File:American homes and gardens (1909) (17968811588).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar61909newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
JT IS not a little remarkable in these times to observe the widespread desire to return to a more natural ordering of things. The modern worldling, surrounded by all the artificial influence of an amazing civiliza- tion, finds that, after all, it is invariably de- lightful to heed the call of Nature. While it would be foolish to maintain that the great mother is entirely perfect in all her ways, yet there is no doubt that the patient observer may reap a rich reward from his study of natural objects. Thus, while we may not say that Nature is always artistic, we must admit that on occasion she may be a very good artist indeed. As a matter of fact, we know that underlying all the apparent muddle of the living world there exists a marvelously rigid code of rules; the very posi- tion of the leaf on the twig being a circumstance which is adjusted with a mathematical precision. On the other hand, there are so many happenings which may affect the unit that a certain elasticity in the application of the rules is necessary. Nature holds the fulfilment of the artistic code as of second- ary importance when the well-being of the individual is threatened; so that while the perfect plant may be truly artistic, the average specimen is not by any means so. It is, perhaps, on this account that it is only within very recent times that the idea of direct nature patterns from the plant world has been regarded as at all possible. In the new school of direct nature designers there is one great underlying principle. Apart from the necessary ad- justments, the aim and object should be to preserve the original pattern. Of course, almost since men first learned to draw they have been in the habit of taking some natural object and adapting the form for ornamental purposes. The spirit in which the nature designer takes up the work must be entirely different. He must remember that he is not in any sense the artist of the pattern, and it is his place simply to reproduce the pattern, just as it has been conceived, as faithfully as in him lies. Certainly no one can expect to find the more finished plant patterns without a patient search. So many things prevent the plant from developing on straightforward lines—overcrowding, a shortage of mois- ture, difficulty in getting sufficient light, each and all of these may upset the normal growth of the plant. Indeed, it is really only when a specimen is in an isolated situation that It will evidence that fine balance of bearing which is so essential for the forming of a good pattern. Still, a ramble over the country-side is almost sure to be productive of a certain per- centage of examples, which provide some excellent types of nature designs. As a general rule, too, the best patterns are to be found among the very humble plants. Some of the commonest wayside weeds present really at- tractive formations, the most striking of these being the numerous star-like designs which abound in the smaller com- posite species. These little plants have a curious habit of sending out their leaves close to the ground, and, as the
Text Appearing After Image:
Nature's own design for a wall-paper frieze

Note About Images