GARDEN SEATS
The ever-changing tide of fashion brings in its wake a constant
development of new and original ideas in the furnishing of our garden
plots. Flowers have been with us ever since the first settlement of our
country and so has a love for life in the open. This is an inheritance
that has deepened with the passing years. So rapidly has this developed
that to-day it demands our gardens as living rooms. It is this aspect of
garden life that develops new and unusual features in equipment.
While we may flatter ourselves that we as garden lovers have originated
this idea, yet it is of ancient origin. History relates that in the
gardens of the early Romans and Greeks, garden seats were found. With
the changing of styles in floral-culture the ornate came into existence,
much used during the Italian Renaissance. Reproductions of their ideas
are found in replica in many of the formal gardens of the twentieth
century.
Logs, carelessly thrown on the ground, may have been the first seats
used by our garden ancestors. Later on with the development of the
one-path posy bed, seats were hollowed out of old trees. They formed a
picturesque bit, clothed during the summer months in their garments of
green, for trailing vines were encouraged to run rampant over their
sides. These with the green arbor or pergola and the vine-clad summer
house were the three styles of seats favored by the Colonial dames.
Styles and usage of furniture in this special way are as clearly defined
as in interior decoration. The modern garden equipped with English,
American or Italian furniture, gives a pleasing variety. The principal
materials necessary for manufacture are stone, marble, terra cotta or
wood. Of these, the latter suggests less expense, while the former can
be purchased at any sum you wish.
Stone or marble are absolutely necessary in formal or Italian gardens,
as they provide a proper medium for expression that nothing else would
satisfy. Look at the gleam of the white marble shown up by its
background of green trees and see what a charm it has in the furnishing
of your garden plot. Take it all in all, it is the only right setting
for an elaborate garden, partly on account of its being a descendant of
the Italian Renaissance period which makes it desirable in designs that
follow out the character of that period. Rarely, if ever, do we find
this simple in form, but rather elaborately carved with representations
of animals or figures. As an ornamental feature, it cannot be excelled,
but as a garden seat it is not practical, being cold and hard to sit
upon. Properly speaking, it should be placed at the head of a walk or
topping the garden steps. This is on account of its decorative character
and the necessity of making it fit into the floral scheme. The price is
prohibitive except to the rich, although it varies with the elaboration
of the carving.
Terra cotta, while not as often used, has its advantages. It can be
moulded readily into any form desired. While it is not always suitable,
yet its warmth of color, which is either buff or red, makes it admirable
when one desires to bring out certain effects in the planting of beds.
It is, perhaps, the least used of any of the materials. A seat four feet
in length can be purchased for from forty dollars upwards.
Concrete seats are the kind that are most commonly used for formal and
informal gardens. We should remember, however, that we must not mix
formal and informal furniture promiscuously, otherwise the result will
be disastrous. One should bear in mind in treating this subject that
formal pieces resemble well-bred people. They fit suitably into any
place in their surroundings. It is far different, however, with informal
pieces which are entirely wrong and out of place in formal settings.
This fact applies to concrete which is suitable for almost any occasion
for it possesses almost endless possibilities as far as form is
concerned. Rightly mixed, it can be moulded into almost any shape that
you desire, which accounts for the fact that in its designs many of the
elaborate garden seats are copied. This makes it popular and constantly
in demand, on account of its less cost. To all intents and purposes, it
is quite as durable as stone or marble. It has still another advantage,
in that its neutral gray tint harmonizes picturesquely with almost any
setting of shrubbery or flowers.
The least expensive of any of the materials that is used for this
purpose is wood. It has this advantage, that it can be formed in such a
great variety of shapes that there is always found some piece that is
suitable for every taste and occasion. If you contrast it with marble or
stone, you will realize that it has the advantage of being lighter in
weight, and capable of being carried around from place to place with
little or no trouble. Take it all in all, the best place for it to be at
home in is the informal garden.
The kind of garden that most of us live in and enjoy intimately is the
plot where wooden settles and chairs are used. Care should be taken,
however, in the selection of material in order that it may have lasting
qualities. One reason for its use is that unlike marble and stone it is
not cold to sit upon, and is really comfortable. The best kind of wood,
if you can afford it, is teakwood, which lasts for centuries. It is the
most expensive, particularly the antique pieces. Those of to-day are
shoddily put together and cannot resist weathering as do the century-old
ones.
Many people prefer pine on account of less cost. This is all right,
provided great care is taken to keep it well covered with paint of the
glossy kind. The advantage of this over the other is that it can be
readily wiped clean before using. Anyone who is a garden lover will
appreciate this fact, for no matter how carefully placed, the seats will
accumulate a reasonable amount of leaves and dirt.
