In the making of groups, as well as in all the uses of plants, one must learn 

 to distinguish between contrasts which are harmonious, and those which are 

 absolutely ircongruous. Discordant colors, irreconcilable differences between 

 the abnormal habits of freak plants and the natural habits of common plants, 

 and the discrepancy of texture caused by the juxtaposition of plants having very 

 large and those having very small leaves, are all alike incongruities. In many 

 cases, the plant groups seen on lawns have more the appearance of heterogeneous 

 collections than of groups. Furthermore, unity requires that all plants in any 

 one group have one or more similar characteristics. Tt is comparatively easy to 

 make a selection of plants of different form or habit yet similar in value of green and 

 perhaps similar also in texture. In such a selection, the similarity of color and 

 texture serves to join all the plants into a unified group. A number of similarly 

 rounded plant forms having slightly different tones of green may likewise be 

 selected, and in this case their similarity of form will serve to unify the group. 

 In the use of flowering plants, it is wise to employ but a single color other than 

 white, ard to use a preponderance of white as the underlying element. Groups 

 consisting of like plants and tending to result in mass effects are essentially 

 homogeneous. With the introduction of unlike and contrasting elements, however, 

 an intermixture of less- definite, rounded forms and low foliage is necessary, and, 

 while of itself not especially evident, this intermixture serves to unify the group. 

 It is not possible to build scenery by the use of contrasts alone. 



Continuous planting along property lines or between the several areas of a 

 yard functions primarily as barriers. The means of enclosure should always be 

 effective, but the borders may also be attractive and in places even decorative. 

 An easy way to plan borders is to begin by thinking of them all as hedges. When 

 their extent has been determined, an examination of the plan will perhaps enable 

 one to select the points where decorative plants may be used to the best advantage. 



In order to make detailed plans for the borders, it is necessary to visualize 

 both the existing conditions and the proposed planting as it will grow. One 

 must be able to imagine the appearance of it in order to prepare a ground plan 

 of it, for that is merely a record of one's mental picture and a guide for the actual 

 planting operations. The sides of each area may be studied by standing directly 

 opposite each one and sketching the effects proposed for any part of its borders. 

 A sketch may be made by only two lines, the ground line and the skyline, and 

 in such a sketch the space intervening represents the mass effect of the planting. 

 Any means whereby one can picture more clearly the situation and what he 

 would like to make of it, a rough sketch, or a more careful drawing of its elevations 

 and so forth, will be helpful. If one has a good imagination, he may be able to 

 visualize clearly the situation and the desired effects, and so decide upon the 

 plants suitable for his purposes. As a rule the borders should be mere back- 

 grounds, but it may be easier for some to begin by thinking of them as plain hedges, 

 and then to plan for the diversification of the skyline or the face of the border 

 by inserting lower-growing, decorative plants. A general plan or sketch of an 

 entire lot which indicates the location and the outlines of the main features 

 furnishes some suggestions for the detailed plans for the borders, and also, perhaps, 

 for lines of view and points for accent. 



Accentuation by means of plants, and degrees of accent have already been 

 mentioned and discussed somewhat abstractly. But one may ask: What relation 



