THE PLAN 15 



berry {Rubus odoratus), and farther to the south, still along the 

 line, wild Hydrangea arborescens appears. Japanese barberry 

 lifts its low rounds along the entire front, or south line, of this 

 place, and vines are iised for the most part to screen the service- 

 steps in the rear. To my thinking, the omission of the large- 

 leaved subjects, such as Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia macro- 

 phyUa), and Tree of Heaven, as well as of Catalpa speciosa, would 

 be a benefit to such a place as this. These have an exotic look; 

 and the normal, the inconspicuous, in a small planting is essential 

 to the best effect. I could, too, leave out the barberry. But these 

 are matters of personal taste, introduced only for discursive rea- 

 sons, and for the pleasure of provoking garden argument. 



An illustration shows another type of informal arrangement — 

 what we may call an end arrangement of shrubs and plants, their 

 grouping either for the purpose of dividing a lot half-way down 

 its length, or furnishing it with a screen, a background, and a 

 terminal feature at its utmost end. This planting forms one of 

 the simplest and most practical possible. Yet, by careful man- 

 agement, there may be had from these few feet of ground, say a 

 space thirty feet square, an enclosure for daily use out of doors, a 

 good effect of foliage, and many flowers for cutting during May, 

 June, September, and October. 



The tall shrubs are old lilacs. When I say old, I mean that it 

 is about twenty years since they were purchased. To the left, 

 there happens to be a hedge of cUpped Spirea Vanhouteii; to the 

 right, bush honeysuckles. Within this curve, and forming another 

 rather careless curve of their own, are fine peonies of various 

 kinds; Marguerite Gerard, Jeanne d'Arc, Sarah Bernhardt, La 

 Rosiere, among them. Between these peonies appear, in May, 

 before the peony leaves are developed, grape hyacinth, Mus- 

 cari. Heavenly Blue, and daffodils, planted mainly to the left 

 of the grass space. A little to the right of the centre, and still 



