Grounds for Living: The Home Dweller’s Compleat Guide to his Lawns, Trees, & Gardens [Reprint 2022 ed.] 9781978811270

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G R O U N D S FOR L I V I N G

Contributors GILBERT H. AHLGREN Professor and Research Specialist, Farm Crops

FIRMAN E. BEAR Professor of Agricultural Chemistry, Research Specialist in Soils

HENRY M. BIEKART Assistant Professor and Associate Research Specialist, Ornamental Horticulture

J. HAROLD CLARK Professor and Research Specialist, Pomology

CHARLES H. CONNORS Professor and Research Specialist, Ornamental Horticulture

O. WESLEY DAVIDSON Associate Professor and Associate Research Specialist, Ornamental Horticulture

RICHARD B. FARNHAM Associate Professor and Associate Extension Ornamental Horticulture

Specialist,

VAN WIE INGHAM Assistant to the Dean and Director, College of Agriculture, Rutgers University

WABUN C. KRUEGER Extension Specialist, Agricultural Engineering

PASCAL P. PIRONE Associate Professor and Associate Research Specialist, Plant Pathology

Grounds for Living THE COM PLEAT

HOME

DWELLER'S

GUIDE

TREES,

TO

&

HIS

LAWNS,

GARDENS

Edited

by

Richard B. Farnham &. Van Wie Ingham I N T R O D U C T I O N BY H A Y D N S. PEARSON And

Chapters

C H A R L E S H. CONNORS G I L B E R T H. AHLGREN

by

• P A S C A L P. PIRONE • O. W E S L E Y DAVIDSON

H E N R Y M. B I E K A R T

• WABUN C. K R U E G E R

J. HAROLD C L A R K

• F I R M A N E. BEAR

Illustrated by George J. Baetzhold

New

Brunswick

Rutgers University Press MCMXLVI

Copyright 19^6 B T T H E T R U S T E E S O F RUTGERS COLLEGE D i N E W J E R S E Y

AU Rights Reserved

P R I N T E D I N T H E U N I T E D STATES O F AMERICA

FOREWORD A . FEW CENTURIES hence when historians evaluate the first half of the twentieth century it may be that they will state this was the period when Americans learned how to live with their homes. We have been a long time growing up. It's almost 350 years now since the English first tried to establish homes in Virginia. Over the decades of the centuries men and women of many nationalities and faiths have come to this land because it was a country where human beings could make homes according to their own ideas, where freedom was a tenet of life and a man's home was his castle. But as we have grown into a nation, subdued the wilderness, extended frontiers from the Atlantic to the Pacific, built farms and cities and exploited the rich natural resources of our land, we have been so busy that we have neglected learning how to live because of our concern with making a living. Now a new frontier—a happy, rich era of pioneering is ahead. Men and women, boys and girls are learning to live with their homes. We are maturing as a nation. We have learned the value of home life as an integral part of happiness in living. Here in this book is the panorama of knowledge for those who want to get the most enjoyment from their home grounds. Twenty-five years ago, when I was a ten-yearolder on a southern New Hampshire farm, I can remember how we used to enjoy the backyard. Father was not only a farmer; he was the preacher for many years in the tall V

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white-spired church beside the village common in the little town of Hancock. Father was always ahead of his time, and I have no doubt that when we prepared and ate supper around the stone fireplace near the old August Sweet tree, the neighbors thought it was just another of the odd Pearson ideas. "Home isn't the air enclosed by wood or brick walls," Father would say. "Home is everything on a man's own property that makes for happiness." That is the philosophy of this book. During the war tens of thousands of families have discovered that happiness begins at home. Men and women have learned that gardening pays dividends—not only in flowers and vegetables and fruits. Gardening is a way of life, a joyous experience in living. The man whose work compels him to live most of the time in an office or factory or schoolroom can refresh a tired mind and invigorate his muscles on his own "miniature farm." On a small plot a man can have a wonderful experience in outdoor life. Through good planning it's possible to make a small area yield richly. Intensive cultivation, plus good feeding, will mean flowers for the home from early spring until late fall. And who doesn't want such good things as asparagus, strawberries, raspberries and grapes? Who doesn't enjoy growing his own lettuce, beans, beets, carrots, tomatoes and other crops? But it's not only the material returns from a garden that count. A beautiful lawn, well-arranged shrubs and landscaping are not matters to be judged in dollars and cents —although they add value to one's property. Living with one's home is in essence the art of life. Here is the center of a man's dream — his own castle. Here one can work and putter and play. In the evenings and over the

