160 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 



remainder with a few inches of good earth. This 

 protects and nourishes the roots. A heavy mulch of 

 lawn clippings during summer is also helpful, but 

 is quite useless if chickens are allowed access to it 

 as they will scratch it off and, to be effectual, it should 

 be undisturbed. Left alone it forms a felt-like mat 

 through which neither weed can spring nor heat or 

 drought enter. 



In somewhat sheltered situations the altheas are 

 very satisfactory and may be used as backgrounds for 

 lower growths, as specimen plants or kept trimmed 

 low as hedges. They are beautiful no matter how 

 they are used but require a little protection in win- 

 ters in localities of cold, unsettled weather. This may 

 take the form of rough manure about the roots and 

 strips of matting or burlap wound about the top. 

 Often the interposition of a windbreak of some sort 

 will be sufficient. 



A number of shrubs of one variety is always far 

 more effective than several plants all different and, 

 where there are a number of separate plantings to 

 be made, it will be well to emphasize some particular 

 variety in each planting, though the entire planting 

 need not be of the one sort, but combined with some 

 other which harmonizes or contrasts well with it or 

 which blooms at a different season. 



The planting of shrubs and trees is a simple opera- 

 tion, but there are certain conditions which make for 



