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Views and Vistas
Views and vistas, if they exist on a property, are to be cher
ished, since they give an illusion of much more space. Avoid,
however, locating the flower garden in line with such a view,
for competition is then set up between the natural view and
the manmade composition in front of it. Nine times out of
ten the natural view wins, for the eye is always attracted to
distance. So we come back to the idea of segregating the gar
den to shut out competition. If the view is outstanding, we may
arrange a point of observation from which it may be enjoyed.
A small terrace, platform, or gazabo at the end of a side or
other minor axis, where you can go through or look over the
garden enclosure, will often serve, and can be developed into
a feature by itself.
It is quite possible that the natural view is only fair. If so,
it can be improved by judicious planting. Setting a frame of
foliage for it will make it seem deeper, will focalize the pic
ture. While doing this, you can shut out of the picture, tele
graph poles and other ugly objects and accent desirable ones.
The same plants or groups on either side of the view will
give a formal effect, especially if you select pointed ever
greens. Picturesque willows or dogwoods will often give a
feeling of naturalness.
A vista, enframed and limited in width, is much more in
teresting than a limitless panorama. If you have a panoramic
view, break it up by the use of single plants or groups into
a series of smaller, more intimate pictures. Such a planting
should be of the same general sort as that seen in the view
itself. If the view is mainly of low hills covered with decidu
ous trees, the enframing planting should also be deciduous;
if the landscape is predominantly of evergreen forest, then
evergreens should be used to enframe it. Nor should the flank
ing plant masses be so studied that they call attention to them-
selves and detract from the beauty of the vista. If they do,
they defeat the purpose for which they were placed. (Plate
28.)
The distant view controls the foreground planting, which
should be simple and restrained. Detail should be subordi
nated to the general mass so that the picture is framed and
concentrated. So treated a distant view becomes dramatic. It
is only when the outlook lacks appeal that the foreground
patterns become important in themselves.
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