Beautiful Gardens in America

Part 1

Produced by Annie McGuire. This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Internet Archive.

BEAUTIFUL GARDENS IN AMERICA

BOOKS BY LOUISE SHELTON PUBLISHED BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

* * * * *

BEAUTIFUL GARDENS IN AMERICA. Illustrated. 4to net $5.00 CONTINUOUS BLOOM IN AMERICA. Illustrated. 4to net $2.00 THE SEASONS IN A FLOWER GARDEN. Illustrated. 12mo net $1.00

BEAUTIFUL GARDENS IN AMERICA

BY LOUISE SHELTON

SECOND EDITION

NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1916

COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

DEDICATED TO THE PRAISE OF THOSE AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN, OF WHATSOEVER PERIOD, WHO HAVE PLANTED SO BEAUTIFULLY THAT THEIR GARDENS ARE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS IN ALL GENERATIONS

IN GREEN OLD GARDENS

Here may I live what life I please, Married and buried out of sight, Married to pleasure, and buried to pain, Hidden away amongst scenes like these Under the fans of the chestnut trees: Living my child-life over again, With the further hope of a fuller delight, Blithe as the birds and wise as the bees. In green old gardens hidden away From sight of revel, and sound of strife, Here have I leisure to breathe and move, And do my work in a nobler way; To sing my songs, and to say my say; To dream my dreams, and to love my love, To hold my faith and to live my life, Making the most of its shadowy day.

--VIOLET FANE.

CONTENTS

PAGE FOREWORD xv CHAPTER I. THE GARDEN AND ITS MEANING 1 II. CLIMATE IN AMERICA 8 III. NEW ENGLAND 13 MAINE 14 NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT 27 MASSACHUSETTS 37 RHODE ISLAND 79 CONNECTICUT 89 IV. NEW YORK 99 LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK 127 V. NEW JERSEY 155 VI. PENNSYLVANIA 187 VII. MARYLAND 205 VIII. VIRGINIA 219 IX. SOUTH CAROLINA 235 X. GEORGIA AND FLORIDA 247 XI. TENNESSEE AND MISSOURI 255 XII. ILLINOIS AND INDIANA 265 XIII. OHIO 277 XIV. MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN 287 XV. NEW MEXICO 299 XVI. CALIFORNIA 303 XVII. OREGON AND WASHINGTON 323 XVIII. ALASKA 337 XIX. VANCOUVER ISLAND 340 A FEW GARDEN GATES 347

ILLUSTRATIONS

COLOR-PLATES

PLATE

I "MARIEMONT," NEWPORT, R. I. Frontispiece

II } III } "FAIRLAWN," LENOX, MASS. Facing page 42

IV THE AUTHOR'S CHILDHOOD GARDEN 106

V SOUTHAMPTON, L. I. 130

VI "GLEN ALPINE," MORRISTOWN, N. J. 160

VII } VIII } ROLAND PARK, BALTIMORE, MD. 210

Plates I, V, VII, and VIII were reproduced from photographs colored by Mrs. Herbert A. Raynes, the basis of which were autochrome photographs.

HALF-TONE PLATES

PLATE

Part 2

1 "KENARDEN LODGE," BAR HARBOR, MAINE

2 "BLAIR EYRIE," BAR HARBOR, MAINE

3 } 4 } "HAMILTON HOUSE," SOUTH BERWICK, MAINE 5 }

6 } 7 } 8 } CORNISH, N. H. 9 } 10 }

11 OLD BENNINGTON, VT.

12 } 13 } "WELD," BROOKLINE, MASS. 14 }

15 WELLESLEY, MASS.

16 "HOLM LEA," BROOKLINE, MASS.

17 } 18 } "FAIRLAWN," LENOX, MASS. 19 }

20 } 21 } "BELLEFONTAINE," LENOX, MASS. 22 }

23 "OVERLOCH," WENHAM, MASS.

24 "FERNBROOKE," LENOX, MASS.

25 "CHESTERWOOD," GLENDALE, MASS.

26 } 27 } "RIVERSIDE FARM," TYRINGHAM, MASS. 28 }

29 "NAUM KEAG," STOCKBRIDGE, MASS.

30 "BROOKSIDE," GREAT BARRINGTON, MASS.

