Here are four backyards of various sizes which have been designed for outdoor living as well as the enjoyment of gardening
I. Two Small Gardens
A BACKYARD—no matter how small — can be easily transformed into an intimate, colorful garden spot where outdoor living may be enjoyed throughout the season.
Just ask Miss Mary R. Merrick and Mr. and Mrs. George P. Millington, Jr., of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Each of their yards is 36’ feet long by 21’ feet wide.
Originally, these lots were like myriads of others—with old-fashioned back porches leading into uninteresting neglected yards.
Although identical in dimensions, these two gardens differ in their landscape design— one is formal, the other informal—but they are alike in that they attain the same objectives; delightful outdoor living and minimum upkeep.
Miss Merrick’s Lot
Let us begin with Miss Merrick’s lot. The first problem was changing the back porch’s drab, old-fashioned appearance. The wooden posts supporting the roof were replaced with white decorative wrought ironwork.
A neat brick flooring was substituted for the wooden porch floor. Comfortable terrace furniture completed the job of transforming the porch into a real garden feature.
Extension cords from an electric outlet in the kitchen reach the porch, one for a percolator and one for a toaster, so the owner may have breakfast in the garden if she wishes.
Shade and poor soil made growing a lawn there difficult, hence the inspiration for building a brick terrace. Not only neat and labor-saving, but it also provides a pleasing outlook from the house.
Plantings of shade-loving laurels, azaleas, and evergreen ferns, together with pots of English ivy and philodendron in brackets on the fence, make a background for the terrace. The iron furniture is painted white to match the ironwork on the porch.
A birdbath and two graceful marble figures complete the picture. Bricks were cemented together to make the stands for the figures, and the bases were softened by English ivy and fuchsias.
A 5-foot woven fence marks each side boundary. A neighbor’s white dogwood, plus a bird cherry, a star magnolia, a mulberry tree, and a pussy willow on Miss Merrick’s side of the fence, make up a pleasing background for the flower beds which border the center lawn. A brick edging keeps the flowers within bounds and eliminates continual trimming.
In spring, the garden is a burst of glory with crocus, scillas, narcissus, and tulips. Bleeding-heart, Star-of-Bethlehem, wild geraniums, violets, Mertensia, hardy iberis, and Brunnera macrophylla (Anchusa myosotidiflora) make it gay with color.
Pansies and English daisies are worked into the planting scheme along the edges of the borders. Columbine, heuchera, peonies, hemerocallis, astilbe, hosta (funkia), phlox, and climbing roses continue the bloom through June.
Finally, planting ageratum, nicotiana, and petunias in part shade and zinnias in sunny spots keeps the bloom until frost.
Two factors have determined Miss Merrick’s choice of plant material: she tries to include the plants she loves and those that will thrive in the shade.
Millington’s Garden
Next door but one to Miss Merrick live Mr. and Mrs. George P. Millington, Jr., and their three-year-old daughter, Sarah.
When the Millingtons moved in, the yard looked almost hopeless. But they were ardent gardeners and soon were designing and planting what is now their lovely garden.
After the job of cleaning up was completed, Mr. Millington went to work on the lawn. The soil was poor, and it took plenty of patience and lots of topsoils, mushroom manure, lime, and fertilizer to coax along the luxuriant grass they enjoy today.
The block porch was terraced with bricks and the terracing extended beyond the porch so that part of it would be undercover and part of it in the open.
A sandbox was placed in the corner of the covered porch for Sarah and her friends. In addition, two specimen lilacs, which were already on the site, were pruned to form an arch over the uncovered terrace.
Mr. Millington constructed the terrace himself in the following way: The bricks were laid, with about ½” inch of space between them, on top of a layer of tamped sand approximately 6 inches deep. Between the bricks, he poured dry mortar, working it in well.
When this was done, he washed the mortar down with a hose. Again, a spirit level was an invaluable aid in leveling the surface of the terrace.
Although this terrace was made three years ago, there has been no settling, and the construction has proved most satisfactory.
An 8-foot woven fence extends on each side from the end of the house to the end of the terrace. The background border planting is of privet and flowering shrubs from this point to the back fence. A low wire fence provides admirable support for climbing roses.
Below the background planting, perennial borders allow plenty of space for the Millingtons’ favorite flowers.
The fence marking the property’s rear is covered with a Virginia creeper. In a sunny corner, Paul’s Scarlet Climber contrasts with pots of white geraniums set in brackets on the fence.
A narrow bed in front of the fence offers houseplants a cool, shady summer home. In sunny spots, a few annuals are planted here and there for late bloom.
The Millingtons are rose lovers and have many climbers and some hybrid teas. In addition, the flower beds are full of Danyin tulips, narcissus, violets, hardy primroses, bleeding hearts, and phlox.
Gladiolus and chrysanthemums combine with bachelor’s buttons, marigolds, ageratum, petunias, and zinnias to keep the garden gay until frost.
In good weather, they put up a card table on the uncovered terrace for outdoor meals; when it rains, they move it to the covered porch, which adjoins the kitchen.
