This type of garden furniture is perfectly well adapted to Italian, English, or Colonial types of architecture, and is constructed often of marble. It is not merely an ornament but a useful adjunct to a garden, and can be made of concrete, or cobblestone, if one does not wish to go to the expense of using marble.

There is a modern form of this feature that is a development from century-old customs, the porch-pergola which is fast supplanting the old covered porches of yesterday. This is designed with an open, vine-covered roof. It gives an added charm to the exterior of the house and furnishes a shady nook for sunny days, without the drawback of the old porch whose roof darkened the house in winter by withholding the sun.

No one, no matter how small their grounds, need deny themselves a pergola. It is such an important feature and so decorative that it is almost a necessity. For the little backyard it may be simply a rustic porch planted in the middle of the garden. Properly laid out, it can be used as an out-of-doors living room. Across the end a hammock can be swung, while table and chairs can be fitted in at one side.

THE TEA HOUSE IN THE GARDEN

[Ill.u.s.tration: A TEA-HOUSE]

CHAPTER III

THE TEA HOUSE IN THE GARDEN

There is a delightful imaginary intimacy that seemingly exists between we garden lovers who live in the twentieth century and those of early days. So closely are we connected by a common band of sympathy that we eagerly scan their books to glean here and there some important bit of garden lore that can be introduced into our work of to-day. It is this pleasant mingling of old and new-world gardens that gives to present-day designs such a delightful atmosphere.

One of the old-time floriculturists, John Lyle, tells us in his old-fashioned way, about the flowers that bloomed ages before our grand-dames were born. "Gentlemen," he says, "what floure like you best in all this border? Here be fine roses, sweete violets, fragrant primroses, gille floures, carnations, sops of wine, sweete John, and what may please you at sight." Surely we see in retrospect, the gardens of that early day, and we come more and more to realize that all through the ages, the hand of Man has fashioned nothing more beautiful than a garden of flowers. The most famous poets have not found any more ideal trysting spot in which to place their lovers.

Each individual part of the flower garden has its own distinctive charm.

It lies not solely with the flowers that bloom so profusely in the beds nor with the marble fragments, for the romance of it all is centered in the little summer house, as it was quaintly named by our ancestors in the long ago. In these little tea houses, built in a retired part of the garden, the mistress loved to spend a pleasant summer afternoon, seated inside knitting flower thoughts into a shapely bag or reading some delightful book, which dropped from her hand, as she sat dreamily watching the unfolding of some favorite flower.

Let us enter one of these gardens, rich in its summer garb, walk slowly down the path, stopping now and again to view some bud slowly unfold its petals one by one, disclosing a new specimen to be added to the ever-increasing number that are comprised in the floral scheme, and waving a welcome as it is tossed to and fro by every pa.s.sing breeze.

Over there against the white paling fence stands the stiff hollyhock nodding his satiny head to greet the dainty heliotrope who glances coquettishly up to meet his eye. Nearby is a dialetrea or bleeding heart, the pet of the little ones, who pluck them to form tiny boats with snow white sails to float down the lily pond. Bursting into bloom behind the stiff box border is the old-time "piny," sending bits of color into the sober green.

None of the old Colonial gardens were considered complete without an ever varying a.s.sortment of bloom. There were the Sweet Williams, Bouncing Bet, and perky little Johnny-jump-up, sending greetings to his comrades nearby. Flowers are everywhere, they peer out at us from hidden corners, swing their heads in very ecstasy of enjoyment of their being.

Simplicity was the key-note in the construction of those summer houses that came into existence during the latter part of the seventeenth century. They stand for the first type of garden furniture made in our country, coming into vogue after the close of the grim struggle for existence made by our Puritan forbears. Then when the tide turned, and money flowed into the colonies, houseowners had more time to devote to garden culture. Behind the large Colonial houses sprang into existence gardens devoted to flowers, the owners doing the best they could with the material at hand. These delightful little plots secluded from the world outside by high paling fences were the homes of the old-fashioned flowers, many of them descendants of the originals, brought over in the ships that first touched our sh.o.r.es.

They were not like the twentieth-century ones constructed of marble or concrete clothed with vines and standing in a wealth of up-to-date blooms, showing slender marble columns and carved capitals supporting the marble roof.

Rather are they covered with plain, every-day vines, such as the Dutchman's Pipe with its heavy leaving, clambering roses and the Bitter Sweet or Roxbury Waxwork, whose drooping bunches of yellow and red poke their heads through the lattice work, making a bit of bright color all through the winter months. This when the ground is covered with snow livens up the surroundings. On either side are planted a wealth of timely flowers, these include the Sweet William, the Hooded Larkspur, and the many-colored Phlox.

