Garden Ornaments Part 8

For a pedestal, a rather good idea is to use second-hand bricks. These can be cemented together with mortar, the red giving a touch of color to the drapery of the sundial that is picturesque. Sometimes a boulder is used for this purpose or a slab of stone.

If you purchase a sundial, you should bear in mind that if it is a genuine antique, it may not be suitable for our lat.i.tude. In cases like that it is best to have it looked after by an expert and so placed that it will be a correct timekeeper.

We tire of the same idea continuously reproduced so why not work out a design of your own? This is hard to do, however, unless cement is used, when some floral design or ornamentation that is appropriate for the garden can be introduced. For the dial the gnomon is made much more interesting if it shows a unique formation rather than a straight shaft, as in the sundial at Didsbury, England, where a harp is introduced, and in another case where a dragon holds the uplifted shaft.

The situation of this feature has much to do with its practicability. As it is a sun-loving formation, its proper place is necessarily in the open, but whether surrounded by lawn or flowers, is something that everyone must decide for themselves. One reason against the flower setting is that it serves to hide the dial's meaning until you approach it closely. The eye is attracted to the bright blooming flowers rather than to the dial itself. This is not so if it has only a sward setting.

It then becomes a prominent piece of garden furniture, its pure white surface standing out vividly from its surrounding of soft green gra.s.s.

Occasionally, all attempt at floriculture or gardening is abandoned.

This is when it stands in the heart of a garden at the intersection of two paths. Then care should be taken that in immediate proximity there should be pure white pebbles picked up on the beach. This may re-act on the shaft, giving it an air of sameness, and in that case different colored stones can be introduced. One can even go so far as to work out mottos in this way, forming the letters out of highly colored pebbles.

To give it a rural appearance, some people set it in the heart of a bed of ferns. These can be chosen from a single variety such as the Boston fern, which is one of the most popular on account of its graceful fronds and the durability which causes it to keep green for a long time.

Should, however, a lower growth be necessary, there is the Dreyii, which is a dwarf variety of the same species. A much better effect, however, is obtained by planting the dwarf fern as a border to the circle and placing inside the Elegantissima, which belongs to the crested variety and is especially adapted for ma.s.sing. For a delicate, dainty setting, there is nothing more beautiful than the Adiantum Ruhm von Mordrecht, which is the most beautiful of all the maiden hair ferns and easily cultivated. It is so graceful that it seems to add an almost poetic touch to the foundation on which the sundial stands.

Have you ever considered placing your sundial in the heart of a rose garden? Unconsciously, the sweet perfume of the rose does much to increase the sentiment of this particular feature of garden culture. It depends in part on the pedestal as to whether low roses or delicate climbing ones should be used. If it is a plain, simple shaft, it can be delicately draped to within a few inches of the dial, but great care should be taken to obtain delicate coloring that will bring out the whiteness of the marble.

One should be very careful not to have the roses grow so high that only the dial is visible. This would spoil the idea which it represents--a sundial in a garden. One of the most artistic ways is to plant low, dwarf roses, near the pedestal just far enough away so there will be several inches of s.p.a.ce between. The roses themselves should be planted in heavy clay loam, although light and sandy soil can be used for this purpose. Many people make a mistake in having their rose beds too rich.

The fertilizer can be replaced, if exhausted, by fine-ground bone, which can be used only once a year.

The dwarf Polyanthas are a charming cla.s.s of ever-blooming roses with bushy habits. The flowers are double, delightfully fragrant and borne in large cl.u.s.ters, being covered with a large ma.s.s of bloom. For a combination planting, the Baby Dorothy is very effective; it is carnation pink, with the habit and growth similar to that of the Baby Rambler. The latter is very effective, rosy crimson in coloring, very free flowering, and useful in ma.s.sing effects. Add to that Catherine Zeimet, which is a great acquisition, to the Baby Ramblers, and produces an abundance of double white flowers.

