Effects That May Be Had With Shrubbery This Year 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR THE MAN WHO WANTS TO MAKE HIS HOME 
GROUNDS AS ATTRACTIVE AS POSSIBLE THIS YEAR—WHAT TO PLANT AND HOW 
by Rowland Collins 
Photographs by E. J. Hall, W. C. Egan and others 
W HILE shrubbery plantings are 
intended to adorn their sur¬ 
roundings through all the years of 
their growth, all shrubs do not ac¬ 
complish this the first year. With 
careful planning and wise selection, 
however, gratifying effects may be 
secured from the start. For imme¬ 
diate effect, shrubs of beautiful form 
and foliage are the dependables until 
the plantings are ready for bloom. 
Plants which require rigid pruning or 
are of scraggy habit must be ex¬ 
cluded or concealed until growth 
makes them presentable. 
The great peril in working for im¬ 
mediate effect is that of close plant¬ 
ing. Ultimately this results in dwarf¬ 
ing and unsymmetrical development 
•of some kinds of plants. With ever¬ 
greens whose beauty depends upon 
perfection of form, contact with 
other specimens causes bruising of 
the foliage, which does not recover 
from such injury as does that of de¬ 
ciduous trees. 
Plants of variegated foliage and 
diverse foliage forms are a great 
boon to the gardener who must have 
■quick results. 
The dwarf Japanese maple groups 
are very lovely, and since their vivid 
coloring is an all-season characteris¬ 
tic, they are immediately effective. A group of several varieties 
of this brilliant-hued shrub is autumnal in effect and is particu¬ 
larly pleasing when so placed that 
the eye in traveling from somber 
masses of evergreen is caught and 
held by their shades of crimson and 
gold. 
The golden Japanese maple 
(Acer Japonicum, aurem) is deep 
yellow, mottled with green. It is 
a little more expensive than the 
other varieties. The Acer poly- 
morphum atrodissectum has droop¬ 
ing branches and deeply cleft, lacy 
foliage. The foliage of the A. p. 
lacinatum, rubrum, is of the same 
color and still more delicate in 
shape. A. p. scolopendifolium is 
silver green, and the A. p. versi¬ 
color is variegated, with pink, rose 
and light green edged with white. 
These maples are hardy, and 
while they enjoy fertile soil are not 
exacting as to location. Plants two 
and three feet in height may be 
bought for one dollar and fifty 
cents. They should be planted 
about four and one-half feet apart 
where soil is moderately fertile, and 
six feet apart in very rich locali¬ 
ties. 
Evergreens are very useful in 
solving the problem of immediate 
effect; in fact when planted near 
deciduous plants of unpleasing 
form, their bold symmetrical outlines divert attention from their 
unlovely neighbors. The groups given are merely suggestive of 
The Japanese maples are wonderfully attractive for 
shrubbery massing, and of course the effect is 
immediate 
A shrub that is valuable for foliage as well as for bloom is the 
purpled-leaved plum (Primus Pissardi) 
There are few shrubs more beautiful than our common elder. Try 
four-foot specimens of the golden-leaved variety 
(264) 
