Book of Gardens 



39^ 



THE GARDEN POSSIBILITIES of a CITY BACK YARD 



Exploding the Theory that Pleasant Vistas and a Wealth of Bloom Are Restricted to 

 the Broader Areas of Country Gardeiis — A Definite Planting Plan 



THE city back yard is by no means the 

 hopeless, dreary horticultural desert that 

 one is led by pessimistic forecasts to believe. 

 Whatever hopelessness enshrouds it is usually 

 evolved from the attitude of mind of the owner 

 or occupant of the particular back yard under 

 consideration. If one takes the stand that the 

 position is untenable and that nothing can be 

 done, the probabilit}' is that nothing will be 

 done; but if on the contrary there is a deter- 

 mined effort to "start something" then some- 

 thing is going to happen, and that something 

 will doubtless bear results. 



A city back yard is just so much land, just 

 as an equal piece of land elsewhere is but a 

 piece of land. The thing to do is to go to work 

 and see what can be done with it. To be sure, 

 the land is apt to be hard from lack of tilling, 

 and is probably lacking in fertility; but both 

 these objections can be overcome by thorough 

 digging in the one case and the application of 

 fertilizers — preferably well rotted barnyard 

 manure — in the other. 



Just what is to be undertaken in reclaiming 

 a neglected back yard will depend entirely upon 

 the tenure of occupancy. If the residence is a 

 permanent home, then the yard may be laid out 

 into walks, a bit of lawn, flower borders and 

 shrubbery; for even a two-by-four-rod lot will 

 afford room for a generous planting and such 

 garden accessories as one may desire. But if 

 the home is merely temporary, then not much 



in the way of permanent improvements will be 

 undertaken; yet the yard may be made charm- 

 ing by the use of bedding plants, annual flowers 

 and vines sensibly arranged. 



The first thing to undertake will be a thor- 

 ough cleaning up of the ground, removing 

 everything that is not actually necessary and 

 making the ground as smooth and presentable 

 as possible. The next thing in order will be 

 hiding the division fences and any outbuild- 

 ings that exist with vines or tall growing an- 

 nuals. Narrow beds dug along the fences on 

 either side may be planted with vines of quick 

 growth, and such summer bedding plants and 

 tall annuals as cannas, cosmos, ricinus, and the 

 like may be used to mask the rear fence. These 

 are all plants which may be started in the house 

 from roots and seeds and planted out when the 

 weather is suitable. 



Usually it is preferable to leave the center 

 of the lot open, seeding down the ground to 

 grass for a bit of lawn ; but this is hardly prac- 

 ticable in the temporary home. As a bare ex- 

 panse of earth is anything but attractive, it will 

 be better to put this part of the lot into flower 

 beds, using low growing annuals or bedding 

 plants and leaving broad walks around this 

 miniature garden. This with the border be- 

 neath the fences will cover the lot so that only 

 the paths remain, and if these can be covered 

 with sand or gravel or even sifted coal ashes 

 the result will be entirely satisfactor)'. 



(A) Summerhoiise or pergola; {B) lily or lotus pool; 

 seats with lattice backs and hoods; (D) tall shrubs; 

 ornamental trees: (F) low shrubs or tall perennials; 

 vines; (H) low perennials, annuals or bedding plants; 

 sun dial; (M) stepping stones 



(C) 



(£) 

 (G) 

 (A-) 



An even better arrangement than the vines 

 growing up the fences would be the erection of 

 boxes on top of the fences filled with trailing 

 vines, such as nasturtiums or other gay-flower- 

 ing vines. The boxes may contam upright 

 plants as well — just the sort of planting that 

 one makes in porch or window boxes, only on 

 a somewhat larger scale. The expense for this 

 sort of work need not be great, as rough wooden 

 boxes will answer quite as well as more costly 

 ones. The long boxes in which curtain poles 

 are sometimes shipped are just the right thing 

 and can be purchased for about twenty-five 

 cents each at the dry goods or furniture stores. 

 They need only filling with good soil to be 

 ready for the reception of such plants as one 

 may elect to use. If the fence has a flat board 

 on top, the boxes may be set directly on it, but 

 if no top rail is present the boxes are easily 

 adjusted by means of wooden brackets attached 

 to the fence posts. 



Where the boxes are adopted instead of 

 planting vines at the foot of the fence, then 

 scarlet salvia, white feverfew, camphor gerani- 

 ums, nicotiana, asters, stocks and the like may 

 lift their bright heads from the ground to meet 

 the down trailing vines. Petunias, verbenas, 

 sweet alyssum and ageratum may be used as an 

 edging, and the whole will furnish a wealth of 

 bloom from early summer to frost. 



Taller growing annuals may be banked about 

 the base of the house and the rear entrance 

 steps. Erect a trellis of wire above the entrance 

 and cover this with Japanese morning glories, 

 Cobcea scandens, passion vines and similar free 

 blooming vines. On top of the balustrade and 

 in all the rear windows place boxes of bright 

 flowers. If a continuous succession of boxes 

 along the entire fence seems too great an under- 

 taking, they may be separated by a few feet 

 and the spaces between filled with some not 

 too rank growing vine planted beneath the 

 fence; or a tall growing plant may be utilized 

 to fill the opening and relieve the monotony of 

 a too level planting beneath. Then if one is 

 faithful with the watering hose, zealous in 

 training the growth of vines and plants, and 

 will gather flowers before they fade and keep 

 the plants free from insect pests, there will be 

 no call to despise the city back yard. 



The permanent back yard, however, should 

 have as its chief charm a stretch of velvetv 

 green sod, well trimmed and shaved, and the 

 flowers should be merely the framework and 

 adornment of its beauty. A broad cement or 

 graveled path, or one with stepping stones down 

 its center, broadening midway of its length into 

 a circle enclosing an artificial pool for lilies 

 and goldfish and with garden seats at each side, 

 may be the chief feature of this part of the 

 }-ard. Mass planting of tall growing peren- 

 nials and shrubs may serve as a screen for an 

 enclosing fence or undesirable view. Taller 

 shrubs and ornamental trees may close the vista 

 in the rear, and a little tea house or pergola 

 makes a shady retreat at the end of the path. 

 Stepping stones give a quaint and old-time 

 flavor to a garden, but they must be set low 

 enough to allow the lawn mower to pass freely 

 over them. Walks of red brick, especially 

 where the enclosing walls are of brick, are 

 charming. Seats of red cement may be used 

 with them, or wooden ones painted green. 