II. A Medium-Size Garden
Several years ago, having acquired an old-fashioned suburban house with a good-sized lot, two “green-thumbed” city dwellers enthusiastically planned their first garden.
Bispham’s Lovely Garden
Long before Miss Eleanor Bispham and her mother, Mrs. Samuel Bispham, moved to the country, they dreamed of the lovely garden they hoped to have someday.
When they began, they planted tulip bulbs upside down! Today, their garden in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, blooms from the earliest spring until the late chrysanthemums, heralding the garden season’s end.
First, let’s take a look at the property as it was when they bought it. Then, tall, straggly evergreens were massed around the house’s foundation, shutting out much light and air. Next, the lawn was dotted with bushes and small evergreens of various kinds.
These were all quickly rooted out, and any plant material good enough to save was transferred to boundary plantings as a start toward much-needed seclusion.
As soon as this outdoor house cleaning was completed, the place took on a new look. Removing the evergreens did leave the porch in full view of the road, but groupings of azaleas, rhododendrons, and laurels soon remedied this.
A specimen dogwood now softens the comer of the house on the driveway side and adds privacy.
Additional shrub plantings were made only along the boundary to leave an unbroken lawn area which, although limited, gives a feeling of more space.
It carpets the ground in front of the foundation planting and between the shrubs and phlox along the boundary and brightens shady places where the grass is difficult to grow.
It cuts down the labor of weeding and mowing and adds a welcome touch of green during the winter months. Each year in early July, Miss Bispham makes innumerable slips by cutting 2″ or 3″ inches of oil to the tips of the plants.
She plunges these slips into a bucket of water until she is ready to plant them. If the soil is kept well watered until it slips root, it will soon take hold and begin to spread. In this way, she can either add to her plantings or use the cuttings to fill any gaps in established clumps.
Secluded Area
As with many such houses of an early vintage, adding a terrace was impossible. However, with the lawn cleared of the shrubbery which had peppered it, an open space just oiling the kitchen steps gave the Bispham an ideal secluded outdoor living and dining area.
The balance of the back lot (approximately 40′ x 70 feet) was divided into two sections. One section is the flower garden, which adjoins the outdoor living area, and the other is the service yard, next to the garage.
Now, let us visit the garden. It is enclosed on two sides with a 3-foot white picket fence, which keeps the neighborhood dogs out and offers good support climbing roses. In addition, this open type of garden enclosure allows a colorful vista of the flower beds from the outdoor living area.
A high, sloping hank has been developed into an unusual background at the back and on one side of the garden. Atop the bank is a well-trimmed, symmetrical hedge of arborvitae; the slope itself has been planted informally.
Large rocks embedded in the soil are softened with clumps of candytuft, Phlox subulata, yellow alyssum, cerastium, and Arabis.
Irregular groupings of ferns and plantings of yew, ilex, barberry (Julianae), and low-growing junipers add substance and character.
In the flower garden below, the beds and borders are full of bloom throughout the season, which are:
- Crocus
- Narcissus
- Tulips
- Pansies
- Forget-me-nots
- Bleeding heart is followed by iris (both bearded and Japanese)
- Oriental poppies
- Columbine
- Sweet-william
- Pinks
- Baptisia
- Daylilies
- Peonies
- Delphinium
- Phlox
- Lilies (L. candidum and L. regale.)
As the season advances, annuals are abundant, and chrysanthemums finally carry on the generous burst of bloom until frost.
A Canopy
A garden feature has been developed around a birdbath in one corner, close to the bank’s base. A rambler rose to grow on an iron-pipe support has been trained to form a canopy over the birdbath. Immediately behind it are clumps of fern.
A colorful bed completes the planting around it: pansies, forget-me-nots, and primroses are followed by begonias and impatiens.
The other section of the back lot includes a cutting garden, tomato patch, and cold frames for raising plants from seed. A doghouse at the rear of the garage was turned into a small greenhouse.
This was done inexpensively by using cast-off glass from an enclosed porch for the side and front of the greenhouse. A glass roof and potting benches were added.
There is no heat in the greenhouse, but the warmth of the March sun is adequate for starting early seedlings in the garden. The greenhouse is also useful for wintering chrysanthemums and potting house plants.
Among her many house plants, begonias are Miss Bispham’s specialty. She took first prize at the Philadelphia Flower Show for her unusual collection of more than 50 varieties. Thus she carries her garden indoors during the long winter months.
III. A Large Garden
Mrs. Watts’s MJ Garden
Everything that contributes to the pleasure and ease of outdoor living.” That, in a nutshell, describes the MJ garden of Mrs. Alfred M. Watts of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
Gardening has long been a favorite family pastime for Mrs. Watts and her two sons, who helped to redesign the grounds for “livability” after their return from service overseas.
The outstanding results have made the Watts garden a neighborhood attraction for entertaining and relaxation.
Although the property is suburban, it has a rural feeling. Its country-like quality was secured by keeping the garden layout informal and rambling in design. No attempt was made to create the feeling of seclusion often found in small suburban lots.
However, forsythias and a few hemlocks were planted along the boundary to form a background for Mrs. Watts’ spring garden.