Many of these little garden houses show such a variety of form that they are interesting, fitting into their surroundings as if they had always been there. Some are square, formed like a large box, depending for their picturesqueness on their coverings of vines. Others are round, and still again we find oblong summer houses, each one fitted up with seats and sometimes a rustic table.

Occasionally, we come upon a more pretentious one that is two stories in height. They were planned in the early nineteenth century, some of these are still standing and among them we find that of Elias Haskett Derby, designed by Samuel McIntyre, Salem's noted architect and wood-carver.

For years it stood on the grounds of the summer home of Mr. Derby and to-day is so well preserved that it seems as if it had been recently built. Exquisite carving is a feature of this particular tea house, where rural images top the roof.

It is only in the gardens of the rich, that elaborate tea houses are found, simple designs grace the little gardens and are in harmony with their surroundings. The rustic summer house has its own mission to fulfill. Its cost can be determined by conditions. Some are finished in elaborately decorative designs while others show plain treatment.

The best kind of wood to be used for this purpose is the red cedar which has wonderful lasting qualities. It is more expensive than the locust but out-wears any wood on the market. Great care should be taken that the supports be placed deep enough to avoid throwing by the heavy winter frost. Holes should be dug at least four feet deep, and squares of stone or cement pounded into the bottom to prevent its coming in contact with the earth and rotting. This makes a solid foundation, and durable. Do not have the roof made flat, so that water can stand upon it and rot it, but raise it slightly and either shingle or thatch it.

This last is an old-time handicraft that has recently been revived.

Following the old English rule, reeds are more endurable, while straw is admissible. An advantage of its use is that it grows handsomer with age.

In its second year it has collected moss, weeds and plants, and these, matted down and weather-beaten, give it the hue of a gray lichen. If properly treated it will last for years.

[Ill.u.s.tration: STEPPING-STONES IN A GRa.s.s PATH]

One should, if possible, when planning the garden, include a summer house. There is no more enjoyable feature that can be constructed on the grounds. Its design, size, situation and type, must correspond with the period of the garden. A formal lay-out should, in order to be correct, receive entirely different treatment in its setting from the Italian, while the rambling depends upon simpler characteristics to produce correct results. Rustic tea houses fit into this project appropriately. They would be entirely incongruous if placed in Italian gardens elaborate in their plan and full of wonderful bits of marble fragments transplanted from foreign lands.

Fortunately for us, there are so many different types of gardens that one is not continually finding a repet.i.tion. Garden houses, covered with bark, fit into simple plans, such as the rambling and the wild gardens, their rustic effect being in harmony with the flowers and beds.

It is one thing to plan a summer house but quite another to pick out a suitable situation. It should not be placed in the heart of the flowers more especially where there are tall blossoms. Let the beds in the foreground be low and show quiet colors, shading the height and brightness as they go farther afield, the most conspicuous being used for the extreme edge. Here, like a beautiful picture, they fit into the landscape and produce correct effects.

Level stretches do not always bring about right results. If your ground slopes to the garden edge why not design a rustic tea house to fit into the hillside? Should you visit it of a clear afternoon, seat yourself on the wooden settle and glance around you, you will be delighted with the view obtained. Below is the garden rolled out like a carpet brightly patterned at your feet, smooth stretches of lawn between rest the eyes as they gaze off to the horizon when the blue of the sky seems to melt into the ma.s.ses of waving bloom.

Do not start this feature of the garden unless you have first planned situation, size and cost, otherwise you will be disappointed, and may feel it is more expensive than you wished. If you do not care to bed it underneath, you will be sorry. Every house of this sort should have a hard ashes or cement foundation in order to keep out the dampness. This is a serious fault which if not carefully watched results in quick rotting of the wood and constant expense. It is better to start right and in the end it will cost less. Posts used for supports should be made of cedar or locust, driven four feet into the ground and resting on stone supports, used as preservatives. They can be elaborately designed or simple in finish and if plenty of air and light are wished for, trellis supports can be used, but if it demands shade, shingles or canvas painted, are advisable, the former better for rounded effects and the latter when a flat surface is used.

Marble is used prominently in Italian gardens, whose elaborate setting demands striking effects. Give the tea house a cover of soft green vines, dotted here and there with a bit of color and it will be a joy forever, taking on a dignity that is in keeping with its surroundings.

Cement, no matter where it is used, is always effective. In coloring and lines it seemingly fits into the elaborate landscape scheme and it improves with age. There is an advantage in the use of cement, in that it costs nothing for repairs, is fireproof, does not collect vermin, and is never shabby. With its clinging vine cover, it is a desirable material for use in the construction of tea houses when wood and marble are not suitable.

