WILD GARDENS 277 



impossible to make such a plan, or to work to it 

 if it is made. But the space can be laid off in a 

 general way, according to exposure, shade, and 

 soil conditions or character; and on these plot- 

 tings it is well to write in the kind of plants that 

 may be used. For example, none of the heath 

 family — of which rhododendrons, laurel, the 

 huckleberries and azaleas are familiar members 

 — like an alkali or limestone soil; certain other 

 wild flowers prefer cool roots but sun on their 

 heads; still another lot will have none of it at 

 all, while there are many who rejoice in nothing 

 save the driest and hottest places available. 

 Plot the garden space out and mark it with just 

 these key words — "shade," "hot sun," "part 

 shade," "lime," "acid," "wet." Then you are 

 ready to begin selecting either from the cata- 

 logues or from the woods themselves, the plants 

 that are to go into it. 



If you go to the woods, always exercise re- 

 straint in gathering material, unless they are 

 woods that will soon be obliterated altogether. 

 From such localities there seems justification for 

 regarding it as a rescue of doomed plants instead 

 of wanton disregard of forest law to take as 

 many as possible into the shelter of a wild gar- 

 den — but certainly not from anywhere else. 

 Either buy from the specialists who grow this 



