Foundation plantings should never conceal good architectural lines 



Annual flowers are better than nothing for foundations 



Planting About the House- By m. r. Conover, fc 



SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO IN THE FALL TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF YOUR HOME NEXT 

 SPRING— SUGGESTIONS FOR PRESENT PLANTING OR FOR MAKING THE GROUND READY FOR SPRING 



OF COURSE you have noticed how 

 a few plants set about the foundation 

 of a newly built house will go a long, 

 long way to destroy that look of "newness." 

 Even a few annuals or bedding plants are 

 worth while. Those you will put out in 

 spring; but how about planting now for 

 next year's effect? Even if you defer 

 planting till spring — which is not always 

 wise — prepare the ground now. 



True, the work of preparation cannot 

 be confined to any particular month, but 

 must receive attention throughout the 

 year. Yet plans can be made, and all 

 preliminary work done in the fall. A 

 great deal of planting can be done too, 

 relieving the spring rush in the vegetable 

 patch, etc. Evergreens are successfully 

 planted in September, early October, April 

 and May; deciduous, hardy shrubs at 

 any time when not in leaf; all the Dutch 

 bulbs you must plant in October. 



For the permanent plantings of evergreen 

 or deciduous shrubs provide a proper 

 depth of rich soil. Since soil about the 

 foundation is almost invariably infertile 

 remove it the width and depth of the pro- 

 posed planting, replacing with a mixture of 

 one part leaf mold, one part old, well rotted 

 manure and one part garden loam. From 

 two to two and one-half feet is not too 

 deep for shrubs. For annual and biennial 

 plantings a foot of this earth is sufficient. 



A good width for a border planting is 

 from three and one-half to four feet. 

 Dwarf evergreens are planted at least 

 eighteen inches from the foundation and 

 about twenty-four inches apart. It must 

 be understood, however, that the dwarf 

 pines, arborvitaes, spruces, yews, etc., 

 do not remain dwarfs in good soil with 

 plenty of room for development. Even 

 with the above close planting, they will 

 outgrow their effectiveness after six or 

 seven years and must be moved. Scanting 

 the quantity of good soil helps to retard 



their growth. Rhododendrons make a 

 beautiful showing along foundations. 



The perennial candytuft is a very satis- 

 factory plant as it is hardy and will grow 

 on the shaded side of the house. 



A number of the hardy biennials can be 

 planted in the fall requiring only the pro- 



Screen poor architecture as much as possible 



tection of leaves or straw to winter them 

 over. Plant hollyhocks, pansies, hardy 

 phlox, pinks, etc. Aim at good color and 

 form harmonies. A general "mix-up" is 

 entirely out of place here. 



Dwarf evergreens against a stucco house 



Pansies with a border of any desired 

 green foliage plant are very effective for 

 a low border. They will do well on the 

 cool shady side of the house where the 

 sun reaches only a short time each day. 

 For early spring bloom set out plants from 

 seed sown last August. Do this any time 

 before cold weather, planting them about 

 six inches apart and mulching well during 

 the winter, with light litter. 



If you rely on bulb effects plant daffodils 

 as soon as possible now; tulips at any 

 time; hyacinths before frost and four to 

 six inches deep; tulips are quite hardy and 

 need only be two and one-half inches 

 down; crocus and snowdrops, two inches, 

 narcissus and kindred bulbs four inches, 

 and hardy lilies three or four inches deep. 



Foundation plantings that are so profuse 

 as to subordinate fine architectural lines 

 are a mistake. Aim to enhance rather 

 than conceal the symmetry of correct 

 proportions. 



The wall or foundation of the house 

 is the background against which foliage 

 forms and colors are to be effectively re- 

 vealed and with a little planning one may 

 employ lovely color effects to fine advan- 

 tage. 



Perhaps one of the best effects is 

 obtained by planting dwarf evergreens 

 against the walls of the modern stucco 

 house. The house that has one material 

 carried well up its walls will stand a higher, 

 bolder growth of plants than one whose 

 foundation is of distinctly different char- 

 acter from the walls above. 



As a general rule remember the nearer 

 long horizontal lines appear to the ground 

 lines, the less harsh are they in effect. 

 The low foundations will bear border 

 plantings and low effects with satisfying 

 results. And the high unpleasing founda- 

 tion lines of a house with a basement may 

 be toned into sightliness by soft, broken, 

 shrubbery masses. 





