240 



HORTICULTURE 



February 24, 1917 



RYNVELD BROTHERS 



Wholesale Bulb Growers and Exporters 



We specialize in Darwin, May-Flowering, Breeder and Rembrandt Tulips 



Oar new list ready, Free on Application 



Lisse, Holland 



N. Y. Address, 44 Whitehall Street 



PLANTING THE HOME GROUNDS. 



Part of a paper Avrittt'n for the I'euinau- 

 la Horticultural Society, Dover, Del., by 

 R. Vlucent, Jr., of Whitemarsh, Md. (The 

 portion liere given was followed by com- 

 prehensive lists of planting material for 

 various purposes and locations with prac- 

 tical directions for soil preparation, spac- 

 ing, exposures, etc.) 



This article is not intended to cover 

 large estates where the grounds are 

 extensive — the correct way would be 

 then to employ a thoroughly competent 

 landscape gardener — therefore, my ar- 

 ticle today takes in the places and sit- 

 uations that practically can be made 

 good by the owner or .ordinary gar- 

 dener. The list of trees, shrubs, 

 plants, etc., that are here offered are 

 those that in my judgment are best 

 adapted to the majority of locations. 

 Too many places have their beauty 

 spoiled by too much tree planting; 

 that is, in a great many cases too 

 many trees are planted on a limited 

 space. This not only occurs around 

 the humble cottage, but many places 

 of large dimensions are in the same 

 condition. This sometimes is. solely 

 the owner's fault, and again it is the 

 man supplying the trees who wants to 

 dispose of as many as possible, and 

 induces the party for whom he is 

 planting that to make a display at 

 once so many must be planted. This 

 is all very well if they are planted so 

 as to be removed or cut out in a few 

 years, and they should be so placed 

 that this may be accomplished, but 

 often it is not and the consequences 

 are, that after a time one tree over- 

 grows and disfigures another. Too 

 many mistakes are also made in not 

 studying the size to which the tree 

 will grow, and in planting too close to 

 buildings, road or pathway, thus be- 

 coming a nuisance by crowding road- 

 way or path. Then limbs have to be 

 lopped off to make room for passage, 

 disfiguring the trees or bushes and 

 making a bad appearance generally. 



Another point where a number of 

 mistakes are made is in planting too 

 many of the same variety as is fre- 

 quently done on small places. The va- 



rieties of trees and shrubs are innum- 

 erable and can be gotten in endless 

 variety — and variety is what gives 

 charm and beauty to any place wheth- 

 er large or small. 



There are some situations where the 

 planting of certain kinds of trees or 

 shrubs en masse is correct and gives 

 a goodly appearance. This is not what 

 1 have reference to, but to small places 

 where you will see possibly four or 

 five weeping trees, all of one variety, 

 or the same in hardy hydrangeas or 

 shrubbery of a like character, too 

 much sameness to be beautiful. If 

 those planting the home grounds 

 would spend a little time inspecting 

 other places that are well planted, and 

 then consult some good gardener, the 

 result would be more artistic even 

 though expense was added, and they 

 would be well paid in after years. Do 

 not consult the man who calls himself 

 a "landscape gardener" simply be- 

 cause he has a few trees and shrubs 

 to sell, as he is more than likely to 

 recommend what he has in stock than 

 varieties you would have to procure 

 elsewhere. 



I have heard several lectures by 

 parties advocating the procuring of 

 trees, etc., from the woods or forest 

 for their home-ground planting. This 

 might do, and has been done in some 

 cases, but in the majority has not been 

 successful, as a tree or brush grown 

 in some shade or partial shade more 

 or less, then transplanted out into the 

 bright sunshine is apt to harden the 

 bark, and then it takes a long time to 

 start growing, whereas the nursery- 

 grown tree has been grown out in the 

 elements, and if of any size has been 

 transplanted several times, is better 

 rooted and is in a condition to grow 

 right along, and if properly planted 

 it will soon outstrip the forest tree. 

 I once heard a speaker, who claims to 

 be an educated gardener, tell his audi- 

 ence that they should go out in the 

 woods near by and dig up some of the 

 large holly, cedar and pine trees and 

 plant around some of their buildings 

 that needed hiding. Of course, he was 

 telling the people something he. him- 

 self, had never tried out. If he had. 

 he would have known better than to 

 recommend any such policy, as any- 

 one who has tried to transplant large 

 wild evergreens knows to his sorrow. 

 Small ones can be and are transplant- 



ed, and occasionally a large one, but 

 a great deal of care is required. 



The various garden clubs are doing 

 a greater work than they have any 

 idea of, not only beautifying their own 

 grounds, but educating their neighbors 

 along the same lines. Also, what is 

 being done in a great many cities and 

 suburbs, is teaching the people to Im- 

 prove the opportunity of having 

 flowers either in window or porch 

 boxes or in making the back yard a 

 little paradise. In many instances the 

 fences for a whole block have been 

 removed, giving the block a park-like 

 appearance — a thing of beauty instead 

 of ash barrels, bottles, tin cans and 

 rubbish of all kinds. If such a change 

 can be made in and under these condi- 

 tions in a city, how much more can 

 be done away from the city in the 

 suburbs under much more favorable 

 conditions than our city cousins have. 



The man or woman these days who 

 does not wish for a garden is hard to 

 find, and there are some that are beau- 

 tiful even if very small. It may only 

 be a porch or window box, but for all 

 that it is a joy to the owner if well 

 kept; and that owner is as proud of 

 that box when the plants therein look 

 well as the owner of a large garden 

 or park. But a protest ought to be 

 registered against some of the boxes 

 and vases around public buildings, 

 hotels, etc. They are often filled by 

 contract early in the season, and, with 

 the exception of water occasionally, 

 are left to take care of themselves. 

 Plants will die sometimes or get 

 straggley or bare and ought to be re- 

 placed, which is not often done, con- 

 sequently, instead of being beautiful, 

 are only an eyesore. A little attention 

 in replacing the indifferent plants 

 would have a pleasing effect the whole 

 season. The great city of London has 

 thousands upon thousands of window 

 boxes, and the house dwellers seem to- 

 vie with one another as to who can 

 have the prettiest. The consequence 

 is many a beauty spot for the city 

 dweller to cast his eyes upon. 



Trees, deciduous evergreens, shrubs, 

 perennials, etc., are as much a part of 

 the well-balanced garden as the lawn 

 or flower beds: many of them are as 

 highly decorative as any ornamental 

 foliage plants, and some varieties are 

 as useful as cut flowers, and a plant- 

 ing can be arranged so as to have 

 some bloom or attraction the entire 

 growing season, and with the ever- 

 green trees, shrubbery, etc., a cheei^ 

 ful appearance will be had when the 



