72 TREES IN" WINTER 



Shrubs are largely used in groups and belts and not as individual 

 specimens. Few shrubs are sufficiently graceful and characteristic 

 in habit to make pleasing objects when planted singly^ but by their 

 great variety, a group becomes very attractive. Their place is 

 largely in borders with trees or buildings as back grounds and in 

 clumps in the open lawn or in the bends of walks and drives. 

 On small lots the shrubs and small trees should predominate, while 

 the larger areas will stand a greater proportion of large trees. 



Planting for ^Yinter Effect — It is remarkable in view of the vol- 

 umes that have been written on subjects relating to landscape arch- 

 itecture, that so little attention has been given to the matter of 

 planting for winter effect. Most trees in the northern sections are 

 dormant or in their winter condition for at least six months in 

 every year. Although people do not use their gardens and grounds 

 so much at this season of the year as in the summer, the appearance 

 of the home surroundings in winter may be greatly improved by 

 the careful selection of species and by their proper grouping. The 

 evergreens, of course, are indispensable for winter effect, but some 

 of them are decidedly more desirable than others. The spruces, 

 unless used with discretion, are likely to be too formal for rural 

 planting, but when interspersed with pines and hemlocks are very 

 useful for backgrounds. The hemlock is the most graceful of ever- 

 greens and should be more generally planted around rural homes. 

 It thrives well in shaded locations where other species fail. 

 There is a great variation in color among evergreens and the somber 

 effect produced by some kinds may be greatly diminished by plant- 

 ing with them one of the brighter colored species. The same re- 

 sult may be attained by using some of the contrasty deciduous 

 trees, like the white or gray birch. The value of the birches also 

 may be greatly enhanced by being located in front of an ever- 

 green background as shown on page 231. 



The Planting Plan — The work of planning the home ground 

 is greatly facilitated by the use of a plan. (See figs. 32 and 33). 

 This should be drawn to a scale and should show in the beginning 

 all the landscape fixtures or those features that must remain 

 unchanged. Such fixtures include the buildings, the irregularities 

 of the surface of the ground, the valuable shade trees, the orchard, 

 the highway and anything else that it is impracticable to move. 

 The next step after locating the fixtures, is to indicate on the plan 

 the position of the trees and shrubs to produce the desired effect. 



Of course, anyone who attempts to make such a plan, must have 



