THE TEA HOUSE IN THE GARDEN
There is a delightful imaginary intimacy that seemingly exists between
we garden lovers who live in the twentieth century and those of early
days. So closely are we connected by a common band of sympathy that we
eagerly scan their books to glean here and there some important bit of
garden lore that can be introduced into our work of to-day. It is this
pleasant mingling of old and new-world gardens that gives to present-day
designs such a delightful atmosphere.
One of the old-time floriculturists, John Lyle, tells us in his
old-fashioned way, about the flowers that bloomed ages before our
grand-dames were born. "Gentlemen," he says, "what floure like you best
in all this border? Here be fine roses, sweete violets, fragrant
primroses, gille floures, carnations, sops of wine, sweete John, and
what may please you at sight." Surely we see in retrospect, the gardens
of that early day, and we come more and more to realize that all
through the ages, the hand of Man has fashioned nothing more beautiful
than a garden of flowers. The most famous poets have not found any more
ideal trysting spot in which to place their lovers.
Each individual part of the flower garden has its own distinctive charm.
It lies not solely with the flowers that bloom so profusely in the beds
nor with the marble fragments, for the romance of it all is centered in
the little summer house, as it was quaintly named by our ancestors in
the long ago. In these little tea houses, built in a retired part of the
garden, the mistress loved to spend a pleasant summer afternoon, seated
inside knitting flower thoughts into a shapely bag or reading some
delightful book, which dropped from her hand, as she sat dreamily
watching the unfolding of some favorite flower.
Let us enter one of these gardens, rich in its summer garb, walk slowly
down the path, stopping now and again to view some bud slowly unfold its
petals one by one, disclosing a new specimen to be added to the
ever-increasing number that are comprised in the floral scheme, and
waving a welcome as it is tossed to and fro by every passing breeze.
Over there against the white paling fence stands the stiff hollyhock
nodding his satiny head to greet the dainty heliotrope who glances
coquettishly up to meet his eye. Nearby is a dialetrea or bleeding
heart, the pet of the little ones, who pluck them to form tiny boats
with snow white sails to float down the lily pond. Bursting into bloom
behind the stiff box border is the old-time "piny," sending bits of
color into the sober green.
None of the old Colonial gardens were considered complete without an
ever varying assortment of bloom. There were the Sweet Williams,
Bouncing Bet, and perky little Johnny-jump-up, sending greetings to his
comrades nearby. Flowers are everywhere, they peer out at us from hidden
corners, swing their heads in very ecstasy of enjoyment of their being.
Simplicity was the key-note in the construction of those summer houses
that came into existence during the latter part of the seventeenth
century. They stand for the first type of garden furniture made in our
country, coming into vogue after the close of the grim struggle for
existence made by our Puritan forbears. Then when the tide turned, and
money flowed into the colonies, houseowners had more time to devote to
garden culture. Behind the large Colonial houses sprang into existence
gardens devoted to flowers, the owners doing the best they could with
the material at hand. These delightful little plots secluded from the
world outside by high paling fences were the homes of the old-fashioned
flowers, many of them descendants of the originals, brought over in the
ships that first touched our shores.
They were not like the twentieth-century ones constructed of marble or
concrete clothed with vines and standing in a wealth of up-to-date
blooms, showing slender marble columns and carved capitals supporting
the marble roof.
Rather are they covered with plain, every-day vines, such as the
Dutchman's Pipe with its heavy leaving, clambering roses and the Bitter
Sweet or Roxbury Waxwork, whose drooping bunches of yellow and red poke
their heads through the lattice work, making a bit of bright color all
through the winter months. This when the ground is covered with snow
livens up the surroundings. On either side are planted a wealth of
timely flowers, these include the Sweet William, the Hooded Larkspur,
and the many-colored Phlox.
Many of these little garden houses show such a variety of form that they
are interesting, fitting into their surroundings as if they had always
been there. Some are square, formed like a large box, depending for
their picturesqueness on their coverings of vines. Others are round, and
still again we find oblong summer houses, each one fitted up with seats
and sometimes a rustic table.
Occasionally, we come upon a more pretentious one that is two stories in
height. They were planned in the early nineteenth century, some of these
are still standing and among them we find that of Elias Haskett Derby,
designed by Samuel McIntyre, Salem's noted architect and wood-carver.
