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Garden paths may be of gravel, of dirt, or of grass. One sees grass paths in some very
lovely gardens. I doubt, however, if they would serve as well in your small gardens. Your garden areas are so
limited that they should be re-spaded each season, and the grass paths are a great bother in this work. Of course,
a gravel path makes a fine appearance, but again you may not have gravel at your command. It is possible for any of
you to dig out the path for two feet. Then put in six inches of stone or clinker. Over this, pack in the dirt,
rounding it slightly toward the centre of the path. There should never be depressions through the central part of
paths, since these form convenient places for water to stand. The under layer of stone makes a natural drainage
system.
A building often needs the help of vines or flowers or both to tie it to the grounds in such a way as to form a
harmonious whole. Vines lend themselves well to this work. It is better to plant a perennial vine, and so let it
form a permanent part of your landscape scheme. The Virginia creeper, wistaria, honeysuckle, a climbing rose, the
clematis and trumpet vine are all most satisfactory.
close your eyes and picture a house of natural colour, that mellow gray of the weathered shingles. Now add to
this old house a purple wistaria. Can you see the beauty of it? I shall not forget soon a rather ugly corner of my
childhood home, where the dining room and kitchen met. Just there climbing over, and falling over a trellis was a
trumpet vine. It made beautiful an awkward angle, an ugly bit of carpenter work.
Of course, the morning-glory is an annual vine, as is the moon-vine and wild cucumber. Now, these have their
special function. For often, it is necessary to cover an ugly thing for just a time, until the better things
and better times come. The annual is 'the chap' for this work.
Along an old fence a hop vine is a thing of beauty. One might try to rival the woods' landscape work. For often
one sees festooned from one rotted tree to another the ampelopsis vine.
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