d, and if there are walks or
drives near the house, lay them out where they will not detract from the
picturesque effect that you desire. An exception can be made with the
English or flag treads, which make a charming adjunct to the grounds
when grass grown.

In the early days, the first settlers had their flower beds close to the
house, probably because they did not then interfere with garden space.
The effect was pleasing, for it added to the simple attraction of the
early building. It is a good plan, after remodeling a house, to carry
out this scheme of our forebears and have a narrow bed following the
line of the house. Trees also are always effective; they break the roof
line and shut off objectionable views. If you have no trees, by all
means plant some. Screens can be devised by planting shrubbery, which
makes unnecessary a latticed enclosure and is all the more interesting
if the shrubs bear flowers, adding a bright spot to the color scheme.
They are very practical as well, since they serve many purposes besides
shutting off objectionable portions of the grounds. If rightly planted,
they serve as windbreaks and can be arranged to frame a vista. While
evergreen is often used for this scheme, yet shrubs such as the lilac,
forsythia, bridal wreath, flowering almond, and many others are
suitable. Plant these so that there will be a continuation in bloom, and
also with reference to a definite color scheme.

A remodeled farmhouse set back from the road without any surrounding
decoration of garden or hedge cannot be picturesque, for merely a
stretch of green lawn leaves it bare and uninviting, no matter how much
you cover the house with vines. The composition of house and garden
should be carefully planned, all the more if the estate is extensive,
with plenty of land that can be used for this purpose. It is not much
trouble to plant shrubs, and they need little cultivation. In the woods
near at hand you can usually find plenty that will serve the purpose, if
economy has to be considered.

In planting the garden there are many things to be regarded; one of the
most important is the sequence of bloom. This should be arranged with a
view to color effects, for nowhere will one's taste be more conspicuous
than in the garden plot which surrounds the house. There is no doubt
that the harmony of color is a vital question, and complementary ones
should be grouped together. Yellow should never be left out of the
garden unless