For years it stood on the grounds of the summer home of Mr. Derby and
to-day is so well preserved that it seems as if it had been recently
built. Exquisite carving is a feature of this particular tea house,
where rural images top the roof.
It is only in the gardens of the rich, that elaborate tea houses are
found, simple designs grace the little gardens and are in harmony with
their surroundings. The rustic summer house has its own mission to
fulfill. Its cost can be determined by conditions. Some are finished in
elaborately decorative designs while others show plain treatment.
The best kind of wood to be used for this purpose is the red cedar which
has wonderful lasting qualities. It is more expensive than the locust
but out-wears any wood on the market. Great care should be taken that
the supports be placed deep enough to avoid throwing by the heavy winter
frost. Holes should be dug at least four feet deep, and squares of stone
or cement pounded into the bottom to prevent its coming in contact with
the earth and rotting. This makes a solid foundation, and durable. Do
not have the roof made flat, so that water can stand upon it and rot it,
but raise it slightly and either shingle or thatch it.
This last is an old-time handicraft that has recently been revived.
Following the old English rule, reeds are more endurable, while straw is
admissible. An advantage of its use is that it grows handsomer with age.
In its second year it has collected moss, weeds and plants, and these,
matted down and weather-beaten, give it the hue of a gray lichen. If
properly treated it will last for years.
[Illustration: STEPPING-STONES IN A GRASS PATH]
One should, if possible, when planning the garden, include a summer
house. There is no more enjoyable feature that can be constructed on
the grounds. Its design, size, situation and type, must correspond with
the period of the garden. A formal lay-out should, in order to be
correct, receive entirely different treatment in its setting from the
Italian, while the rambling depends upon simpler characteristics to
produce correct results. Rustic tea houses fit into this project
appropriately. They would be entirely incongruous if placed in Italian
gardens elaborate in their plan and full of wonderful bits of marble
fragments transplanted from foreign lands.
Fortunately for us, there are so many different types of gardens that
one is not continually finding a repetition. Garden houses, covered with
bark, fit into simple plans, such as the rambling and the wild gardens,
their rustic effect being in harmony with the flowers and beds.
It is one thing to plan a summer house but quite another to pick out a
suitable situation. It should not be placed in the heart of the flowers
more especially where there are tall blossoms. Let the beds in the
foreground be low and show quiet colors, shading the height and
brightness as they go farther afield, the most conspicuous being used
for the extreme edge. Here, like a beautiful picture, they fit into the
landscape and produce correct effects.
Level stretches do not always bring about right results. If your ground
slopes to the garden edge why not design a rustic tea house to fit into
the hillside? Should you visit it of a clear afternoon, seat yourself on
the wooden settle and glance around you, you will be delighted with the
view obtained. Below is the garden rolled out like a carpet brightly
patterned at your feet, smooth stretches of lawn between rest the eyes
as they gaze off to the horizon when the blue of the sky seems to melt
into the masses of waving bloom.
Do not start this feature of the garden unless you have first planned
situation, size and cost, otherwise you will be disappointed, and may
feel it is more expensive than you wished. If you do not care to bed it
underneath, you will be sorry. Every house of this sort should have a
hard ashes or cement foundation in order to keep out the dampness. This
is a serious fault which if not carefully watched results in quick
rotting of the wood and constant expense. It is better to start right
and in the end it will cost less. Posts used for supports should be
made of cedar or locust, driven four feet into the ground and resting on
stone supports, used as preservatives. They can be elaborately designed
or simple in finish and if plenty of air and light are wished for,
trellis supports can be used, but if it demands shade, shingles or
canvas painted, are advisable, the former better for rounded effects and
the latter when a flat surface is used.
Marble is used prominently in Italian gardens, whose elaborate setting
demands striking effects. Give the tea house a cover of soft green
vines, dotted here and there with a bit of color and it will be a joy
forever, taking on a dignity that is in keeping with its surroundings.
Cement, no matter where it is used, is always effective. In coloring and
lines it seemingly fits into the elaborate landscape scheme and it
improves with age. There is an advantage in the use of cement, in that
it costs nothing for repairs, is fireproof, does not collect vermin, and
is never shabby. With its clinging vine cover, it is a desirable
material for use in the construction of tea houses when wood and marble
are not suitable.
There is a romantic charm in vine-clad tea houses. The clinging vine
lends a picturesqueness to the slender columns and the slanting roof
emphasizes the beauty of it all.
There are so many decorative vines that are suitable for its use that it
would be impossible to name them all.