Directly around the base of the pedestal, you can plant your climbing roses, taking great care to nip them back so that they will only show a tracery of leaves and flowers and allow the white of the sundial to peer through. For these, use the Lady Gay whose delicate cerise pink blossoms fade to soft white, making a most pleasing combination of white flowers, crimson buds and green foliage. In connection with that, why not plant the Source d'Or, which is deep yellow, gradually paling. This bears large cl.u.s.ters of double flowers, and shows fine foliage. For red, the Wall Flower is the best, as it shows a distinct coloring and has vigorous habits. Mix with that the Shower of Gold, a fine coppery gold color with glossy foliage.

For the outer edge of the rose bed, do not forget those used in our grandmother's time. They have lasted long and on account of their sterling qualities are still popular. They have a range of coloring and are so absolutely hardy, easy to grow and fragrant that they are advisable for this use. The Clothilde Soupert is a good color to choose.

It is a strong, vigorous grower, putting forth large, double flowers like a ball of snow. The color blends from soft sh.e.l.l pink to pure satiny white. Mix with these the Souvenir de Malmaison, which blooms well in hot weather, its rich colored flowers being of large size, doubled to the center and produced in abundance.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AN OLD WELL USED EFFECTIVELY AS A DECORATIVE FEATURE]

For a Hybrid, there is nothing more effective than the Killarney, whose color is a sparkling brilliant pink, the buds long and pointed, the petals very large and of great substance, being just as handsome in the bud form as in the full-blown flower. For a soft, pearly white, the Kaiserin Augusta Victoria is advisable, tinting to a soft lemon, its fragrance added to its beautifully formed flowers, make it a joy in your garden.

A rustic sundial requires far different treatment, and only vines that bring forth white blossoms or pale colors should be used. If Clematis is chosen, the d.u.c.h.ess of Edinburgh is suitable as it shows double white flowers that are very fragrant. Mixed with this can be the Jackmania Alba, which is white, shaded with blue. The Fair Rosamond, if one wishes a combination, fits in with the color scheme, being tinted white with red stripes. The advantage of these flowers is that the blossoms open in ma.s.ses that bring out the dark of the wood and lend themselves to picturesque effects.

Around the foot of the sundial, why not plant Poppies, making a circle about five inches in width. The Perennial Poppies are among the most brilliant in coloring, the graceful bright-colored, cup-shaped flowers being borne on long stems. Mix with them the Oriental Poppies, which are the most showy plants possible for decorative effects. To fill in the s.p.a.ces put in a package of Shirley, the combination of the three varieties giving a most fascinating touch of color. For the Shirley, why not use the finest mixed, as it will bring out white, delicate pink, deep crimson, and handsomely striped varieties. The Perennial is advantageous because it comes up every year while the Oriental are magnificent in coloring, more especially the Grand Mogul with bright crimson flower of immense size, the Princess Ena, bearing large, bright, orange-scarlet and the Marie Studholme, which is a delicate shade of salmon with a silver sheen. Nothing can give better effects for this style of sundial than the clematis with a poppy in the foreground.

Color makes a great difference in proper planting, the white marble or concrete and possibly wood painted white, demands a strong color to bring out effectively the white of the surface. The gray stone is not picturesque unless blues, yellows, or reds are used. These three colors can be blended so that they form a scheme that is most attractive. When it comes to brick you will have to depend upon white, or light blue for coloring. More care should be taken with the planting around this kind of a pedestal than any other. The red of the brick demands more covering than any other type. The Hop vine fits into the scheme, but requires a great deal of tr.i.m.m.i.n.g lest it overshadows the brick, making a ma.s.s of green without any hint of the brick below. The leaves are fine, three-lobed, and rough on both sides while the loose paper-like straw-yellow Hop in the fall hang gracefully from the brick, making a fluffy but attractive covering.

Fragrance is necessary in the planting of a sundial, then why not use the Honeysuckle? The Brachypoda is particularly effective for this purpose. It shows white flowers in pairs, and sends forth a delicious perfume that attracts one even before the sundial is viewed. The Hall Evergreen Honeysuckle is also good for this purpose, being a strong grower and constant bloomer. The flowers open white, change to buff, and are very delicate in appearance.

