of so noble a design.

So artistically wrought are all the various features contributing to the beauty of the Clifton garden that choice of illustrations is made difficult when selection is limited to so few. This fact explains the omission of the little flower garden which even though charming must give place to the accompanying remarkable views.

Not far from Cleveland Shadyside, on the lake, is another place of interest to flower lovers, and here a small formal garden has been recently completed in addition to the older water garden. This delightful spot is worthy of particular attention not only on account of the variety of plants adorning its banks, but for its picturesque setting as well.

Indian Hill offers a glimpse of a fair little garden, with no suggestion of display; a vine-covered bower surrounded with flowers,--a creation of simple loveliness.

XIV

MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN

Favored indeed are the gardens of these States, which border on the Great Lakes, some five hundred and eighty feet above sea-level. The country in most parts is fertile and flat, with a climate superior to that of New England in summer, and winters equally as cold. To quote our well known garden friend, Mrs. Francis King, of Alma, in central Michigan: "We have a very fine summer climate, most favorable to gardening; no humidity whatsoever, but dry and bracing, and while a short summer, a merry one for flowers. We must plan for a late spring, and frost is due in early September; but when we have learned these things it is very simple to arrange for them. Our rainfall is usually sufficient, and we practically never suffer from the heat. Hardy Chrysanthemums need a very sheltered position in winter. At Detroit, one hundred and fifty miles southeast of Alma, the trees are in spring foliage almost ten days earlier, partly owing to the distance southward and partly to the warming influence of Lake St. Clair."

The garden at Orchard House, Alma, so vividly described in "The Well-Considered Garden," is too familiar to most gardeners to need description. Briefly, the planting over the large space is all balanced in predominating colors of rose, lavender, white, and palest yellow. Gray foliage and white flowers are freely used, and through the entire summer there is not one week when the whole garden is not gay with flowers from June until frost.

To the northeast of Alma is the lovely garden at Garra-tigh, where Daffodils bloom, as in Alma, three weeks later than near the city of New York. Bay City is in the latitude of Portland, Maine, and central Oregon. This attractive garden shows the effective combination of flowers and trees so well arranged that the trees are not detrimental to the vigor of the plants, and the sunny garden space is doubly radiant by contrast, lying within the trees' encircling shadows. Garra-tigh is the Gaelic for House with the Garden.

Near Detroit, at Fairlawn, Grosse Pointe Shores, on Lake St. Clair, where the country is flat and fertile, there is another delightful place of interest noted for the abundance of flowers covering several acres of land. The accompanying photograph was made in early September, when the best of the bloom had passed. In June and July the place is a glory with Lilies, Columbine, and Delphinium that are counted in hundreds, and earlier there are Tulips and Daffodils by the thousands. Behind the broad borders that edge the walks vegetables grow in great quantities. Early Tulips come the first week of May, late Tulips about May 20. Climate and soil combine to simplify the gardening tasks in this productive country.

The House in the Woods, on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, has a beautiful garden so well planned that it seems like an outdoor room to this charming villa. The planting scheme is moderate, easily maintained, and yet with beds broad enough to include without difficulty the plants for a long, continuous bloom. Opposite the house the picturesque studio, standing out against the wooded background, borders the garden on this side so that it lies within an enclosed court.

XV

NEW MEXICO

The mountainous States of the West, from Montana to New Mexico, from Colorado almost to the Pacific, have a climate of their own, varying naturally according to latitude. A resident of Las Cruces, New Mexico, writes: "The first killing frost is usually to be expected from the 7th to the 25th of October, very often it is much later, and we have had tomatoes till December with the slightest possible protection. Many flowers in a sheltered position bloom in winter, such as Calendula, Violets, Wallflowers, and Pansies. The highest ordinary summer thermometer is ninety-two to ninety-eight degrees. The lowest usually in winter is fifteen degrees--occasionally it has gone down to fifteen or twenty degrees below zero, but that is most exceptional. The climate is extremely dry. Most of New Mexico is at a high altitude--we are about three thousand eight hundred feet above sea-level here.

"As some plants blossom through the winter, it is hard to say when the garden begins to bloom. But about the middle of March we have Crocuses, followed the 1st of April by Jonquils, Narcissus, Tulips, and other bulbs, also German Iris, Lilac, Periwinkles, Cornflower, Mignonette. In the mountains near-by the California Poppies bloom at the same time. Then about mid-April come Tea Roses--and at the end of April or soon after the Peonies and Sweet Peas. The 1st of May or a little later Honeysuckles, Phlox, Snapdragon, Zinnias, and annual Larkspurs appear. Almost everything that is not extremely tender can be wintered in open ground without protection. Tender annuals should be planted out about the end of March. I transplanted some things last year the end of April, and the noonday sun was too much for them, though I shaded them for some time. We plant seeds of Pansies, Asters, Sweet Peas, etc., in the fall for best results."

The garden at Mr. Barker's mountain home is delightfully fitted to its surroundings, where nature is supreme and all else studied simplicity. Flowers revel in their freedom without the restriction of conventional beds. Flowers, nature, and the simple life of the Southern hills is the message from this distant home.

XVI

CALIFORNIA

The garden section of this State extends the length of its coast, and possibly fifty miles inland, and much is conveyed in a few words when it is described as one garden throughout this whole region. In the hill country mountains are admirable settings to tropical gardens, and from there to the sandy shores a delectable climate with prevailing westerly sea-winds encourages phenomenal growth of the choicest plants.

