A gardener who doesn’t know what to do during autumn is no gardener at all. The beautiful colors of autumn are too much looked upon as secondary qualities of the plants which affect them, and their disposition on the grounds is too much a matter of chance.

The gardener ought to recognize in these autumn colors another opportunity for the aggregation of scattered beauties. Through these he may produce one more quite spectacular effect before the winter shuts us all indoors away from the enjoyment of his works.

Without speaking of the individual excellence of the oaks, the liquidambar, the maples and the tulip trees, we may note that two distinct colors appear in great quantities, namely the reds and the yellows. Each of these is present in comparative purity in certain species, and their combination is specially adapted to provide the most extraordinary contrasts when used with fountains.

At no other time of the year would the eye accept such gaudy hues, much less delight in them. But now as our overcoats are buttoned on and as we hurry along to get ourselves under shelter from the boisterous wind, we are in no mood to note details and examine delicate effects. A picture must cry out after us if it would get our attention.

The gardener may mass together as much as he pleases of those gorgeous colors of the early frost; and we will stop a moment to admire his work again and to thank him for it ere we betake ourselves to the heated house and the absorbing book.

But even the winter does not wholly rob the gardener of his opportunity to please us. Indeed, some of the most gracious products of the ornamental grounds are those blessings which are enjoyed in midwinter. It is a mistake to suppose that the garden must be all bleakness and desolation as soon as snow falls. There is a whole host of the evergreens to refute such a supposition.

The variety of them is greater than the uninitiated might at all suspect. With them may be arranged many shrubs and small trees which, though deciduous, have bark of such bright and pleasing hues that they may be shown against dark backgrounds in many cheery combinations. Such are the Golden willow, the Golden spinea and the Red branched dogwood. A long list of others might easily be made.

There are certain corners of the garden which are usually especially conspicuous from the windows of the living rooms; and it is a pity if part of this scene at least cannot be robbed of its winter bleakness. If such spots are chosen for beautiful winter effects the designer has gained another triumph.

There is some danger that the beginner in plant grouping will make all his groups alike. This is a very easy thing to do. To avoid it, it is necessary that the operator shall see the sameness into which he is falling. This he can best do in his own work by directing his imagination to construct before him the various finished groups.

It is certainly unlikely that the individual plants will be placed in exactly homologous positions unless the groups are set with a tape measure. It is not difficult, if the imagination be serviceable, to compare the probable final effects of two groups, and determine with satisfactory accuracy if the two will look alike twenty years hence.