This sundial should be set in a circle of green. At the edge of the border plant Iris. This makes a more effective setting than if a whole bed of this should be used. The well-known, beautiful Iris of j.a.pan displays a great variety of colors, the chief of which is white, maroon, dark blue and violet. Most of them are veined, mottled or flaked with different colors. There are both single and double varieties. The beauty of this plant is that it succeeds in any good soil, that is if well drained and given plenty of water when dry. They can be planted either in the late summer or spring, as desirable, and should be shown in ma.s.ses, growing from two to three feet in height and lasting in blossom for a month. For double use the Antelope, which shows a white ground flaked with purple. Mix with it the Beauty which is a pure white. Add to it the Mount Hood, light blue, shaded darker in the center. These can be intermixed with the Crested Iris, a dwarf, showing handsome, light-colored flowers, and the Snow Queen, whose large snow-white blossoms are free flowering.

The planting around the sundial rests with the whim of the owner, though, if out-of-the-way ideas can be evolved, it will add much to the attractiveness of this feature of the garden.

THE FOUNTAIN

[Ill.u.s.tration: NARCISSUS STANDS IN THE HEART OF THE FOUNTAIN]

CHAPTER X

THE FOUNTAIN

Have you ever seated yourself in your garden, more especially on a warm summer day, and dreamily listened to the musical tinkle of the water that flowed from the mouth of the fountain, dripping down from the over-flowing basin into the pool below? It is then you realize what an attractive ornament it is for your garden for it appeals not only to the eye but to the ear. Lowell picturesquely describes his idea of this bit of garden furnishing when he speaks of it as "leaping and flashing," in the sunlight.

While the pergola, the garden seat and the sundial each have their own appropriate use, they serve one purpose only. Not so the fountain, which never fails to convey a delightful impression of coolness, as it gurgles and murmurs, on its way. Surely there is nothing that gives to the garden a more picturesque charm than this, standing like a spot of color in a vivid setting of bright flowering plants. In the pool below one finds constantly changing pictures of the blue sky, snowy clouds or summer blossoms, each one worthy of its floral frame.

As the garden fountain is merely an accessory and the beauty of the constantly dripping water and the rising of the spray are what const.i.tutes its real charm, the conventional design can be simple or elaborate but it should follow the garden scheme. It depends upon its environment as to whether we make it the central feature in the design or a setting in the wall. Lovely effects can easily be produced if one is careful in trying to work out a right treatment, for the placing is fully as much of importance as the planting. Balance should be the main object.

To the amateur who has had no special training in floriculture, the introduction of even a simple water spout is of interest. He watches its workings with a newly awakened enthusiasm, directing its course so that it falls artistically over the different levels of the rock garden into the home-made concrete pool below. The introduction of this water feature gives a distinctive touch to even the simplest little flower plot. For a larger garden, what is more alluring than a fountain sending forth a high, vapory stream, bursting into a cloud of filmy spray? This is especially true when it is viewed through a vista or at the ending of a vine-shaded pergola. Around it should be planted a carefully selected combination of flowers or shrubs, great care being taken that they blend harmoniously.

The size of the fountain and the breadth of the pool lend themselves more or less effectively to producing alternating sunshine and shade on the surface of the water. The basin is, in a way, of as much importance as the fountain design. It is generally round, although occasionally an oblong design fits better into the landscape effect. It should be from two to three feet deep and so constructed that the sides slope outward much like the ordinary wooden water bucket. There is a practical reason for this, as it prevents cracking during the winter months. The cost naturally varies, the size materially affecting the price.

The background demands more than pa.s.sing notice. Nearness of trees is a decided drawback, as the falling leaves, especially in the autumn, mar the surface and clog the outlet and make it necessary to clean the basin frequently.

The best time to plan for any garden ornament is just before the early fall. The flowers are in their prime and one can better determine placing than in the early spring when the garden lies bleak and desolate.

Many garden lovers with a desire for originality feel confident that they can rely upon their imagination to work out color schemes even during the winter months. Fortunate is he who accomplishes this satisfactorily. There is great danger, however, that his castles in the air may fall to the ground through taking too much for granted. The grounds do not always meet requirements, and the result is not only wrong placing but an ornament that is either too large or too small for its allotted s.p.a.ce.

