lo6 THE SMALL COUNTRY PLACE 



able to grow columbines (aquilegia), saxifrage, snow-on- 

 the-mountain, etc. 



Native asters (A. cordefolium, A. undulatus), golden- 

 rods, etc., will grow under avenues of trees, and plants 

 of these and many other species may be established by 

 transplanting clumps or by sowing the seeds just before 

 the ground freezes in the fall. Other species of asters 

 and golden-rods may be grown in more full exposure. 



Native Ferns. There are few plants that are more 

 satisfactory than many of our native ferns where we 

 have suitable conditions for their growth and where 

 they can be protected from injury by dogs, cats, and 

 poultry. They succeed on a northern exposure and in 

 a moist soil. If the soil is not right it may be easily 

 made so by removing unfavorable soil and adding 

 peaty or turfy soil from swamps or meadows and tamp- 

 ing it firmly in place. Clumps of ferns may be dug in 

 the fall before the ground freezes and planted, or they 

 may be set just as they are beginning growth in the 

 spring. About the only requirements of these plants 

 during the summer are an abundance of water and not 

 too full exposure to the sun. Fig. 33 shows a group of 

 ferns and native shrubs massed with the house for a 

 background. 



Lawn Perennials. 



There are many beautiful hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nials especially adapted to growth upon the lawn, 

 among which are, peonias, phloxes, day lilies, golden 

 glow, iris, lily-of-the-valley, hollyhocks, larkspur, yucca, 

 etc. These may be arranged in groups all of one kind, 

 or in mixed groups, at various places about the lawn; 

 in a line along the boundary or the sides of the walks; 

 in masses by the sides of the steps, 'in a mass to cover 

 the foundation of the house, etc. When the space to be 