There is a romantic charm in vine-clad tea houses. The clinging vine lends a picturesqueness to the slender columns and the slanting roof emphasizes the beauty of it all.

There are so many decorative vines that are suitable for its use that it would be impossible to name them all.

For marble, delicate, tender climbers are the best. For concrete a larger leaf can be used to give more stable effects, while for rustic tea houses, the large, hardy vines and stronger climbers are more suitable. Each one has its own use, and appears at its best in congenial environment. The tiny canary-bird vine would make little show if allowed to clamber over rustic supports, while the Boston or j.a.panese ivy are especially adapted for this treatment. This is on account of the small, flat leaf that clings to the side, helping out the design without a deep ma.s.sing of leaves.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LILY PONDS IN A FORMAL GARDEN]

Some summer houses depend upon hardy vines for their cover and others on tender climbers whose delicate tendrils wind in and out clouding but not hiding the exterior coloring. It is the wise man who is able to provide a suitable over-spread for houses of this description. It must be remembered that it is not the cover alone but the planting that surrounds it that aids in the picturesque effect. There is as much need of careful thought here as there would be in any part of the scheme. For right coloring, height, and time of blossoming help or mar the plan.

There is as much difference in the growth of vines as there is in children. Some to be at their best require a very rich soil, while others will do equally well if it is poorer. The important thing, if you wish successful results, is to give them plenty of food, plenty of water and look out for a proper insecticide, in order not to r.e.t.a.r.d their growth. A general rule that is permissible for almost any grounds is to dig a ditch from three to four feet deep and put in the bottom a foot of rotted manure. This can better be attended to in the fall, leaving time for it to get well soaked into the ground and ripen before planting.

Fill in alternate layers of soil and manure until the trench is even with the ground. In clay soil, it is better in order to lighten it to mix in a little sand.

For a rustic summer house, where heavy planting is needed, a honeysuckle is effective. The scarlet or Sempervirens is a very decorative variety and this differs greatly from the j.a.panese one, bearing tubular scarlet flowers that continue in blossom all summer. Of the many varieties this is the freest and the best. Its leaves are a blueish green which make a pleasing contrast with the coral color of the flower.

The Clematis is always effective and is the best vine of medium growth in existence. Its small, white, star-shaped flowers, deliciously fragrant, cover the vine completely in August. The j.a.panese Clematis or Paniculata is most attractive. It prefers a sunny position, the foliage is handsome and at the end of August it bursts into a wonderful ma.s.s of fragrant, pure white, star-like flowers that last nearly a month.

For shady places, the Helix or English ivy is advisable. This well-known, small-leafed ivy is perfectly hardy in this section and is much used for covering the ground in shady places where gra.s.s refuses to grow. Young growth sometimes gets winter killed, but this is due to sunburn rather than frost.

For tea houses painted white and for concrete, wisteria takes a prominent place. It grows equally well in city and country, being able to withstand the smoke of cities. Of these the Multijuga loose cl.u.s.ter is advisable. It is not so strong a grower as the Chinese varieties but distinguished from them by long, loose cl.u.s.ters of purple flowers sometimes obtaining a length of two feet.

The Crimson Glory Grape Vine, Coignetiae, is a strong grower, showing large, heart-shaped leaves, ten inches long, deep rich green on top and bright yellow beneath, which a.s.sume a brilliant scarlet in autumn. The grapes are black and form a pleasing contrast to the bright colors of the leaves.

The Canary Bird Vine is suitable for either this kind of a tea house or a marble one. It is a beautiful, rapid, annual grower and when in blossom, the charming little canary-colored blooms bear a fancied resemblance to a bird with wings half expanded. Do not forget the Cardinal Climber which is a cross between the Cyprus Vine and the Star Glory. It attains a height of thirty feet or more with a beautiful form like laciniated foliage and is literally covered with a blaze of circular fiery cardinal red flowers from midsummer until frost. The flowers are about one and one-half inch in diameter and are borne in cl.u.s.ters from five to seven blossoms each. Wherever it has been grown it has attracted favorable comments. It delights in a warm sunshiny situation and good soil.

The Kudzu Vine or Peuraria Thunbergiana is very popular. It came from j.a.pan and is still rare. Its flowers are large cl.u.s.ters similar to a white Hydrangea and when in flower during July and August make a wonderful display. It is one of the best of the flowering vines to plant against a wall as it clings naturally to any rough surface.

The plants selected for either side of the tea house need as much care in choosing right colors as do the vines.