210 THE BEGINNER'S GARDEN BOOK 



Shrubberies may be placed at the edge of clumps of trees, 

 or inside the fences that inclose a house-lot. They are of 

 great service along the foundation lines of a building, hiding 

 the cellar wall, rounding corners, making the building seem 

 lower, and altogether making it more homelike. They may 

 be planted to hide the kitchen end of a house, the compost 

 heap, or the clothes-yard. Or a shrubbery may be designed 



FIG. 111. A planting of spiraeas to mask a shed. German iris in front. 



to inclose a flower garden. Thus it will be seen that shrubs 

 are usually planted to perform some service in making a place 

 beautiful, and are seldom used as being beautiful themselves. 

 This is right, for shrubs are modest things, and should not 

 be expected to stand alone, on show. 



The distances apart at which shrubs should stand varies 

 with their size, which differs with the variety. I believe 

 in setting them at the proper distances (about two-thirds 

 of their full spread) from the very first, For shrubs should 



