Suburban Home Grounds. 79 



CHAPTER IX. 



You may be on land, yet not in a garden. 



A noble plant suits not with a stubborn ground. 



The charges of building and making of gardens 



are unknown. 

 Although it rains, throw not away the watering 



pot. 



Fear keeps the garden better than the gardener. 

 A garden must be looked unto and dressed, as a 



body. GEORGE HERBERT. 



I HERE is no more critical time in the life of well 

 chosen plants than at the time of planting or trans- 

 planting. Upon this rests the success or failure of 

 the shrubs and trees used to adorn the home grounds. 

 Of course, there must be subsequent care. 



There are several sources from which the plants may be 

 secured. They may be dug from the fields where they are 

 growing wild, they may be raised from seed, they may be raised 

 from cuttings, or by purchase from a nursery. For the ordinary, 

 small suburban home the latter method is the best and quickest 

 in producing the desired results. 



Better success is obtained if the nursery grown plants have 

 been moved several times in the nursery as they have then 

 formed a good mass of roots and will not feel the shock of trans- 

 planting or show the effects that native dug plants do. Use 

 small plants, especially in the evergreen class. They usually 

 do better and more lasting results are obtained than by secur- 

 ing larger ones. It is not only necessary to make a plant live 

 but to make it grow to have satisfaction. 



Plants ordered from the nurseries are usually dug and packed 

 with wet moss or other damp wrappings to keep the roots 

 moist during transportation. As soon as the plants are 

 received they should be unpacked, and if they cannot be 