Southern California is particularly blessed with a clear, dry, and balmy climate. Quoting an authority in Santa Barbara: "There is practically no frost in southern California; in the north there is some. There are flowers in our gardens at all times of the year. Tulips bloom in February and March; Daffodils, German Iris, and other hardies from February to May; also Lilies-of-the-Valley, which latter are more scarce on account of the dryness of the atmosphere. From March till autumn there is bloom from Sweet William, Phlox, and many others of their kind, while Geranium, the common Marguerite, and Heliotrope grow all the year around and become large bushes. Roses cover the tops of some villas; Cosmos, California Poppy, Zinnia, Nasturtium, and Stock are among the favorite annuals; and all, whether hardy or tender, may be planted out in March when the winter rains are over. Some of the favorite exotic shrubs used for their bloom are the Acacias, Genista, etc., Solanums, and Choisia Ternata." Quite common are the great Poinsetta plants and the soft, trailing Bougainvillea, with its exquisite red matching in tone the color of our autumn leaves. Boxwood is little used in this climate. Toward San Francisco and northward it is found in greater quantity. To the south it is replaced by Myrtus communis nanus, Myrtus microphylla, Veronica Andersonii for low hedges; Monterey Cypress, Eugenia myrtifolia, different species of Ligustrum (Privet), which are all evergreen here, Duranta Plumerii, and others.

The highest temperature in Santa Barbara for a few days in fall is about eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit and the lowest in winter is forty degrees for a few days. The summers are very cool. The climate of Santa Barbara is quite similar to Sorrento, Italy, only better. The farther north on the coast the more rain. In Santa Barbara there is sunshine continually, except for the brief period of rain in winter. The warmest months are August, September, and October. From May to August there are fogs at night along the coast which keep the temperature down during the day.

In this paradise of sunshine and flowers are found a bewildering number of wonderful subjects for photography, some of which must give an idea of the favored vegetation of California.

At Kimberly Crest, as in the other views, most conspicuous is the brilliant clearness of the atmosphere. This beautiful country-seat is a sample of many which are built more or less on a similar plan, and especially noted for their profusion of choicest shrubs, trees, and flowering plants.

At Glendessary is found one of California's favorite gardens, where the strong sunshine is moderated by the plentiful use of trees so carefully arranged that the shadows do not disturb the growths of flowers, which bloom abundantly throughout this lovely place.

The flower garden at Piranhurst, named for Saint Piran, an Irish saint, is exceedingly picturesque. The wonderful Greek Theatre, with its wings of tall, clipped Cypress, is without a rival in this country. The design was modelled after one at the Villa Gori, in Italy. This remarkable planting, together with the Roses and other flora in the adjoining garden, combine to make it one of the most famous places on the coast. The owner of Piranhurst is also possessor of the garden at Ross, partly shown in the view of a fountain, with its hill background covered with massively grouped Hydrangeas and Rose vines.

Perfectly complete in every detail is the lovely pool in Doctor Schiffman's garden. It seems more a product of the Old World across the sea, while fitting so happily into the tropical atmosphere of Pasadena.

The marvellous growth of Banksia and Cherokee Roses, the field of Marguerites, and the background of snow-peaked mountains, all so characteristic of California, belong to Canon Crest Park, an estate well known to many travellers. Wonderful, too, are the Palms that overarch the driveway, and beautiful the gardens and panorama beyond.

The Cactus planting of a San Diego garden is an interesting study in the horticulture of California--this most favored State of the great Union.

XVII

OREGON AND WASHINGTON

In this coast region of the Northwest, shrubs, trees, and vines develop rapidly and give sooner to the garden the appearance of completeness than is the case in the drier climates. An authority from Portland says: "The growing season is long, lasting from March 1 to November 1, and in the places where lawns are well kept they are green throughout the entire winter. At this period, however, the grass does not grow enough to require clipping. Several shrubs, such as the Laurestinus, remain in foliage throughout the entire winter. Usually a few belated Roses are found on the bushes as late as Christmas, not the perfect blooms of summer, by any means, but sufficiently good-looking to adorn a vase in the drawing-room. The freezing weather would ordinarily come in January and be very limited in duration." In February the spring bulbs, Daffodils and Forsythia, appear.

At Tacoma and throughout the coast section of Washington the climate differs but slightly from that of Portland, Oregon, the latter having probably less rain and mist, but the whole coast is ideal for flowers. The summer is the dryest season, when gardens will require some sprinkling but not to the extent necessary in most portions of the country. Another authority states that in this northwest coast district it is clear 43 per cent of the year between sunrise and sunset. On an average, 80 clear days, 122 partly clear days, 163 cloudy days. A day which is up to three-tenths cloudy is classed as clear. A day four-tenths to seven-tenths cloudy is classed as partly clear. Days in excess of four-tenths cloudy classed as cloudy.

Near Tacoma, among majestic surroundings of forest and lake, with Mount Tacoma as a background, are the famous gardens of Thornewood, rich in flowers and shrubs and splendid garden architecture. Trees and hedges will wither and die, but the "everlasting hills" and the silver waters of American Lake will form a perpetual background to this beautiful place, built in 1880 and standing as the pioneer great garden of the State.

Gardens even in the cities are becoming numerous, and attached to many fine residences the planting, though now in its youth, promises to add great adornment in the near future to these municipalities of the Northwest. Mr. Merrill's spacious place in Seattle, partly shown in two small views, illustrates the delightful possibilities of a town garden.