35 
October, 19 21 
course, the bulk of the front shrubs 
should be low, that they may con¬ 
ceal the somewhat bare lower stems 
of the tall growers and form a line 
gradually dropping’ to the imme¬ 
diate foreground. 
The second main group of shrub 
uses includes out-and-out hedges 
and those ever-varying plantings 
whose chief object is to blot out 
some undesirable view. Here regu¬ 
larity of line rather than variety 
should be sought. One species, 
such as Rose of Sharon, hydrangea 
or Amur River privet, is preferable 
to a mixing of different sorts, for 
the sense of continuity should be 
maintained. Shearing as soon as 
the blooming season is over will 
even off any stray branches that 
rise too high or spread too far. 
The third important application 
of shrubs to the landscape picture 
is where they are used to mask the 
foundation walls of the house and 
tie the whole structure to its site. 
Spirea and weigela, with the pale 
green of young oak leaves above 
and the white of dogwood behind 
—a wonderful spring boundary 
for the broad lawn 
Virtually every residence calls for 
good foundation planting, for 
which purpose hardy shrubs are far 
superior to herbaceous flowers be¬ 
cause of their greater effectiveness 
throughout the year. The general 
principles of massing are appli¬ 
cable here as in the case of boun¬ 
dary plantings. Shrubs should be 
selected for their color, season of 
bloom, height and habit, depending 
upon the individual house—details 
which a good nurseryman’s catalog 
will furnish. 
The day of the single specimen 
shrub, flaunting its beauty ostenta¬ 
tiously in an otherwise open sweep 
of lawn, is happily passing. Now 
and then, as part of a background 
or in some obscure corner, such a 
shrub rounds out the picture as 
nothing else will, but such cases are 
not common. Do not use specimens 
just for the sake of using them. 
In conclusion, remember that au- 
(Continued on page 82) 
Occasionally the single specimen 
is highly effective as a focal point 
of attention. This wistaria, 
pruned and trained to bush form, 
suggests the possibilities 