31 "ROCK MAPLE FARM," HAMILTON, MASS.

32 BROOKLINE, MASS.

33 LONGFELLOW'S GARDEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

34 OLD WITCH HOUSE, SALEM, MASS.

35 "MARIEMONT," NEWPORT, R. I.

36 "THE ELMS," NEWPORT, R. I.

37 "VERNON COURT," NEWPORT, R. I.

38 "VILLASERRA," WARREN, R. I.

39 "WOODSIDE," HARTFORD, CONN.

40 "ELMWOOD," POMFRET, CONN.

41 POMFRET CENTRE, CONN.

42 "BRANFORD HOUSE," GROTON, CONN.

Part 3

43 POMFRET CENTRE, CONN.

44 } AUBURN, N. Y. 45 }

46 SECTION OF A WILD GARDEN AT TUXEDO PARK, N. Y.

47 "WOODLAND," TUXEDO, N. Y.

48 "CRAGSWERTHE," TUXEDO, N. Y.

49 "BLITHEWOOD," BARRYTOWN-ON-HUDSON, N. Y.

50 } 51 } "WODENETHE," BEACON-ON-HUDSON, N. Y.

52 } 53 } THE AUTHOR'S CHILDHOOD GARDEN, NEWBURGH-ON-HUDSON, N. Y.

54 "ECHO LAWN," NEWBURGH-ON-HUDSON, N. Y.

55 } 56 } "MEADOWBURN," WARWICK, N. Y.

57 "RIDGELAND FARM," BEDFORD, N. Y.

58 SOUTHAMPTON, L. I.

59 } 60 } 61 } "THE ORCHARD," SOUTHAMPTON, L. I. 62 }

63 } 64 } "THE APPLETREES," SOUTHAMPTON, L. I.

65 SOUTHAMPTON, L. I.

66 } 67 } 68 } EAST HAMPTON, L. I. 69 }

70 "MANOR HOUSE," GLEN COVE, L. I.

71 CEDARHURST, L. I.

72 WESTBURY, L. I.

73 "MANOR HOUSE," GLEN COVE, L. I.

74 "SYLVESTER MANOR," SHELTER ISLAND

75 "CHERRYCROFT," MORRISTOWN, N. J.

76 "RIDGEWOOD HILL," MORRISTOWN, N. J.

77 MORRISTOWN, N. J.

78 } 79 } "BLAIRSDEN," PEAPACK, N. J. 80 }

81 "BROOKLAWN," SHORT HILLS, N. J.

82 } 83 } "DRUMTHWACKET," PRINCETON, N. J. 84 }

85 "ONUNDA," MADISON, N. J.

Part 4

86 "GLEN ALPINE," MORRISTOWN, N. J.

87 "THORNTON," RUMSON, N. J.

88 HIGHLAND, N. J.

89 "ALLGATES," HAVERFORD, PA.

90 } ANDALUSIA, PA. 91 }

92 "EDGECOMBE," CHESTNUT HILL, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

93 "KRISHEIM," CHESTNUT HILL, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

94 } 95 } "WILLOW BANK," BRYN MAWR, PA.

96 "FANCY FIELD," CHESTNUT HILL, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

97 "TIMBERLINE," BRYN MAWR, PA.

98 "BALLYGARTH," CHESTNUT HILL, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

99 "HAMPTON," TOWSON, MD.

100 "EVERGREEN-ON-AVENUE," BALTIMORE, MD.

101 "CYLBURN HOUSE," CYLBURN, BALTIMORE CO., MD.

102 "INGLESIDE," CATONSVILLE, MD.

103 "THE BLIND," HAVRE DE GRACE, MD.

104 } 105 } MONTPELIER, VA. 106 } 107 }

108 } "ROSE HILL," GREENWOOD, VA. 109 }

110 "MEADOWBROOK MANOR," DREWRY'S BLUFF, VA.

111 RICHMOND, VA.

112 } "MAGNOLIA GARDEN," CHARLESTON, S. C. 113 }

114 } 115 } "PRESTON GARDEN," COLUMBIA, S. C. 116 }

117 } 118 } "GREEN COURT," AUGUSTA, GA. 119 }

120 TROPICAL GROWTH, PALM BEACH, FLA.

121 "ROSTREVOR," KNOXVILLE, TENN.