FOREWORD

vii

week ends a man can drop the burdens and pressures of outside life and, working with Nature, can create beauty and sense deep satisfaction as he rebuilds his own spirit. This book is a rich mine of information for all who want to get more enjoyment from their homes. W e are in a new era. We are a nation four fifths urban and industrial, but, deep in our hearts, we're still a nation of people who are close to the soil. As the new pattern of better living takes shape we shall be a nation of homes where the land about the house is the center of life. W e are going to spread out from the congested canyon walls of brick and steel and cement: the future will be more suburban life, more town life, and more homes along the roads that radiate from the centers of population. Here, in one book, is the information you need to help you and your family get more pleasure from the land that is yours. As you read and study it, may you always have — Grounds For Living. Haydn S. Pearson

CONTENTS i

YOUR HOME S E T T I N G

PAGE

3

by CHARLES H. CONNORS, Professor and Research Specialist, Ornamental Horticulture

ii YOUR LAWN by GILBERT H. search Specialist, HI

Y O U R

SHADE

91 Professor and ReFarm Crops

AHLGREN,

T R E E S

112

by PASCAL P. PIRONE, Associate Professor and Associate Research Specialist, Plant Pathology

iv FLOWERS AND PLANTS

149

by HENRY M . BIEKART, Assistant Professor and Associate Research Specialist, Ornamental Horticulture

v YOUR HOBBY CROP

183

by O . W E S L E Y D A V I D S O N , Associate Professor and Associate Research Specialist, Ornamental Horticulture

Roses, Chrysanthemums or Gladiolus vi YOUR VEGETABLES

218

by RICHARD B. FARNHAM, Associate Professor and Associate Extension Specialist, Ornamental Horticulture

vii YOUR BEST F R U I T S by J . HAROLD CLARK, Specialist, Pomology

viii

234

Professor and Research

YOUR SOIL by F I R M A N E . B E A R , Professor of Agricultural Chemistry, Research Specialist in Soils

274

x

CONTENTS PAGE

XX

OUTDOOR CONSTRUCTION by WABTJN C. KRUEGEB, Extension

Agricultural Engineering

Specialist,

301

List of Tables

325

Index

327

G R O U N D S FOR L I V I N G

1. YOUR HOME SETTING Charles H. Connors I. PLANS BEFORE PLANTING

\ E R Y OFTEN, when you are visiting a neighbor's garden, your host will say, "I like my garden but it never seems finished." He is not referring, obviously, to the work of gardening. What he means is that his artistic longings have not been fully satisfied, and that the individual, unaided, has not been able to express all he had hoped to achieve. Such a gardener is seeking the satisfaction that comes from the creation of a pleasant, livable, loving, and artistic environment for himself and his family. After all, when you take over a property, it is with the expectation of creating a home there. A home is a spiritual entity where love and kindliness should be all about. It is also a social entity where consideration and co-operation unite for the happiness and well-being of the family. The spirit of wholesome family life cannot be confined to a house, however—it reaches out into all the surroundings of home. The yard and garden, if you plan them wisely, can become your outdoor living room, or a series of rooms that will provide an atmosphere for well-rounded and thoughtfully integrated home life. This is where plans and landscape architecture come in — an aspect of good gardening that has been defined as the art of fitting the land for greater human use and enjoy3

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ment. Y o u might add to this definition the fact that your completed job should be worthy of consideration from an artistic point of view. Thus, if you will use restraint and good common sense, together with a reasonable application of artistic principles in planning areas of your yard not occupied by buildings, you will develop a property that you can use to best advantage for the enjoyment to be shared by your family and your friends. THE LANDSCAPE

Of course, each of us possesses, either on an ownership or on a rental basis, a portion of the landscape. However, small though it may be, it can be large in a spiritual sense. First of all, you have your bit of land, and the proper use of it is of great importance. It may be small in area but, through proper handling, you can make it extend into vistas of great distance, at least in imagination. Perhaps there is a mountain, a distant ridge of hills, or even a building that you can frame — the sky and the atmosphere are part of your landscape and must play a part in its completion. Shadows of passing clouds and the shade of trees and shrubs on the lawn increase the charm of the scene. A garden on a misty day has a very different appearance than on a sunny afternoon. Snow on evergreens lightens them, soft snow on twigs and branches transforms whole regions into fairyland. Naturally, the house and other buildings play an important part but they need a setting for the completed picture. The means that are at your disposal for the development of the desired effect are the more or less artificial arrangements of the land into appropriate areas and the setting out of plants to make the house and its adjoining buildings seem to belong where they are, contributing to the fuller enjoyment of the use of the property.

