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the desired colors small sizes may be selected, and, as they are apt to continue in 

 bloom all summer, it is not necessary to arrange the different kinds of plants in 

 tiers or to provide for many different varieties in order to obtain continuous bloom. 

 Most herbaceous perennials, however, are in flower for but a part of the growing 

 season; their roots are larger, and a variety must be used in order to continue 

 their floral effect. Therefore, a border two or three feet wide, which may be made 

 to look very well in annuals, is quite too narrow if herbaceous perennials are used. 

 In order to maintain a continually good appearance from early spring until frost, 

 borders of herbaceous perennials should be not less that eight feet wide, and great- 

 er widths, up to twelve feet, are far better. 



The colors of most of the perennial garden flowers are less garish than those of 

 annuals, and unless one has a finely developed sense of color, he is safer in dealing 

 only with the herbaceous perennials. All colors look better with a background of 

 a fine-textured, dark green hedge, and with such a background a bright color is 

 very cheerful, and combinations of bright colors, if cleverly arranged, may be 

 very effective. A large proportion of white flowers with a small proportion of 

 flowers of one other color is usually a safe and pleasing combination. In small 

 city gardens sometimes only annuals will thrive, and furthermore, in many of 

 these, but little space is available for flowers. Hence, in such cases, it is advisable 

 for one to plan to use annuals and to give his problem the careful study necessary. 

 In preparing plans for the incorporation of flower beds in small gardens and court- 

 yards, one should decide on the kind of flowers best suited to his scheme, and 

 should carefully plan the dimensions of the flower areas accordingly. 



The space allowed for a table and chairs out-of-doors should not be smaller 

 than is found practical inside the house, and indeed, out-of-doors this area should 

 be somewhat larger. As its use is to be primarily that of an outdoor room, the 

 arrangement of the tables, the chairs, and the settees therein is of first importance. 

 In the planning of these outdoor sitting rooms, as well as in that of porches, 

 terraces, and small gardens, one should arrange ample passageways from the house 

 to the lawns and about the areas themselves, so that it may be possible to stroll 

 about the garden without interrupting or annoying a seated group. For ex- 

 ample, doors from the house to the center of a terrace will necessarily lead 

 across the terrace in such a manner as to cut it in two, thus necessitating the 

 arrangement of the chairs in two groups. Doors from the house to a small garden, 

 whether opening directly into the garden or passing across a porch or a terrace, are 

 therefore more out of the way if to one side of the center. By this arrangement, 

 the areas are cut unequally; the smaller area is then allotted as a place in which 

 to walk about, while the usefulness of the larger area, for which the private 

 garden is primarily designed, is unimpaired. The widths of walks and of steps 

 should not ordinarily be less than four feet. Moreover, as these features are a 

 part of the living rooms and are recreational areas of the home, they should be 

 made to appear as generous as possible. Even a small garden is improved by 

 ample dimensions in these details. Between beds of low-growing flowers walks 

 will appear wider than those of the same width passing between tall-growing 

 flowers. However, in most cases it is highly desirable to make walks wider 

 than four feet, and even an additional six inches will be effective, though 

 widths of five and six feet should be employed wherever possible. Generous 

 dimensions in these details give to small gardens a style and a character which is 



