LANDSCAPE GARDENING

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 50, 23 May 1929, Page 3

LANDSCAPE GARDENING

Planning Your Drives and Walks

A wonderful opportunity is^given to the garden lover who builds. a new house —the opportunity to lay out his garden on-ideal lines, Of the flTst dm-' pbrtancc is, the planning of the pertoan enf features, such as drives, and walks, and the following article by . Ernest Hemming, in the" National Nui«eryman>'. (U.S.A), is suggestive:— .

Drives and Walks are utilitarian

If we could do without drives and walks we would^" but as they are essen-tial,-it is just as well to have as little of them as possible; make good ones, and as attractive as possible^ ] ..■". Utility and simplicity should be the keynote in. their design. Sharp corners, hidden bonds,' and narrow road beds are danger .points when automobiles arc used, and should be - avoided as much as possible. i ■

Beauty Lies in Usefulness; ,■:■ ' The landscape gardener is apt to lose sight of the exclusive utilitarian purpose of a roadway in his attempts to make them\ look' artistic. This is a

fatal mistake. True they are most essential and usual? y> the most conspicuous feature of a place/ yet their beauty must not interfere in the least with their use. If they- are not well designed and laid down and properly .kept, the place will never look well. Every gardener knows ragged edges to drives and" walks show up quicker than anything else, but if these are in good shape' much will be overlooked.

In, the ease of drives, excepting the most simple, it is really economy to have an« engineer stake them out, especially if their proper draining.,or grading presents any problems.

.... These notes are only intended to ■help the planter of small places where the owner cannot afford the professional services of, a landscape arcMiect. The designing and construction of drives hardly comes under this ingFollow the Lines of Travel. In the" matter of walks, however, the jobbing gardener will often ."be called 'upon to decide how to lay down the approach to the house. - „ A curved line is more artistic than ! a straight one, and his clients will often express a desire if or curved, walks and occasionally, in certain situations, it is not always easy' to-decide which i is, the better —a straight 6x» curved walk. ■•'.'. '-'.'■.-' There aTo, however, certain laws, which, with a-' title study, will help, to. decide which is correct for that particular place. Walks are primarily, for use, not for ornament. The most direct line of approach is invariably the best,, and in the long run the most artistic, because there is .nothing beautiful in a senseless curve in a walk that tempts every one in a hurry to cut across the grass

or planting,

. A residence set back from a stseet, where the lines of travel come frpm both directions, should invariably be. approached by a straight walk. Just the same, due to the way in which most American towns and cities are laid off, the; landscape, design is necessarily veTy angular' and no opportun-. ity should be missed to use a curved; line when it is possible without appearing senseless. . , '

ITse Curves Where There is an Excuse.

The topography of the gtound, the presence of large trees or other ob^ structions, the need of a forked roa.d, in fact anything that is obvious enough to make, a-reason for a cuTved approach, should be taken advantage of rather than t&e" obstacle removed.

' No opportunity should, be missed, to make the walk interesting. A little may be done with the straight cement walk r which is always a discordant note in a garden. It may be lined with vbox ior other suitable dwarf growing plants, and planted at the ends 'with groups of shrubs or evergreens.

The turn of a walk is nearly always a good place for a-choice plant, always keeping in mind its future development, which should never interefere with free passage.

Turf and Stepping Stones; Steps and

Terraces,

In gardens where traffic is not frequent enough' to' inju-re it, turf walks are the simplest and best, but where the tii*f is apt to get worn, steppingstones are often pleasing and sunk to the same level -with the grass which may be run over with the lawn mower, saving an immense amount of clipping. .". '■■: ■-. '■' ;.•"■ ;.": '■ .•• './ . ■

•Stops in the terraces or in any position away from the' building should, invariably c softened by planting. Theiv sharp lines usually stand out too abruptly. It may be nothing more than a little English Ivy, or othor trailing plant, but it is always well-to break "their, lines and make them bleni in with the garden. '

Speaking of steps and terraces, occasionally one-: sees the terrace graded a different angle from the steps, This is wrong ; and .always, looks bad. The. angle o± the' steps, decides the, grading of the terrace or vice versa; they should both Jje the same. Make them go somewhere. Walks ■-.or paths' that lead to nowhere are ■wrong. >If it is desired to have a defined path, to &, /given -part.. Of the garden, . its terminus should, have an object of interest, a garden seat, sundial, arbor or some evident reason for th;? plifch. Flower beds aiong paths or walks should invariably be -about tie same widrh as-the walk, or at any rate such' widths as show a. nice balance of pro- | portion, | \ . Construction Materials, Lb'eaL qoniditions usually govern the selection"of■ material fox making walka. The turf, walk is always good where there is xiot enough traffic to wear, a path in the sod, but ..if the path "is much used in .winter, then stepping stonps are advisable. '. Gravel, cinders, slag and. such materials are good for "permanent paths that-,, are much used, while 3uch materials' -as. tan bark, or pine needles are excellent for strictly garden paths.