CHAPTER IX 
TREES AND SHRUBS 
Ornamental Planting. — Every real student of nature 
is a lover of art out of doors. Such a person bestows the 
same degree of care and attention upon his yard or home 
grounds that he gives to the house itself. He regards it as 
a mistake for a home-builder to spend his last dollar in the 
erection and furnishing of the house, leaving the premises 
barren and unattractive. Ordinarily we can learn more 
about the character and taste of the owner from the artistic 
planting and care of the grounds than by looking at the size 
and beauty of the house. An architect and a full purse may 
account for the latter, but the former usually requires a labor 
of love. 
The principle of ornamental planting is very simple; 
namely, that the trees and shrubbery shall give the house 
the setting necessary to form an attractive picture. In 
front of the house there should be an open lawn of smooth, 
velvety grass kept in trim condition and free from trees, 
shrubbery, or flower beds of any description. At the back 
and the sides of the house there should be plenty of tall trees, 
though most of them should be kept at a proper distance 
from the walls. The shrubbery may be massed in front of 
these trees, with the tallest in the rear. Low shrubs should 
also be placed against the foundations of the house to re- 
lieve the hard lines and connect the building with the ground 
in a natural way. Vines should cover at least a portion of 
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