136 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



foundation planting of some sort. Usually soft or graceful shrubs of 

 medium size, or such as can be kept at a medium height with the 

 pruning shears are the best. Here again Barberry and Spiraea 

 Thunbergii and S. Vanhouttei are among the best. So are the Snow- 

 berries and Indian Currants. Rugosa Roses, dwarf Philadelphus, 

 Kerria and conifers such as Mugho Pine and Savin and other Juni- 

 pers, can be used to advantage. 



Care should always be exercised in treating the front of the 

 grounds. Here and there is an owner who desires heavy planting in 

 the way of a solid continuous border in order to get privacy. But 

 more often it means simply a hedge or a few groups of shrubs with 

 openings between the groups which really gives the best effect. 

 The larger the grounds the more heavily you must plant, and the 

 bolder the curves and sweeps of a shrubbery border. The smaller 

 the grounds, the more careful you must be to have your planting in 

 proportion to the surroundings. Here also all too frequently, for 

 the sake of the immediate effect, shrubs are planted too close to- 

 gether. In a group of dwarf Barberry which should contain say 

 seven plants, we may find fourteen. Or the stock is planted so near 

 the sidewalk that the branches will be in the way before the first 

 season is over. All this can be and should be avoided. 



The way for the beginner to get ideas in arranging the planting 

 of shrubs in groups for the entrance of grounds, is to look at other 

 plantings. That holds good also with border or hedge planting, 

 or, for that matter, any landscape work. 



In charging for the planting of shrubs a great deal depends on 

 what preparations have to be made before one can start to plant. 

 If the soil is so poor that it needs to be replaced, or enriched with 

 manure, the work will run into money, but if such is not the case 

 and it is just a matter of planting, govern yourself by the cost of the 

 shrubs to you. Shrubs which cost you at the nursery, say, $25 per 

 100, by the time you have them planted will have cost you twice 

 that much. Even if only a few are to be planted, a dollar per plant 

 is not too much to charge for them. 



Trees are of great value on the home ground. There are times, 

 as in the case of a wooded piece of ground, when a good many have 

 to be taken out before you can even start to grade. Always open 

 up well on the east and north sides of a residence; you want the 

 morning sun and the light which trees keep out on the north side. 

 On the south and west sides go more slowly. The afternoon sun of 

 a Summer's day often makes things very uncomfortable. If there 

 are no trees on the grounds, plan to plant some but not too near the 

 residence ; and always allow plenty of space between them for proper 

 future development. What good is a beautiful Maple or a stately 

 Elm when crowded in with other trees? 



