HOME PLANTING AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING 83 



trees; measure distances apart and draw the ground plan to 

 scale, and sketch or photograph the groups. 



Rules for grouping trees are sometimes given. The follow- 

 ing are modified from different authorities as suggestive and 

 practical. 



1. Specimen trees those which stand alone should be 

 chosen for special beauty or character ; oaks, chestnuts, black 



FIG. 38. A specimen of nature's planting 



walnuts, old pines, and cedars for massive strength and dig- 

 nity ; hemlock, elm, larch, and spruce and the birches for 

 graceful tracery of form and outline ; Colorado blue spruce, 

 purple beech, Schwedler, swamp and Japanese maples for rich 

 coloring. 



2. Groups should not be too compact, and on estates of 

 limited extent are generally more effective if made up of trees 

 of different characters. They should be unsymmetrical, irreg- 

 ular, " natural " in form. The taller trees should, of course, 

 occupy the center, or form the background in boundary-line 



