BORDER AND SHRUB PLANTING \135 



governed by the amount of money the owner is willing to spend. 

 Tall conifers are most effective and expensive; hardwood trees afford 

 protection in Summer, but not much in Winter when one wants it 

 most. This is to an extent true with most shrubs. But those who 

 cannot afford evergreen trees have to use shrubs and at times are 

 willing to have a small stock of these planted and wait for results. 



In border planting always consider the land across the lot lines. 

 If this is planted with shrubs, you may need but little planting, 

 or just a little to form graceful lines. Whether the shrubs are planted 

 on one side of the lot line or the other doesn't matter as long as the 

 outlines of such a planting are attractive. In planting a border to 

 outline grounds, always have in mind what it will look like in a 

 few years to come. To plant shrubs such as Spiraea Vanhouttei, 

 Honeysuckle, Lilac, or Highbush Cranberries 2 to 3 ft. apart is a 

 crime; the owner must expect to lift every other plant in two or 

 three years to allow room for the others. Wherever you can, allow 

 from 4 to 5 ft. of space. Never plant in straight rows or mix things 

 up too much. Plant according to the height and habit of each 

 variety and always in groups of from five to nine plants of each. 



For instance, starting a border along the sidewalk on the lot 

 line, a group of dwarf Barberry may be placed first, then a group 

 of Spiraea Vanhouttei, then a group of Weigela, followed by Snow- 

 berry, Lilacs, Highbush Cranberry, Forsythia, another group of 

 Spiraea, Honeysuckle and so on. Where a border is more than 

 6 ft. in width, carry your tall varieties to the back and keep such 

 as Berberis Thunbergii, Kerria, Hydrangeas, Spiraea Thunbergii, 

 Forsythia suspensa toward the front. Always bear in mind the 

 desirability of obtaining a contrast in foliage and distributing your 

 flowering sorts so as to obtain a touch of color all through. The 

 same with those bearing berries or fruit; and, last but not least, 

 plant for Winter effect. Consider the gray bark of the Loniceras, 

 the brown of the Philadelphus, the red of Salix or Cornus, and the 

 yellow of the Golden-Barked Cornus. For that matter Spiraea 

 Vanhouttei or the dense growth of Berberis Thunbergii with a 

 sprinkling of berries is fine for Winter. When everything is in a 

 dormant state, here is where the conifers come in. They can and 

 should be planted in groups in a shrubbery border to outline the 

 grounds. These conifers don't need to consist of expensive Blue 

 Spruce; almost anything will do so long as it provides the green 

 Winter effect. Evergreens or conifers don't often grow all by them- 

 selves in their natural state ; they like the company of trees and other 

 shrubs, and look well with them. 



THE FOUNDATION PLANTING Is IMPORTANT 



The foundation planting is another important matter. With 

 very few exceptions, almost any home is greatly improved by a 



