Back Yard Gardens 
A GARDEN is possible in any space admitting; sun- 
light, and of any size from the area of a window 
box up. Quite an effective garden can be devel- 
oped in the typical back yard of approximately 30 by 60 
feet. Larger spaces admit of greater possibilities, of 
course, perhaps more than one garden being practicable. 
Probably there is no better way to bring out ideas on 
the development and possibilities of back-yard gardens 
than by a description of the plans of four such gardens to 
be laid out this spring in the new economic garden of the 
Missouri Botanical Garden. These four gardens, each 
of which is about 29 by 60 feet, differ in design and in 
the types of planting material and should suggest other 
designs and arrangements to the garden enthusiast. 
There will be a combined flower and vegetable garden, a 
shrubbery and perennial garden, a rose garden, and a 
sub-tropical garden. All of these will be separated and 
enclosed by a hedge of California privet and each will 
have one large tree, in this case an apple. A small and 
inexpensive pool will be included in each, and an arch 
for flowering vines will mark what would be the gateway 
to the alley. 
In the flower and vegetable garden the flowering plants 
are confined to the borders, and the vegetables to the 
interior square beds. A rectangular space is reserved in 
the center for a central pool, small lawn, and four dwarf 
fruit trees, and seats at either side mark the cross axis of 
the garden. Four additional dwarf fruits are placed near 
the corners of the garden for accent. 
The shrubbery and perennial garden attempts more in- 
formality than the others, though this is difficult to attain 
with success in a space so small and so formal in outline. 
Once established, this garden would require much less 
maintenance, and would be much more permanent than 
any of the others. The shrubs used are mainly low-grow- 
ing types, and the few taller-growing ones could easily 
be kept under 8 feet in height by judicious pruning. The 
perennials will border and intermix with the shrubbery, 
the taller kinds in the background and the smaller ones 
at the border. As is desirable in this type of develop- 
ment, as much space as possible is devoted to open lawn. 
The pool is in the center again and seats are placed at 
either side. 
The rose garden dift'ers materially from the others in 
design. The pool in this case is at the end, on the long 
axis of the garden, and there is a seat against the shrub- 
bery in addition to those on either side. A large part 
of the space is devoted to lawn, and the roses are con- 
fined to the border, standard varieties being used for 
accent, as shown on the plan. 
Except for the hollies and junipers, the su1j-tropical gar- 
den is devoted almost entirely to types of ])lants that are 
not indigenous to .'^t. Louis and yet which thrive magnifi- 
cently in our summer climate. LTsed with native shrub- 
bery and perennials, this materials usually produces the 
•Extract from Missouri Botanical Garden Bulletin. 
most incongruous and inharmonious effects, but when 
grouped with others of their kind, striking and beautiful 
results are possible. Again the plan is formal in design, 
with the pool in the center and seats on either side. 
For the best results first settle on the best design you 
can think of. Even though the beauty of living plants 
may make a garden of poor design attractive at times, it 
is quite evident that only by a combination of healthy, 
vigorous plants, excellent maintenance, and good design, 
will the greatest success be attained. Avoid freakish and 
unusual plant forms ; there is usually far more beauty in 
the plants of normal growth. Weeping mulberries, um- 
brella catalpas, and similar types are hardly adapted to 
the small lot, and are usually in place only in the formal 
garden of large scale when used much the same as the 
standard roses shown in the plan of the rose garden. 
Though it is true that most plants should have sunny 
exposures, it has been proven in this city by actual experi- 
ence that most of the hardy shrubs will thrive if planted 
on the north side, even at the base of the house. Strictly 
speaking, there is scarcely a part of the grounds of our 
typical house-lot that will not get the sun for a part of 
the day, at least, during the summer. 
Many home-owners are afraid to attempt back-yard 
gardens because of the poor condition of the soil — the 
brick-bats, stone, plaster, and tar paper inherited from 
the house contractor — but this obstacle is easily over- 
come. Replacing the soil with good loam would be best, 
but by no means absolutely necessary, and if the stones, 
bricks, etc., are removed from the bed in the fall, and 
manure, lime, ajid fertilizer spaded in, the soil will be in 
fair condition by spring. The constant spading, manur- 
ing, and proper fertilizing thereafter will gradually build 
up a good soil for garden purposes. 
FLOWER AND VEGET.ABLE GARDEN 
Bed 
No. Common Name Botanical Natne 
Trees 1 Apple I'yrus Mains 
2 Dwarf cherry Prtinus Cerasiis 
3 Dwarf peach I'niiius persica 
\'egetables 4 Tomato Lycopersicum csculcntum 
5 Beans Phascolus vulgaris 
6 .\sparagus isfiaragus officinalis 
7 Mint Mentha piperita 
8 Rhubarb Khcum Rhaponticnm 
9 Radish Kaphantts satifus 
10 Lettuce Lactuca sativa 
1 1 Leek illium Form in 
12 Spinach Spinacca olcracca 
1.1 Parsley Carum Pctrosclinum 
14 Swiss cliard Beta vulgaris var. cicla 
15 Cabbage Rrassica olcracca 
16 Turnip Brassica rapa 
17 Parsnip Pastinaca sativa 
18 Beets Beta vulgaris 
Animals 19 Cosmos ( mi.xed ).. .Co j'l/io.s bi/^iniialns 
20 Dahlia innxuil) ... .Dahlia coccinca var. rosea 
21 Sage Salvia farinacea 
22 Floss flower(blue).. /?i'r(7/»/» ntc.vicanum 
23 Zinnia Zinnia clegans 
24 Tickseed (yellow) . .Coj-ro/'.f/.f coronala 
25 Verbena lm\xeA')..l"erbcna hybrida 
26 Petunia {m\y.C(\^ . .Petunia hybrida 
27 Bachelor's huWon. .Comphrciia glohosa 
28 Cockscomb Cclosia plumosa 
29 Corn-flower Centaurca Cyanus 
30 China aster (\\h\te)Callistcphns hortcnsis 
31 Siiider plant Cleomc pungens 
32 }vIarigold Tngctes crecta 
5i Pansy ( mixed) ... .fVo/n tricolor 
103 
