October, 1913 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
231 
munities. Short or long, a boundary may have its group, and 
shaded spots as well as sunny may be thus clothed, excluding 
dust and unpleasant prospects at one and the same time. And 
invariably lawns should be framed, wholly or in part, with the 
thick rich bank of many greens which shrubbery only will 
grow into. 
Ten shrubs will insure bloom — or bloom effect — throughout the 
summer, beginning with the golden flowers of the Forsythia in 
April and ending with the snowy flower-like pappus of the 
groundsel — Baccharis halimifolia — in September. These latter 
are not flowers, of course, but seed; but they are quite as effective 
as flowers, and the shrub may legitimately be included on their 
account, notwithstanding the fact that its actual blossoms are 
insignificant. 
Half this number p 
of shrubs, indeed, 
will carry through 
the summer with very 
small gaps; less than 
this in a single group 
it is needless to con¬ 
sider, for no actual 
group can be made 
up of less than this 
number. Rather than 
a clump made up of 
five shrubs, each of a 
different species, I 
would advise the 
doubling of one or 
two always. This 
will run the total 
number up to seven 
as the least to be 
planted, if five vari¬ 
eties are to be used— 
or will cut the num¬ 
ber of varieties down 
to three, which cuts 
down on the floral 
effect as well, of 
course. 
Proceeding on this 
basis, the planting 
chart given on page 
230 presents groups 
r a n g i n g from the 
smallest number pos¬ 
sible — five, in both 
three varieties and 
five—to a long bor¬ 
der planting extend¬ 
ing fifty feet, wherein 
the ten shrubs neces¬ 
sary to the complete 
round of bloom are supplemented by ten more so highly desir¬ 
able as to be really indispensable where there is space for such 
a number. 
In every instance I would advise the planting of the late 
blooming species in even greater numbers than those which 
blossom during May and June, for the reason that most places 
are deficient in midsummer and early autumn flowers, while 
plantings generally boast an abundance throughout the two 
earlier months. Late bloom is a very desirable asset in any¬ 
thing; particularly is this so when it is supplied by shrubs, for 
these do not require the attention needed by herbaceous mate¬ 
rial and the lesser garden flowers. Shrubs will go on and blos¬ 
som and take care of themselves in drought or in wet weather, 
without incessant weeding and care—and they are the only flow¬ 
ering things that will. 
The preparation of the soil before planting has a great deal to 
do with the progress next spring of the shrubbery planted now. 
Make it thoroughly ready; unless it is extremely good soil, dig 
the holes as large as the spread of the roots of the plants to be 
set out, and then loosen up the soil six inches more both down 
and out, and mix through it some well rotted —not fresh—stable 
manure. Into the earth taken from the holes mix a quantity of 
this also. 
When the plants are set, stir a little air slaked lime into the 
earth at the top, if the tendency of the soil is toward clay, or if it is 
heavy and sour. Angle 
worms are a pretty 
certain index of acid 
soil and wherever they 
are plentiful it is al¬ 
ways well to use lime. 
It loosens the soil as 
well as sweetens it, and 
is seldom out of place. 
Very little is neces¬ 
sary, however; ordi¬ 
narily from four to 
eight tablespoonfuls to 
four square feet of 
ground space is enough. 
Whether lime is used 
or not, ground bone 
fertilizer and potash 
should be applied 
when the planting is 
done, in the proportion 
of four parts of the 
bone to one part of 
muriate of potash. Use 
as much of this mix¬ 
ture to four square 
feet as will fill the 
palm of the hand level 
full, and dig it in with 
a trowel. The muri¬ 
ate of potash supplies 
the food elements 
needed to build up 
strong woody growth 
in the plant, while the 
ground bone, rich in 
phosphoric acid, is the 
special food needed to 
make flowers. By the 
use of these at plant¬ 
ing time additional im¬ 
petus is given the 
plant’s growth in the spring—for the winter’s rain and melt¬ 
ing snows will have carried both potash and phosphoric acid 
through the soil until everywhere the rootlets, newly putting 
forth in search of nourishment, will find just what they most 
require to produce what the gardener most requires above 
ground. 
Remember that all fall plantings, whatever they are and wher¬ 
ever they may be planted, require winter mulching the first win¬ 
ter after planting. This is true of even the very hardiest trees 
and shrubs; and nothing should be allowed to delude the planter 
into thinking otherwise. The reason is perfectly obvious, if one 
(Continued on page 248) 
By reversing group IV in the plan on page 230 an effect somewhat like this would 
be secured, spirea being in the center 
There are innumerable situations on every country place where shrubbery may be used 
with good effect in softening otherwise harsh lines 
