66 LANDSCAPE-GARDENING 



should be grouped near each other./ Usually a group 

 should be made up of plants which come into leaf at 

 the same time in the spring, as a shrub when growth 

 starts late may look dead in comparison with early 

 shrubs and one might feel tempted to cut it out. 



One who aspires to arrange the planting for a 

 tract of land wisely should study the plan carefully 

 on the ground itself. He may find certain unattrac- 

 tive objects to be planted out, like barns, ugly build- 

 ings, railway yards, and scars caused by cuts in 

 hillsides or by white retaining walls. On the other 

 hand, he may observe that by cutting away some 

 growth, a lovely valley may be opened to view, or 

 a bit of the sea, a river, a distant village, or other 

 objects of real interest will suddenly appear. When 

 this is the case, the owner of a small tract may really 

 own all the land he can see in the sense that the 

 pleasure of looking at it cannot be taken away from 

 him. 



To arrange plants properly one must know them, 

 know how they look, how large they will grow, when 

 they leaf out in the spring and drop their leaves 

 in the fall, the colors they put on at various times, 

 the date of blossoming and fruiting, and all the facts 

 that have a bearing on their appearance. He must 



