Foundation Plantings 
8 
For such a house as this, where red brick gives 
the predominant color background, the foundation 
planting can be of a bolder, more robust design 
than for houses of lighter color. 
This corner group is acce?ited by the Blue Spruce 
in the foreground. 
A good foundation planting aims to 
cover the housebase and blend the 
structure with its natural surroundings; 
also to accentuate the particular style of 
architectural beauty belonging to it, 
and to increase the general effect of charm, 
ripeness and cheer. 
The sympathetic treatment of the main 
door sets the “key” for the harmonious 
Potted Arborvitae decorate this doortvay as a climax to the planted Arborvitae at the two sides. 
Notice how perfectly these frame the modest attractive entrance. 
THE FOUNDATION 
treatment of the rest of the house. If 
flowering vines riot over the trellis there, 
flowering vines may well appear between 
windows on the front and sides. If classi¬ 
cally symmetrical Arborvitae or Juniper 
flank the front steps, they will most 
harmoniously appear again at corners 
and between windows. If Rhododendron 
or Laurel is massed against the doorstep, 
it will be the best bright touch at intervals 
all along the “foundation planting.’’ 
For a foundation planting there must 
usually be. It is a rare house that looks 
well with its base totally exposed. There 
is always an unfinished look about such 
a house — a kind of collarless and neck¬ 
tieless look! 
Any plant material which suits the 
particular house is “good style’’. On a 
tiny old-time cottage a few vines and 
old-fashioned perennials may be enough. 
Many people choose flowering shrubs for 
a large part of their foundation planting. 
But most of us prefer evergreens for at 
least the dominant parts. 
Evergreens are an all¬ 
seasons frame, as constant 
as the building itself. And 
they have the softness and density which 
decorates what it covers. Also, the right 
evergreens adapt themselves to shearing 
and pruning, which makes it possible to 
keep the planting from getting out of 
bounds. 
If the house has a high foundation or is 
tall and narrow, large plants should be 
used and extended in wider “wings” at 
the outside corners; deep bays and juts 
can be softened by planting in and around 
them. The taller plants should be used 
in the background and as accents at the 
corners and between windows. 
When planting evergreens around the 
house be very sure that no lime or plaster 
is present. Rubbish of this kind, sometimes 
used as filling by careless contractors, is 
detrimental to evergreens. 
If the soil is extremely poor and hard, 
cover it with 6 to 8 inches of granulated 
peat moss and spade this in thoroughly, 
turning the earth over to a depth of at 
least 18 inches. Even in good soils 2 inches 
of the moss worked into the soil will be 
very beneficial. Peat moss is described on 
page 64. 
A gracious planting of Little Tree Farms evergreens 
extends the welcome of this church. 
Low evergreens with taller accents complete this attractive house. Similar effects 
can be obtained with the Special Offer listed on the following page. 
Each evergreen is shipped with roots 
in ball of native loam wrapped and tied in burlap. 
