72 Nebraska State Horticultural Society 



furnished a background of green than when standing alone in beds 

 Flowerbeds of geometric patterns cut in the grass are never in keeping 

 with the natural grouping of shrubs and trees. On school groundj 

 there are other reasons also, why flower beds should be planted along 

 the boundaries. One can learn these reasons by looking at almost any 

 school ground. True, most school grounds have few plants other tha i 

 weeds, but even these are unable to grow except in the corners and 

 along the borders. If weeds can not grow in the center of the play 

 ground, why place flowerbeds there? Only a few of the hardiest peren- 

 nial flowers are provided for in the plan. Many other sorts might b^ 

 added almost anywhere in front of the shrubs. They fit specially well 

 into the depressions in the shrubbery border. These are things which 

 can be added almost any time after once the trees and shrubs ar'j 

 established, and they can even be moved from place to place if de- 

 sired. 



On the plan suggested, the school garden is placed well to the rear, 

 where it is somewhat protected from the winds by the trees and shrubs 

 and yet is not sufficiently near the trees to be injuriously shaded or 

 robbed of moisture by them. A second reason for placing the garden 

 in the rear is that it does not harmonize well with the other planting. 

 I'he part of the garden containing the annual flowers is, however, ar- 

 ranged in front of the vegetables in such a way as to unite fairly well 

 with the masses of shrubs on either side. 



What to Plant on the School Grounds. 



As a rule, only the hardiest things should be planted on Nebraska 

 school grounds. In particular cases, tender plants may be grown, but 

 they require too much care to be generally useful. The number of 

 hardy plants that are sure to succeed is now so large, and there are so 

 many very desirable ones among them, that there is little use of wast- 

 ing time with the things that have to be babied through the winter. Of 

 course more kinds can be grown in the eastern part of the state than in 

 the western, but the^e are many things that will succeed even in 

 western Nebraska. 



A considerable number of flowers, shrubs, and trees are listed 

 below, though no attempt has been made to include everything that 

 can or should be grown. From this list can be chosen things for almost 

 any part of the state. It would be unwise to plant all of the plants 

 suggested except in the very largest school grounds. It is, however, 

 always well to have several kinds of trees, shrubs, etc., at every school, 

 so that the pupils may come to know as many of them as possible. 



