166 
PLANS OF EE SID E N C E S 
do not grow bare of leaves at the bottom. Or, if an evergreen 
screen is preferred to these blossoming shrubs, the border may be 
planted irregularly with the American and Siberian arbor-vitses. 
On the left, next to the fence, and close against it, we would plant 
English ivy, tree-box, periwinkle, or myrtle for the first ten feet, 
and hardy dwarf arbor-vites, hemlocks, and yews on the next ten 
feet. On the right of the walk, and two feet from it, is a straight 
bed for annual and bulbous flowers, which is backed by a bed of 
shrubbery running parallel with the walk, designed to shut from 
view the kitchen drying-yard, under the cherry and pear trees. 
This screen should be composed entirely of evergreens which can 
be kept within seven feet in height. In the front, next to the 
flower-bed, may be a collection, in a row, of the finest very small 
dwarfs, of as many species as the owner desires to procure, backed 
by a dense mass of arbor-vitaes and hardy yews intermingled. The 
row of dwarf evergreens should in time occupy the space which is 
marked as a bed for annuals, while the former are too small to 
fill it. The masses of shrubs shown against the house may be of 
common sorts which are favorites with the proprietor or his family, 
and that do not exceed seven feet in height. On the left of the 
walk the flower-beds i, 2, and 3 may be filled, each, with one 
species of low flowers not exceeding nine inches in height, so as to 
make brilliant contrasts of colors. Beds 4 and 6 may be filled 
with bulbous flowers in the spring, and later, with geraniums, 
lantanas, or salvias. Bed 5 admits of some skill in arrangement. 
In its centre, next to the house, we would try the Japanese striped 
maize ; next to it a half circle of salvias ; outside of these a half 
circle of mountain-of-snow geranium ; next, a circle of Colleus ver- 
schafelti^ and, next the grassy margin, the Mrs. Pollock geranium. 
Another season the same bed might be splendid with cannas alone, 
as follows : for the centre, one plant of the blood-red canna, C. san- 
giiinea chatei^ six feet high ; one foot from it, three plants of the C. 
se//o2ui, four to five feet high ; next, a circle of the C. flaccida^ three 
feet ; and for the outer circle the C. compacta elegantisswia, two feet 
high, alternated with the C. augustifolia nana pallida. If the occu- 
pant of the house does not wish to obtain plants from the green- 
house to stock these beds, they may be cheaply and prettily filled 
