Public playgrounds for children should be composed of large, level, well-rolled, gravelled spaces, with a few trees for shade, and some sheds for shelter. Turf soon gets spoiled and worn bare, when it is not so pleasant as well-rolled gravel, as it is far more dusty in dry weather and very damp in wet, besides having an uncared-for appearance.
In public parks, shrubs planted singly directly on the lawns without any beds around them have a very pleasing look, although it adds somewhat to the difficulty of mowing the grass. The grass itself is greatly improved if it is well dressed with manure in the spring and constantly watered all the year round.
Paths should be gravelled in the autumn, care being taken to wait until all the leaves have fallen, which are swept up and removed at once. A good fence for a path, if any protection is necessary, is either a strained wire fence or cast-iron hoops representing bent sticks. They are both cheap, and stand well against weather and rough treatment.
A very economical and neat border to the footpaths can be made from the old used-up flagstones from the foot pavements of the streets, these cut up and placed on edge, especially if in conjunction with a pitched channel gutter of pebbles, look remarkably well.
Ornamental flints make a pretty border, but they are nasty things for a child to fall upon.
For flower-beds a flat border or edge of ivy has a very telling effect. If there are ponds or lakes in the park there should be a broad path or road close to the water’s edge. It is surprising what a great advantage in effect this has over the plan of leaving a strip of green between the path and the water.
The selection of the proper shrubs for a park and their distribution is a matter that requires the advice of an expert gardener. The following list of ordinary shrubs that will thrive well almost anywhere in this country may however be of use for reference:
- Aucubas.
- Azaleas.
- Box.
- Berberises.
- Euonymus.
- Hollies.
- Ivies.
- Laurels.
- Lilacs.
- Mahorrias.
- Pampas grass.
- Privet.
- Rhododendrons.
- Thorns.
- Yuccas.
With regard to the selection of trees, this also requires skilled advice, but a list is given further on in this chapter, of trees suitable for street planting, which may be also some guide in this respect.
In high gales of wind the surveyor may be expected to endeavour to save valuable trees in a public park from being blown down. This may sometimes be effected by a judicious application of chains or ropes, but the better plan is to keep all trees well pruned and as free as possible from “top hamper” and undue leverage from overhanging limbs.