Plain settles and benches which belong to the informal type can be
placed anywhere, according to inclination. These need not, of necessity,
be made of plain wooden strips, but can be varied by making them rustic
in design. Use for this purpose limbs of the same size without removing
the bark. They require so little work in putting them together that a
village carpenter can accomplish this task, or if you are a genius you
can do it yourself. An objection which many people offer is that they
need repairing often, or replacing. Considering the cost, this is not a
serious objection.
For a simple Colonial cottage, such pieces as these would be appropriate
for use in your garden and you can add a tea table and a few chairs
suggestive of afternoon tea, the position being determined by views, for
the placing is of as much importance as the piece itself. If possible,
have low-growing trees droop over it to give the required shade.
[Illustration: A SIMPLE AND ATTRACTIVE GARDEN SEAT]
For the elegant mansion, the home of the wealthy, more elaborate pieces
are a necessity. One thing should not be forgotten in their choice and
that is they should be heavy enough to stay on the ground and resist the
strong northeast winds that during a heavy rain sweep over your
flower-plot.
Flagstone sometimes gives a variety as well as limestone, but there are
several other materials that give a pleasing color and texture, such as
the pink granite and the red, black and green slates. Of these, the red
is most effective when streaked with another color. Do not choose the
Quincy granite; the texture is cold in appearance and the weather never
softens the color.
A fault that must not be overlooked is to build your seats too high,
thirteen inches being the proper height. The back should always be taken
into consideration and made tall enough to support the head so that you
will be comfortable when you come to view your garden plot.
It is not always possible to have this piece of furniture placed under
the shade of a tree or shrubbery. This necessitates the planning of a
summer house, arbor or pergola. Over these, vines can be trained, so
that in reality it is much more picturesque than if you had used simply
the green shade.
Chairs can be used for this same purpose, in fact, they are very good as
they provide a variation of the general theme. They are particularly
advisable if it is a backyard garden where a settle might prove too
overpowering. Like the garden seat, they can be made of wood. Cedar and
locust are preferable if you wish pretty rustic effects. Cypress also is
lasting, and if you prefer to give it a coat of paint, it will do
service for many years.
For rustic chairs or seats, there is another idea for shelter that is
practical. It is to roof it over and shingle the board. It has
advantages over anything else in that it affords protection from the
summer sun and acts as a windbreak on cold days, besides doing away with
the dropping of insects from the leafy tangle of an arbor. No matter how
charming a garden may be in its floral arrangement, it requires
additions and accessories to display to the best advantage its worth.
Just as a house is cozy or barren according to the style of furniture
employed, so a garden is beautiful in proportion to the type of
ornaments used.
Probably the coming into style of the formal Italian type of garden has
done much to develop this feature. Until late years, scant heed was
paid to fitness, and in consequence much of the old-time charm found in
the Colonial garden was lost.
When planning for your garden seat or chair, take into consideration the
planting. In your choice of colors you should vary the scheme to fit in
with the particular seat. A white requires different surroundings from a
gray or a rustic type. Wrong coloring brings about inharmonious effects
and they should be carefully considered in the making a perfect whole.
Another thing should be thought out and that is as to whether there is a
shade provided by the over-hanging limbs of a tree or by the trailing of
vines.
Vines are always interesting. You can use them in a mass, showing one
general effect, or you can combine them. Nothing is so pretty in the
early spring as the Wisterias, on account of their being not only hardy,
but tall growers. Many people claim the best varieties are those grafted
on to specially selected stock, thus making them sure bloomers. The soil
should also be taken into consideration, for while they thrive in light,
sandy conditions, yet deep, rich earth promotes stronger growth. The
Magnifica is, perhaps, as vigorous as any. It is such a rapid grower
that it shoots up from thirty to forty feet in a season. It blossoms
rather later than some varieties which show soft, lavender blue blooms.
Why not mix this with the Chinese white, whose pure white flowers show
long, drooping clusters.
If you are looking for foliage in the early fall, the Vitis Henryana can
be used. Its leaves are decorative in effect, being a velvety green with
veins of silvery white. It is of Chinese origin and in the fall the
foliage turns to a beautiful red. For July and August blossoming, there
is the Bignonia Grandiflora or Mammoth-flowered Trumpet creeper. This is
a splendid climbing vine, perfectly hardy, giving a growth of from eight
to ten feet in a season. Its flowers, which are shown during July and
August, are orange red and trumpet-shaped, following as they do after
the Wisteria has faded, they bring about an entirely different color
scheme. This makes it practical for one to plant a succession of bloom,
making each set of flowers correspond with the coloring of the vines.
A very pleasing contrast can be brought out by combining the
magnolia-scented White Moon Flower, with a beautiful Blue Dawn. The
former is a summer climber, growing from fifteen to twenty feet in
height. It makes a beautiful shade for trellises and bears in the season
a profusion of large trumpet-shape snow-white flowers that are richly
scented and very beautiful. There is also a heavenly blue that combines
artistically with the white. One feature of this vine is its thick,
overlapping, glossy foliage, and its nightly scores of immense silky
blooms which are of rare fragrance. By actual count a strong vine will
bear from one to three thousand blossoms in a season. There has within
the last few years been discovered a new variety that opens early in the
morning and remains so nearly all day.
