6 THE COMPLETE GARDEN 



The Range of Plant Adaptation in General. After studying a 

 compilation of this kind the great range of plant adaptations becomes 

 evident. There is a large group of materials which are hardy under 

 almost all conditions. There are many other types of material, how- 

 ever, too numerous to mention in detail, which are adapted only to 

 specific sections of the country. 



The Adaptation of Evergreens in Particular. The question 

 of the adaptation of evergreens is perhaps the one which may cause 

 the most serious discussion. Evergreens are a group of plants which 

 possess widely varying characteristics, especially of hardiness under 

 different climatic conditions. The evergreens which will flourish in the 

 humid and less severe atmosphere of Long Island will not grow through 

 the windy regions of the Middle West, nor in the extreme exposure of 

 the water-front conditions of the North Atlantic and the Great Lakes 

 Region. Neither will evergreens which flourish in the sandy soils of 

 Michigan grow upon the clay soils of the Middle Western States. 

 Therefore, the question of evergreens has been carefully considered, and 

 an attempt has been made to differentiate the groups and the require- 

 ments of each. This subdividing of evergreens for various locations 

 is based entirely upon the normal protection. Many evergreens, as 

 with other plants, will thrive under abnormal conditions if they are 

 nursed and protected during the severe winter months. On the other 

 hand, many evergreens which will withstand the exposures of winter 

 conditions will not continue to thrive when placed in the clayey soils 

 of some of our Middle Western States, where they are subjected to the 

 severe baking and drying out of these soils during the summer months. 



Method of Grouping Plants. The question of whether plants for 

 landscape use should be grouped according to height or according to 

 other characteristics, such as season of bloom, character of growth, 

 soil adaptations, etc., is one that has been discussed to a considerable 

 extent. The writer feels that in the selection of plants as a part of any 

 landscape design, the question of height is of secondary consideration 

 as compared with the natural characteristics and adaptations of the 

 stock under consideration. The selection of plants for specific pur- 

 poses such as background planting, undergrowth planting, windbreaks, 

 ground cover, etc., implies that, in addition to other important char- 

 acteristics of hardiness, compactness, and qualities of fruiting and 