For marble, delicate, tender climbers are the best. For concrete a
larger leaf can be used to give more stable effects, while for rustic
tea houses, the large, hardy vines and stronger climbers are more
suitable. Each one has its own use, and appears at its best in congenial
environment. The tiny canary-bird vine would make little show if allowed
to clamber over rustic supports, while the Boston or Japanese ivy are
especially adapted for this treatment. This is on account of the small,
flat leaf that clings to the side, helping out the design without a deep
massing of leaves.
[Illustration: LILY PONDS IN A FORMAL GARDEN]
Some summer houses depend upon hardy vines for their cover and others on
tender climbers whose delicate tendrils wind in and out clouding but not
hiding the exterior coloring. It is the wise man who is able to provide
a suitable over-spread for houses of this description. It must be
remembered that it is not the cover alone but the planting that
surrounds it that aids in the picturesque effect. There is as much
need of careful thought here as there would be in any part of the
scheme. For right coloring, height, and time of blossoming help or mar
the plan.
There is as much difference in the growth of vines as there is in
children. Some to be at their best require a very rich soil, while
others will do equally well if it is poorer. The important thing, if you
wish successful results, is to give them plenty of food, plenty of water
and look out for a proper insecticide, in order not to retard their
growth. A general rule that is permissible for almost any grounds is to
dig a ditch from three to four feet deep and put in the bottom a foot of
rotted manure. This can better be attended to in the fall, leaving time
for it to get well soaked into the ground and ripen before planting.
Fill in alternate layers of soil and manure until the trench is even
with the ground. In clay soil, it is better in order to lighten it to
mix in a little sand.
For a rustic summer house, where heavy planting is needed, a honeysuckle
is effective. The scarlet or Sempervirens is a very decorative variety
and this differs greatly from the Japanese one, bearing tubular scarlet
flowers that continue in blossom all summer. Of the many varieties this
is the freest and the best. Its leaves are a blueish green which make a
pleasing contrast with the coral color of the flower.
The Clematis is always effective and is the best vine of medium growth
in existence. Its small, white, star-shaped flowers, deliciously
fragrant, cover the vine completely in August. The Japanese Clematis or
Paniculata is most attractive. It prefers a sunny position, the foliage
is handsome and at the end of August it bursts into a wonderful mass of
fragrant, pure white, star-like flowers that last nearly a month.
For shady places, the Helix or English ivy is advisable. This
well-known, small-leafed ivy is perfectly hardy in this section and is
much used for covering the ground in shady places where grass refuses to
grow. Young growth sometimes gets winter killed, but this is due to
sunburn rather than frost.
For tea houses painted white and for concrete, wisteria takes a
prominent place. It grows equally well in city and country, being able
to withstand the smoke of cities. Of these the Multijuga loose cluster
is advisable. It is not so strong a grower as the Chinese varieties but
distinguished from them by long, loose clusters of purple flowers
sometimes obtaining a length of two feet.
The Crimson Glory Grape Vine, Coignetiae, is a strong grower, showing
large, heart-shaped leaves, ten inches long, deep rich green on top and
bright yellow beneath, which assume a brilliant scarlet in autumn. The
grapes are black and form a pleasing contrast to the bright colors of
the leaves.
The Canary Bird Vine is suitable for either this kind of a tea house or
a marble one. It is a beautiful, rapid, annual grower and when in
blossom, the charming little canary-colored blooms bear a fancied
resemblance to a bird with wings half expanded. Do not forget the
Cardinal Climber which is a cross between the Cyprus Vine and the Star
Glory. It attains a height of thirty feet or more with a beautiful form
like laciniated foliage and is literally covered with a blaze of
circular fiery cardinal red flowers from midsummer until frost. The
flowers are about one and one-half inch in diameter and are borne in
clusters from five to seven blossoms each. Wherever it has been grown it
has attracted favorable comments. It delights in a warm sunshiny
situation and good soil.
The Kudzu Vine or Peuraria Thunbergiana is very popular. It came from
Japan and is still rare. Its flowers are large clusters similar to a
white Hydrangea and when in flower during July and August make a
wonderful display. It is one of the best of the flowering vines to plant
against a wall as it clings naturally to any rough surface.
The plants selected for either side of the tea house need as much care
in choosing right colors as do the vines.
THE GARDEN STEPS
[Illustration: STONE STEPS ATTRACTIVELY PLANNED]