122 LONGVIEW, TENN.

123 "HAZELWOOD," KINLOCH, MO.

124 LAKE FOREST, ILL.

Part 5

125 "HARDIN HALL," HUBBARD'S WOOD, ILL.

126 } "THE FARMS," MONTICELLO, ILL. 127 }

128 } THE ROCK GARDEN, "ENGLISHTON PARK," LEXINGTON, IND. 129 }

130 "GWINN," CLEVELAND, OHIO

131 } 132 } CLIFTON, CINCINNATI, OHIO 133 }

134 "SHADYSIDE," PAINESVILLE, OHIO

135 } 136 } "INDIAN HILL," MENTOR, OHIO

137 "ORCHARD HOUSE," ALMA, MICH.

138 "GARRA-TIGH," BAY CITY, MICH.

139 "FAIRLAWN," GROSSE POINTS SHORES, MICH.

140 } "HOUSE-IN-THE-WOODS," LAKE GENEVA, WIS. 141 }

142 LAS CRUCES, N. M.

143 } "KIMBERLY CREST," REDLANDS, CAL. 144 }

145 "GLENDESSARY," SANTA BARBARA, CAL.

146 } 147 } "PIRANHURST," SANTA BARBARA, CAL. 148 }

149 ROSS, CAL.

150 PASADENA, CAL.

151 } 152 } 153 } "CANON CREST PARK," REDLANDS, CAL. 154 }

155 TYPICAL GROWTH IN CALIFORNIA

156 } 157 } "THORNEWOOD," TACOMA, WASH. 158 }

159 } 160 } SEATTLE, WASH.

161 SECTION OF A ROSE HEDGE BORDERING AN AVENUE IN PORTLAND, ORE.

162 "ROSECREST," PORTLAND HEIGHTS, PORTLAND, ORE.

163 "CLIFF COTTAGE," ELK ROCK, PORTLAND, ORE.

164 "HIGH HATCH," RIVERWOOD, PORTLAND, ORE.

165 } 166 } VICTORIA CITY, VANCOUVER ISLAND, B. C.

167 LONGVIEW, TENN.

168 "KNOCK-MAE-CREE," WESTPORT, CONN.

Part 6

169 } 170 } "HAMILTON HOUSE," SOUTH BERWICK, MAINE

171 } 172 } "GLEN ALPINE," MORRISTOWN, N. J.

173 EAST HAMPTON, L. I.

174 "GLENDESSARY," SANTA BARBARA, CAL.

175 CLIFTON, CINCINNATI, OHIO.

176 "THORNEWOOD," TACOMA, WASH.

TITLE-PAGE: EAST HAMPTON, L. I., ALBERT HERTER, ESQ. From a photograph by Jessie Tarbox Beals.

"A garden was wonderful at night--a place of strange silences and yet stranger sound: trees darkly guarding mysterious paths that ran into caverns of darkness; the scents of flowers rising from damp earth heavy with dew; flowers that were weary with the dust and noise of the day and slept gently, gratefully, with their heads drooping to the soil, their petals closed by the tender hands of the spirits of the garden. The night sounds were strangely musical. Cries that were discordant in the day mingled now with the running of distant water, the last notes of some bird before it slept, the measured harmony of a far-away bell, the gentle rustle of some arrival in the thickets; the voice that could not be heard in the noisy chatter of the day rose softly now in a little song of the night and the dark trees and the silver firelight of the stars."

--HUGH WALPOLE.

FOREWORD

Books and magazines written by and for American architects usually show in their illustrations fine imitations of lovely French, English, and Italian formalism and works of art in marble or other stone ornamenting the gardens of great mansions in this country.

The object of this book is to present, more particularly, another type of garden, demonstrating the cultured American's love of beauty expressed through plant life rather than in stone; showing the development of his ideal in more original directions, when planning for himself the garden spot in which he is to live rather than when building wholly in imitation of some accepted type of classic art.

With but few exceptions, these illustrations are of a class which might be called personal gardens. The attractive features in nearly every view speak so eloquently for themselves that there seems but little need of detailed verbal description of each beautiful spot.

In covering all sections of the country, occasion is given for the observation and study of widely varying climatic conditions, the results of which the author has also sought to consider.

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