We are far too impatient to obtain results and it is this undue haste that often ruins the composition of gardens. There is a great satisfaction in adding to and improving our grounds, much more so than if the whole work were developed at once. Almost every garden into which careful thought has been placed grows with its years. Few, if any garden lovers, but have felt a keen sense of disappointment at the finished results of their garden schemes. What was satisfying the first year, has later brought about unhappy combinations. It is this fact that should be impressed on everyone's mind, if they wish a perfect lay-out.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A ROMAN FOUNTAIN PLACED AGAINST A VERY APPROPRIATE BACKGROUND]

Probably everybody who has become interested in floriculture finds the same difficulty in obtaining exactly what they wish. It is often hard to match ideas with reality. This is another reason for curbing one's impatience. The right things are sure to be found, that is if one is willing to take time.

It is when comparing the gardens of the old world with those of to-day that we are impressed with the atmosphere of the twentieth-century garden, where nature is encouraged to be genuine rather than artificial.

This is the height of success, the bringing into harmony of paths, ornaments, and flowers, omitting gaudy effects or over-crowding with marble fragments. Simplicity should be the key-note in arranging this part of our ground, a simplicity that has been worked out by careful thought for it means hard study to obtain natural effects.

There are many materials from which our fountain can be manufactured.

The most expensive of these are marble, terra cotta and manufactured stone, the former leading the list, while the latter is better suited to the moderate purse. This last is, in reality, a composition of marble dust with cement, and the result is most satisfactory, the finished product showing a smooth surface resembling as nearly as possible that of unpolished marble. In rare cases, however, chemicals have been used to produce an antique look. Many people are under the impression that manufactured stone is always white. As a matter of fact, in the finished product, there are as many as half a dozen neutral tints shown. These all incline to a soft, delicate gray, sometimes with a blueish cast.

Terra cotta comes next in cost. A detriment to its use is that, particularly when it is shown in deep bronze coloring, it does not lend itself artistically to landscape effect, through lack of contrast with its surroundings. We find this material with both glazed and unglazed surfaces, the former being more expensive but not as practical as the latter. The most strongly recommended coloring is limestone gray, whose soft, delicate finish brings out the tone of the vines, and emphasizes the color of the surrounding flowers. Next comes the Pompeian red, only to be used under certain conditions on account of its color. Colonial yellow has also been introduced. The two last colors are rarely, if ever, used for fountain designs, the gray being considered much more advisable.

There are many reasons why cement is considered practical; its cost, its wearing qualities, and its appropriate coloring. All these qualities lend themselves to constructive purposes, and making it decoratively most desirable.

The architect who suits the design of the garden to the type of the house will take advantage of this particular material. He has his ideas concerning the effect that he wishes to bring out, to emphasize the design of the house. He realizes that there is something more than interest in botany to be shown if he wishes to make this part of his plan a success. We have grown to a realizing sense that for the best results it is better to employ a skilled man. No clever result can be brought out through an inexperienced person planning the grounds, that is, unless they have natural ability such as few people possess. We have only to go back to our Colonial ancestors and study effects. It is then we realize the difference between home planting and architectural planting.

Cost is not the only thing to be taken into consideration when creating garden effects. Character should be considered as well. In order to obtain this satisfactorily, the accessories should be planned by a connoisseur, such as an architect becomes after many years' study of the subject. The fountain is the most important detail and requires more careful thought than any other part of the garden setting. It makes no difference what its construction is, so that it fits in with the scheme.

Great care should be taken not to introduce different periods or materials when placing garden ornaments on our grounds. Take, as an instance, a home-made fountain and place it in close proximity with an imported one and note the result. You will see the lack of harmony. The Italian fountain belongs distinctively to the formal or Italian lay-out, and should never be used, with the exception of making a central feature on a lawn, in any other way. If you place the Greek fountain on a hillside where landscape effects have been worked out through the use of cascades that dash over terraces and under rustic bridges, you will see it is entirely out of place and in the wrong surroundings.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AN ARTISTIC FOUNTAIN PARTICULARLY WELL PLACED]