THE GARDEN PRIMER 



a plan of it to scale on a sheet of heavy paper, loca- 

 ting thereon the position of the house, outbuildings, 

 t existing trees, shrubs, walks and all other features that 

 ,imis be/ tatoi: into consideration in the planting 

 Scheme. * Even if 'you are merely intending to have a 

 iibpt^x fcf IJojveijs jtrplind the base of your house, sketch 

 tne otfrfine -ftie* building on paper as accurately to 

 measure as possible; or, better still, hunt up the archi- 

 tect's working plan and trace its outline to scale. There 

 is an excellent reason for this; growing things should 

 always be considered in their connection with their 

 environment, just as in their wild state they are con- 

 sidered as features of the landscape, against hillside, 

 bordering ponds and rivers, fringing streams, carpeting 

 meadows, and so on. So no matter how simple a plot 

 you are planning to plant, a strip of shrubbery ten 

 feet long by three broad may be all wrong if selected 

 and planted without due regard for its place in the 

 whole scheme of the premises. Likewise with a flower- 

 bed (though we may concede to the necessities of the 

 vegetable patch; only even there one has as good a 

 chance to make the plants as attractive, in a measure, 

 as in the Rose garden). 



When you have planned your garden on paper 

 and planting time approaches heed the warning not to 

 rush into a seed-store, or a nurseryman's to buy a 

 packet of every seed that has an attractive name, to take 

 home and scatter about recklessly with over-enthusiastic 

 faith that you have done all that is necessary to ensure 

 a garden. Successful gardens are not made that way. 