Outdoor Living Area
The outdoor living area is 95’ feet wide by 115’ feet deep, yet the property has the parts of a small estate. Every convenience is at hand to do the job of maintaining the garden as easily as possible. There are four cold frames for growing and wintering plants.
The compost pile is convenient for both the frames and the flower garden. A brick incinerator is invaluable in keeping the grounds tidy. Space is allotted to a vegetable plot and a raspberry patch.
An outdoor fireplace contributes to the Watts’ outdoor dining pleasure, while a lily pool and an abundance of colorful flowers add their share of beauty and interest to the garden picture.
Now, let us consider each feature separately: first, the large flower garden. During the war, this section of the lot was Mrs. Watts’ victory garden; now, it is what she calls her “summer and fall garden.”
Shrubs planted along the boundary and a privet hedge on a neighboring property only suggest an enclosure.
The flower beds, which are laid out in an informal circular design, are planted with the following:
- Roses
- Carnations
- Delphinium
- Columbine
- Baptisia
- Oriental poppies
- Astilbe
- Lilies (candidum, regale, and speciosum)
- Canterbury bells
- Sweet William
- Shasta daisies
- Lythrum
- Phlox
- Eupatorium
To ensure late-season bloom, annuals raised in the cold frames are worked in among the perennials and biennials.
Flowers Everywhere
Mrs. Watts likes to have flowers everywhere. So when the season is in full sway, there is a touch of color wherever one looks.
The cold frames placed against the side wall of the garage are used in winter to protect the perennial and biennial plants grown from seed during the summer.
When spring comes, these plants are transferred to the garden, the Plexiglas sash is removed, and the frames are filled with annuals. Some of these remain here to be used for cutting, while others are transplanted into the flower beds.
Snapdragons which bloomed continuously until frost last season, are carried through the winter months in the frames. When planted in the garden again in the spring, the plants are even sturdier, and the flower spikes are larger.
Spring Bulbs
What about crocus, daffodils, and other early spring blooms?
Mrs. Watts planned her spring garden close to the house where she could see it from the windows. “In early spring,” she explains, “the weather is often cold, and the ground is muddy, so naturally one is not so apt to walk through the garden.
For this reason, my spring flowers are planted underneath the forsythias and hemlocks which border the lot.”
The forsythias themselves are an important part of the spring display, while the usual early bulbs and perennials are used in abundance. Crocus, narcissus, tulips, bluebells, bleeding-heart, lilies-of-the-valley, and iris are all included within a pansy border.
Among the perennials which provide later color in this garden are:
- July-blooming daylilies
- Bergamot
- Phlox
Another part of the spring garden is the foot-wide flower border surrounding the lily pool. Here many early-blooming native flowers are planted:
- Hepatica
- Wild geranium
- Alum root
- Shooting star
- Violets
- Forget-me-nots
- Polemonium nestle below ferns
- Leucothoe
- A few hybrid rhododendrons
How The Irregular-Shaped Pool Was Made
The irregular-shaped pool lies within 20’ feet of the porch. This is how it was made.
The curves were first outlined on the grass with a hose, then marked with an edger. The soil was excavated to a depth of 24” inches at the deepest point and 12” inches at the shallowest. A 2-inch layer of concrete was laid over a 4-inch foundation of cinders.
A rough stone coping was placed in a concrete base along the pool’s edge, and the crevices between the stones were filled with topsoil.
During the winter, a terra-cotta pipe is placed in the bottom of the pool as a refuge for the 50 goldfish.
In severe weather, a tarpaulin is used to cover both the pool and the flower border.
Stone Fireplace
Tied in with the shrubs and flowers along the boundary is a natural stone fireplace built of unfinished serpentine stones, which the Watts collected.
The 10-inch foundation was filled in with cinders and scrap iron. Over this foundation was laid a 5-inch concrete base.
The fireplace’s chimney, sides, front, and back are made of serpentine stones. The firebox, which slopes toward the front to let excess water flow out the door, is constructed of fire bricks.
An opening on the side of the firebox provides a convenient receptacle for keeping wood and papers dry.
A 2-by-2-foot grill allows room for a cooking vessel and coffeepot to prepare an entire outdoor supper while the steak broils. Plenty of chairs, a table, and benches are grouped around the fireplace for convenient dining.
A raspberry patch, which was started with 18 plants, now yields a rich harvest of berries. Adjoining this is a small vegetable garden that supplies the Watts with lettuce, onions, chives, Swiss chard, and string beans.
Rear of Garden
At the back of the property are the compost pile and the incinerator. The compost pile is enclosed on three sides with cinder blocks cemented together.
Screening has been attached to a wooden frame in a size that will just fit over the “garden jeep” so that the tasks of sifting soil and loading the wheelbarrow are accomplished with a minimum of effort.
The incinerator, constructed of bricks and mortar laid over a concrete base, eliminates the need for trash cans—always so difficult to conceal. The concrete base runs about 6″ inches underground and 4″ inches above the ground.
The incinerator has an iron grate, an iron cover, and a small chimney; a rose trellis and a 7-foot privet hedge screen it from the garden.
44659 by Katharine M-P. Cloud