Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 edition. Excerpt: ... THE ART OF GROUPING LANDSCAPE gardeners, especially those of the naturalistic persuasion, have always had a suspicion that the art of grouping their plants was a very important matter. At one time and another a good deal of discussion has been given to the subject, a large part of it fruitless. Indeed the net result, after years of landscape gardening, seems very slight. The best men still appear to have vague and hazy ideas on the subject. Old practitioners have indeed fallen into working formulas of their own, but they themselves usually feel that these formulas are inadequate, while every one else can see that these set methods of grouping are more detrimental than useful. It is perhaps too much to expect that, under these circumstances, the whole art of plant grouping can now be set forth simply and effectively in a book. Yet a careful discussion of the main points must prove helpful, and the endeavor to reach a statement of principles will at least be suggestive. It seems possible to distinguish seven different types of plant groups classified as to form. These are (1) the single specimen, (2) the group of two, (3) the group of three, (4) the larger group of five or more, (5) the row, (6) the mass, (7) the social group. The single specimen is, strictly speaking, not a group, of course, but it demands treatment in this same connection. Early landscape gardening dealt largely in specimens. Writers often emphasized the importance of giving each individual room for complete development. Many of the old time gardens were nothing more than collections of individual specimens. This tendency toward specimen planting has not wholly disappeared. In botanic gardens it is appropriate and necessary. But in pure landscape gardening, where the...