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Fountain of Energy
A View in the South Gardens

Fountain of Energy - A View in the South Gardens

It was a great undertaking to transform the waste acres of marsh and mudflats into a garden which would be an appropriate setting for the Exposition palaces. Its success was due to Mr. John McLaren, whose reputation as a landscape gardener had long ago been established by his work at Golden Gate Park.

Passing through the Scott Street Entrance, one sees first the South Gardens, the really spectacular feature of which is the Fountain of Energy, designed by A. Stirling Calder. Flanking this main fountain are the two smaller fountains crowned by the graceful mermaids designed by Arthur Putnam. With their lovely pools and the splendor of gushing waters, these three serve as the motif for the formal plotting of the South Gardens.

Monterey pines and cypress, with acacia and a variety of flowering shrubs, are grouped with fine effect. Balustrades, ornamented with plant-filled urns, set off the great beds in which flora from widely separated parts of the world have been used. The successive plantings of flowers keep the gardens in continuous bloom - daffodils, tulips, pansies, begonias, dahlias, each in their turn.

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