Planting the House Border 
THE PRINCIPLES OF PORCH BED PLANTING-HOW TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES OF SOIL AND LOCA¬ 
TION—WHAT VINES, EVERGREENS AND SHRUBS ARE SUITABLE AND HOW THEY MAY BEST BE GROWN 
by Warren J. Chandler 
Photographs by Camilus Phillips, August Patzig, N. R. Graves and Others 
I N the developing of landscape features on the home grounds 
every property has its distinctive possibilities. Where one 
lends itself to sunken gardens, approached by well-graded ter¬ 
races or slopes surmounted by pergolas, another is entirely un¬ 
suited for such treatment, and yet may be as attractively embel¬ 
lished. 
There is one trying problem, however, common to all proper¬ 
ties, wherein the solution resolves itself into a few general treat¬ 
ments. 
That to which I refer is the improving of the grounds imme¬ 
diately surrounding the house, including, of course, porch beds, 
which are usually a problem in this connection. 
The real reason why this portion of the property demands the 
greatest thought is because it must be presentable in appearance 
at all times. We overlook the shabby appearance of the rose 
garden in October, the pergolas in April and each of the other 
features which at stated times during the year makes its special 
show, but the planting around the house should always be attract¬ 
ive, a pleasing frame at 
all times. 
It has been the prac¬ 
tice for years to depend 
on bedding plants to 
serve the need, but in 
spite of their showy ap¬ 
pearance from early 
summer until autumn, 
they are the result of 
considerable care and 
expense, leaving for the 
winter a bare, unsightly 
void. 
In endeavoring to sat¬ 
isfactorily dispose of 
this question several im¬ 
portant conditions have 
to be taken into consid¬ 
eration. 
Many houses of late 
design have overhang¬ 
ing eaves, which are a 
menace to plant life, 
making it almost impos¬ 
sible to plant in the 
ground directly under 
them, unless it be one or 
two kinds of dwarf 
growing perennials. The 
planting line ordinarily 
must commence beyond 
the line of the eaves. 
Another problem al¬ 
most invariably faced is 
that of good soil. It is 
usually the case that the 
soil immediately sur¬ 
rounding the house is 
either a fill made of all the refuse ground—old lime beds, sand 
or clay from the cellar excavating—or the grade has been so great 
that the top soil is entirely gone, leaving a barren sub-soil in which 
it is impossible to successively grow plants. 
The ideal soil for beds around the house is a heavy rich loam, 
containing considerable humus, the latter to give it not only par¬ 
tial drought-resisting properties, but also to make it highly pro¬ 
ductive for plant life. 
In endeavoring to reach a satisfactory conclusion as |o the best 
plants for this class of planting, we must confine ourselves to 
those which give the longest period of display. 
The broad-leaved evergreens are unquestionably the first and 
best group for using in base plantings around the house. Not 
only are they effective out of flower as well as when in bloom, 
but are in most cases of dwarf, bushy habit of growth, which is 
just what is needed for such purposes. Use the hybrid rhodo¬ 
dendrons and edge them with Leucothe Catesbaci, Andromeda 
Japonic a or the Mahonia aquifolia, the holly-leaved barberry, and 
a most pleasing effect 
results. Of course, to 
have success with such 
a planting, ideal condi¬ 
tions are necessary. 
The evergreen-leaved 
privets, Li gust rum Ja- 
ponicum and Ligus- 
trum lucidum, are be¬ 
coming popular and 
will succeed as far 
north as Philadelphia 
under favorable condi¬ 
tions. These are ad¬ 
mirable for plantings 
of this kind. 
The Azalea amoena 
and similar kinds are 
fine for dwarf plant¬ 
ings of this character, 
and are also used in 
conjunction with the 
other plants mentioned. 
Care is necessary in 
using Azalea amoena 
as its magenta or claret 
shades “fight’’ with 
scarlet, pink and other 
similar colors. 
Many beautiful re¬ 
sults are possible from 
the coniferous ever¬ 
greens, though a care¬ 
ful selection in this 
case is absolutely nec¬ 
essary. The retinispo- 
ras, or Japanese cedars, 
are admirable for this 
use. Of course, they 
The most successful planting about the house is that which remains beautiful through¬ 
out the year. When the leaves are dead and branches bare, English ivy, Mahonia 
aquifolia and dwarf evergreens add a cheerful note 
(236) 
