PLANTING A SMALL SUBURBAN LOT 
(SEE PLAN NO. 3) 
SIMPLE shrub planting can be carried out on the usual suburban 
lot of 50-60 feet frontage and a depth of 100-110 feet. Many lots 
are smaller than this, but on a smaller area there cannot be much 
planting. In this case we do not strive for an extended garden effect nor 
for flowers the summer through. The most that we can do is to relieve 
the flat bare appearance of the lot—the whole block was graded level 
long before this lot was occupied—to tie the rather ordinary-looking house 
to the lawn and give the whole area a feeling that somebody lives there 
and takes pride in his home. 
To make our problem more definite we shall further suppose several 
things. Although the five lots which are near to this one are occupied 
or soon will be, it has been found impossible to get the neighbors to 
cooperate and plan the whole block asa unit. Instead of this larger treat- 
ment the home owner will go ahead on his own lot independently, and per- 
haps his success will induce his neighbors to try some planting on their 
own bare lots. There are no vistas in any direction—merely street, 
houses, clothes reels, and garbage cans, and other features of our commu- 
nity life. There is nothing particularly interesting beyond the lot and too 
little area to get any enclosed garden effects. 
The house faces due south, and the main approach is from the eastern 
end of the east-west street. There are two cement walks leading up from 
the street walk, young trees along the street, but none on the lot. There 
is no construction of any kind on the lot save the house. The subsoil 
was covered with a foot of fairly good loam, and a lawn started on the 
whole area before the present owner bought the house. 
The house we will imagine to be about 30 by 40 feet, of wood with brick 
foundations, set back about 15 feet from the sidewalk, and placed to the 
west of the centre of the lot. It is painted in some neutral color with 
green-stained shingles. There is a covered porch in front and an open 
piazza at the rear. We will suppose that it is early spring and the new 
owner is about to move in. He does not wish to spend over $50 for 
planting—at least at present. The plan presented is simply one possible 
solution. 
There is room for but a fewtrees. The street trees will in time shade 
the front of the house sufficiently. “Two or three trees on the west prop- 
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