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A mature massing of perennials against shrubs 



Massed boundary planting of shrubs and perennials the first season 



Everybody's Planting and Planning Problems 



By Elizabeth L. Strang, SI 



assa- 

 usetts 



A GENERAL SCHEME FOR THE AVERAGE SUBURBAN LOT THAT HAS DETAILS WHICH MAY BE ADAPTED TO 

 FIT YOUR OWN PLACE— COLOR SCHEMES AND ALTERNATIVE BORDERS FOR SHADED SPOTS AND POOR SOILS 



[Editors' Note. — About a year ago the English " Garden" offered a series of prizes to be awarded for competitive designs for 

 suburban lots of various shapes. One of the successful contestants was the author of this present article, whose plan for a long, nar- 

 row lot was awarded a prize on account of its general arrangement, the award being made in a competition of several hundred. The long, 

 narrow lot may be taken as typically American, and it also presents certain peculiar difficulties of design. We therefore asked Mrs. 

 Strang to redraw this same plan and adapt it especially for American conditions. This has been done, together with a complete planting 

 list and alternative schemes for annual borders in various situations. The details of this plan can be adapted to hundreds of similar 

 situations elsewhere in the country. The planting lists can be increased or decreased according to circumstances. A combination of 

 perennials and annuals is presented so as to make this series of plans fairly available to the greatest possible number.] 



ANY effective planting arrange- 

 ment for the small suburban 

 place should place its emphasis 

 on the herbaceous border; and 

 those who wish to entertain the "royal 

 little folk" in their gardens this summer 

 should begin making their plans now. 



Our scheme shows a practical arrange- 

 ment adaptable to grounds of varying 

 proportions. The idea of enclosure and 

 privacy for the home grounds, so prevalent 

 in England, is also steadily (and fortunately) 

 gaining prestige in this country. Certain 

 old colonial gardens in Salem might well be 

 taken as models for our ideal garden. 

 Many of them appear absolutely neglected, 

 but their charm is undeniable. They are 

 frank and simple in design, reveal a be- 

 witching percentage of the informal, and 

 the utilitarian and the beautiful are happily 

 blended. The prevalent arrangement of 

 unfenced lawns doubtless adds to the park- 

 like effect of the street, but is not con- 

 ducive to a maximum of enjoyment by 

 their owners. 



AN IDEAL LOT 



The little garden shown in the accom- 

 panying plan with its carefully proportioned 

 turf panel shows a pleasure lawn screened 

 from the service portions of the grounds, 

 and simultaneously its frame of flowers 

 furnishes a maximum of effect for a mini- 

 mum of care and expense. The vine- 

 covered tool house could be developed as a 

 picturesque as well as a practical feature, 

 which might be an attractive garden house 

 of real architectural merit, a plain "shed" 

 or a rustic arbor. The sweet pea trellis 

 may be of rustic poles, and the seat a 



simple wooden bench painted white. The 

 kitchen garden with its combination of 

 small fruits, herbs, and vegetables, includes 

 almost every feature of utility. 



WHAT TO USE 



In the arrangement of herbaceous plants 

 certain definite ideals must be sought: (i) 

 continuous bloom throughout the period 

 desired; (2) effective arrangement in ac- 

 cordance with the height, form and general 

 habits of the plant; (3) harmony of color; 

 (4) adaptation to conditions of environment 

 ■ — sun, shade, poor soil, moisture, and other 

 local inequalities. 



Only those plants are selected which 

 have been found by experience to thrive 

 and produce foliage quickly, and each 

 shrub because of some specially attractive 

 feature of blossom, fruit or bark. 



The list of perennials has been kept as 

 simple as possible, restricted to tried 

 varieties — which must be regarded as 

 purely typical- — and arranged for a suc- 

 cession of bloom. To give more detailed 

 interest to the flower garden many low 

 perennials like English Daisies, Forget- 

 me-nots, Arabis, Iceland Poppies, and 

 Violas may be grown in frames and trans- 

 planted to the front of the border. 



SOIL PREPARATION 



The expense of soil preparation may be 

 much or little, and any one of the follow- 

 ing methods is excellent. 



(A) The ideal method of obtaining a 

 permanent planting bed is to excavate the 

 soil to a depth of two feet and replace with 

 the following mixture: one half good loam, 

 one fourth leaf mould, and one fourth well 



185 



rotted manure, the whole to be well mixed 

 and sifted through a one inch mesh screen. 

 This method is expensive and when loam 

 has to be purchased will cost $2.57 per 

 square yard of surface; and $1.85 if you 

 have your own loam. 



(B) Another way is to excavate eighteen 

 inches to two feet and replace with good 

 loam with which has been incorporated a 

 four-inch layer of manure, the whole to be 

 liberally top-dressed with a mixture of bone 

 meal, wood ashes, and nitrate of soda. 

 This, if two feet deep costs about $2.06 per 

 square yard of surface and but $.62 if it 

 is not necessary to buy loam. 



(C) If it is not possible to follow either 

 of the above methods, the ground should be 

 well spaded to a depth of at least twelve 

 inches, enriched with manure and top 

 dressing as above. This has been esti- 

 mated to cost $.40 a square yard. It 

 is necessary to bear in mind that it is false 

 thrift to economize on soil preparation. 

 Ground that is merely "doctored" may at 

 first appear to give good results, but the 

 result in small flowers and poor shrubs be- 

 comes woefully apparent in the long run. 



COST OF PLANTS, ETC. 



In estimating the cost of planting a 

 rough allowance would be from $.50 to 

 $2 each for trees; $.15 to $.50 each for 

 shrubs and vines, and from $.10 to $.25 

 each for perennials. These are retail 

 figures. In addition to this there should 

 be added 15 per cent, for the cost of freight 

 and packing, and from 40 to 50 per cent, 

 for the labor and superintendence of 

 setting out. If done in person, of course 

 the latter is saved. 