The beautiful blue of the Paradise Flower is used when one wishes for
this color in decorations. The clusters are large, showing from twenty
to thirty at a time and it blossoms continually from the time it becomes
established until frost.
For a rustic seat, why not try the wild grape or Crimson Glory vine? It
is so strong and hardy, notable for its heavy foliage which makes a
splendid shade and in the fall is a mass of rich crimson. We have grown
to think of morning glories as a pretty, small flower that grew in our
grandmother's garden. Many of us have not realized that they have been
developed until now they show gigantic bloom as large as the moon
flowers. They have wonderful coloring, marking and variations of
indescribable beauty. As a flowering vine they cannot be surpassed, the
flowers being borne by the hundreds and of enormous size, measuring
often five and six inches across. Many show a rich combination of
shading blended together in an enchanting way, being spotted, penciled,
mottled, and variegated in every conceivable manner.
[Illustration: STATELY LILIES ADD CHARM AND DIGNITY TO A GRAVELLED WALK]
If your garden seat is low, let your planting follow the same line, but
if it is high and conspicuous, it can be accentuated by tall plants.
Hollyhocks, with their stately stalks, are charming for this particular
use. There is the hardy perennial with the foliage dwarf and compact.
This is found in the Heuchera, which is easily grown from seed and
reaches a height of eighteen inches. Of this variety, the Sanguinea is
admirable, being the finest of all the red varieties, the flowers taking
on the shade of coral red. If you wish, instead of a solid color, to
make a combination, why not use the Sanguinea, Sutton's Hybrid, which is
found in pretty shades of pink, as well as creamy white, rose and
crimson. These blossom in July and August, their stately, well-filled
cups, giving a distinction to the seat that could not well be missed.
Fleur-de-lis, sometimes spoken of as the Fairy Queen's home, is always
satisfactory and never fails to bloom. No flower can surpass this in
delicacy of texture and coloring, and it rivals even the orchids of the
tropics in its beauty. They thrive in almost every soil, being one of
the easiest plants to cultivate, although a fairly rich earth will
materially increase the number and size of the bloom. In planting them,
nearly cover the rhizomes. The earliest flowering ones are the Germans,
which come into bloom the latter part of May or early in June. These are
followed by the Japan variety which follow closely on the former and
stay in blossom for a month. Of the German, the Lohengrin is the most
vigorous, deep violet mauve in coloring, and the flowers are nearly five
inches deep, showing petals two inches across. In direct contrast is the
Princess Victoria Louise, light sulphur yellow or rich violet red, edged
with crimson, both of which varieties are very handsome.
The double Iris is particularly beautiful for some situations. There is
the Antelope with white ground flaked with purple; the Diana, reddish
purple flaked with white; the Mount Fell, grayish white, veined with
blue and showing yellow center; and the Victor, white veined, violet
blue with purple center. Each one of these is well worthy of
cultivation.
Nothing is so beautiful as roses, be they climbing or dwarf. For the
former, why not use the Climbing Jules Graveraux, which is one of the
most valuable, ever-blooming climbers ever introduced. The value of this
is that the blooms are immense in size, being as large or larger than
any other rose. It even exceeds the J. B. Clark. These roses are
perfectly double, white, tinged with blush pink, with a yellow base. In
freedom of bloom, it is superior to either Mrs. Peary or Climbing
Meteor. Then there is the Empress of China or Appleblossom rose, a
strong rampant grower, and a very free bloomer. The buds are pointed,
being soft red, turning to lighter. It blooms from May to December in
the open ground.
Tea Roses, distinguished by the delicate tea fragrance, are absolutely
ever-blooming. They are carried through the winter even in the northern
states with careful protection. The most satisfactory method is the
banking up with soil. Of these, the yellow Souvenir de Pierre Notting
is the most beautiful. It has been introduced by one of the foremost
firms of France and is not exceeded by any rose sent out from that
country. The blossoms are large, well filled, and open easily. The buds
are beautiful and elongated. When fully bloomed, they show an apricot
yellow, tinged with golden and mixed with orange yellow. One charm of
these flowers is that the edge of the petal shades to a beautiful
carmine rose. The open flower is full and double, it being an extremely
free blossomer.
One of the latest introductions is the Lady Hillingdon, the color being
beyond description. Apricot yellow, shaded to orange on the outer edge
of the petal, and becoming deeper and more intense as it reaches the
center of the bloom. The buds are produced on long, strong, wiry stems,
which are placed well above the foliage, thus giving it a slender and
graceful effect. It is valuable in both the amateur and professional
growers' gardens. It would be impossible to enumerate the different
kinds that are used for this purpose.
GARDEN POOLS
[Illustration: A POND-LILY POOL OF A VERY ATTRACTIVE SHAPE]