GENERAL PRINCIPLES 
3 
I How often you see a cozy little home nestling among vines, flowers, trees, and 
vvith stretches of open lawn! By itself it is only a plain little house, but the flow- 
ers and shrubs give it beauty and character, and help wonderfully to make it a 
home. It shows good taste and thoughtful attention, although not necessarily the 
iBxpenditure of much money. 
I Planting is like painting a picture. The trees and shrubs are your colors. 
The rules for successful planting are simple and few. Plant the outer border of 
your place with masses of dense, rather tall-growing shrubbery, giving a distinct 
outline and form to your property. Keep the taller-growing plants w-ell back, 
then the medium-growing, and next the low-growing at the inner edge, forming a 
dense rounding mass of shrubbery which gradually meets the lawn. Plant round- 
ing masses of shrubbery in the corners, as well as along the boundary line. Avoid 
00 many straight lines and geometrical angles. Have a number of different kinds 
)f plants, but enough of one type in a place to produce a definite effect of rich 
'lade, color, flower, or fruit. Use vines and shrubs, not to display their own 
iharaoters, but to mask sharp lines of buildings and as a frame for distant views. 
Around the house have open stretches of lawn. It is especially important to 
ceep small yards open. A small yard, properly planted around the outer edges, 
vill appear larger than it really is. Don't scatter single isolated shrubs all over ' 
he lawn. Don't plant trees or flowers in the center of a small lawn. Howev er 
pn a large, spacious lawn nothing is more desirable than groups of shade trees or 
iingle specimens placed a little to one side of the house where shade is needed. 
Plant climbing vines on the porches and arbors. The Dorothy Perkins Rose, 
Honeysuckle, and Japanese Clematis can be planted on the same porch, giving a 
uccession of bloom. Plant the medium and small-growing shrubs, Roses, Peonies, 
uid Phlox in masses around the corners of the house and to hide the foundation, 
md in corners of the porches and curves and corners of the walks. Always se- 
ect the dainty, more refined flowers for planting where they will be seen closely 
'ut the more rank-growing flowers farther in the background. 
There are many different shades of green in leaves and combinations of colors 
a flowers', which, when mixed, are exceedingly beautiful and interesting; while 
'ariation in bark color gives an entirely new change after the leaves are off in 
he autumn. 
A well-planted succession of growing, blooming things about a house are a 
ever-ending source of pleasure, growing more beautiful and attractive every year. 
Don't plant trees in the center of a small lawn. 
Don't scatter "shoe-button" plants all over the lawn. 
Don't have a round flower-bed. 
Don't have useless paths, isolated pergolas, iron seats, dogs, rabbits, deer, or 
itiier imitations on the place. 
Don't plant Silver Maple or Poplars unless you alternate with a good slow- 
;rowing tree, with the intention of removing the fast-growing tree as soon as the 
ither has developed. 
I Don't have terraces near the sidewalk. Grade from the house to the walk 
iiie with an even slope if possible. 
Don't try to establish grass on steep banks. Plant trailing vines which will 
>ke root as they go — Honeysuckle and Dorothy Perkins Rose. 
Don't plant shade trees closer than thirty feet apart. 
Don't wait— MAKE YOUR COMPLETE PLANS NOW. 
