PREFACE 



REASONS FOR THIS BOOK. The author has for some time felt that 

 there was needed in the landscape field, especially by the amateur 

 gardener, a book of this type. He has believed that such a book would 

 be of value to everyone who is interested in the important work of 

 landscape plantings, not only to the amateur but to the expert gar- 

 dener and to the property owner who has made an exhaustive study of 

 plant uses and plant adaptations. 



One of the reasons for the publication of these planting lists for differ- 

 ent purposes is that it provides a permanent record for future reference. 

 There is no good reason why a landscape architect thoroughly familiar, 

 as a result of years of experience, study, and observation, with the use of 

 plants should devote his time and thought to the compilation of lists 

 of plants for different purposes, such as wild gardens, spring gardens, 

 rock gardens, and bog gardens in connection with some specific problem 

 only to have each list of material cease to exist for the use of others, as 

 soon as the work in question is completed. Plant lists compiled by 

 capable landscape architects are too frequently used only for one 

 problem, thus requiring the next man who starts to work upon a 

 similar problem to begin his study, not where the other man left off, 

 but at the same point where the other man began, duplicating work and 

 wasting much time and energy. It is not meant to imply that all 

 ornamental plants can be confined within definite standardized lists 

 from which those who attempt to select plants for a specific purpose 

 must choose. It is the author's sincere feeling that lists of plants 

 compiled as the result of the different studies and investigations con- 

 tinually being made, in connection with the landscape problems of 

 many clients, may be accepted as a starting point or a reference beyond 

 which a planter is at full liberty to go when he wishes to use species and 

 varieties which are unusual and rare, or whenever the conditions of his 

 specific problem require it. 



The responsibility for the original idea conceived as a basis for the 

 development of this book may be traced to the author's experience in 

 classroom work and in teaching. In this field of work, from a peda- 



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