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THE GENERAL LAYOUT

Any home property, as it is used, has three principal divisions. First of all, there is the front yard —the area between the house and the street. This we call the public area, for it is exposed to public view and those who pass by see more of it than those who live in the house. This area calls for a simple, pleasing, treatment that will not detract from the enjoyment of the neighbors or anyone who uses the street (Fig. 1).

PIG. 1. The land about a house naturally divides itself into three parts: the front yard or public area; the service area near driveway, garage and kitchen; the private area.

Second, there is the service area. This is the part of the property where the driveway and garage are located, where the delivery of fuel and other supplies is made. It may include, as well, the drying-yard for clothes, a fruit and vege-

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table garden, a compost heap, and other necessary utilitarian features. Third —and most important for you and your family — there is the private area, where you can locate the facilities for social use, such as one or more gardens, or a paved space for tables and seats. Too many of us overlook the value of our own yard for family and social affairs. In many parts of the world, the garden area is so planned as to be a part of the living quarters, truly an outdoor living room. Lack of planning is one reason for our neglect of this opportunity. Too many back yards are cluttered up—some with misplaced plants and some with ash heaps and debris. If this is your problem, the solution lies in bringing a semblance of order out of chaos and thus fitting your property for human use and greater enjoyment. If you are starting afresh, you avoid the chaos and strive for orderly development from the beginning. In either case, you will do better by spending a few winter evenings working out a long-range plan. PLANNING

So, take a sheet of paper and start planning. Wrapping paper will do, but you can buy cross-section paper which will make the job much easier. This comes with eight squares to the inch, each of which may represent one foot. Draw in the exact dimensions of your lot and locate upon it, by measurement, all buildings, drives, walks, and large trees. The location of the shrubbery is not of much importance, at the moment, because this kind of decorative planting can be shifted around or removed altogether if you decide that it is in the wrong place. Eventually, you will need to make an inventory of what is on hand, and whether

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it is worth trying to save. Moving old shrubs is a big job and usually a young, nursery-grown plant will be better. Why a Plan? The purpose of any plan is to plot an orderly, systematic, method of procedure. It is a paradox that a woman will plan her household furnishings and their arrangement to achieve a certain effect, and yet, when it comes to gardening, there is no systematic arrangement at all, with flower beds and shrubs scattered over the lawn area. True, the flowers in themselves will be pleasing, but the general effect is one of lack of order and sometimes utter confusion. If there were an orderly arrangement, the same pleasing aspect of the flowers could be achieved, with a greater effect. Formal or Informal? The first question you will have to answer in making your basic design is what sort of general effect you want to achieve. This decision applies particularly to the private area, for this is the portion of the property which will be developed for pleasure and use by you and your family. Here the arrangement of the various units that make up the finished composition must be considered most carefully. There is more space to cover than in other areas. The temptations are great. The whimsical selection and placing of plants and other units may result in disorder rather than order and thus the usefulness of the area may be reduced materially. Down through the years there have been many controversies as to the relative merits of formal and informal design, based upon the natural landscape. Both have their merits, but the extremists in either case have gained little. Extreme naturalists say that "nature abhors a straight line," so that all straight lines are eliminated and roads, paths, shrub masses, and streams wriggle across the land-

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scape. The formal extremist eliminates all curves, even training trees with straight sides, until nature appears completely submerged. An informal landscape, even on a large scale, is difficult to plan and execute. It lacks symmetry, but it should have a sort of balance, which we may call a balance of interest. In a large park, or in a large estate where long, graceful curves are possible, very attractive effects may be brought about. On the other hand, to develop the grace of such a landscape in a very small area is difficult, sometimes impossible. The "hater" of formality and the "lover" of informality in the garden rarely achieve orderliness. Too often the informality that is lacking in design stays that way until planning produces a feeling of unity. There is a wealth of tradition back of our love of nature and natural things, but any effort to imitate nature, especially in a small area, takes something akin to genius. Formal arrangement has tradition behind it, too. We find it in intimate, personal gardens as far back as ancient Egypt. Down through days of the old Romans, in monastic gardens of the Middle Ages, in the Renaissance gardens of Italy, and in the Moorish gardens of Spain, the intimate garden is formal in design. A very common arrangement that has come down to us is that in which the area surrounding the house is given a formal layout, with the informal development of large lawns, tree and shrub borders in other areas that lie outside. Undoubtedly, the reason for the development of formality in the intimate gardens has been that they are relatively small in area and set off from the rest of the property, and that the straight sides of the compact area suggest symmetry. The analysis of the average home grounds, then, shows that the problem is one of adjusting several rectangles of

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9

various dimensions, most of them small. The majority of such properties are relatively flat land. The combination of a flat area of small size with parallel sides compels the consideration of a neat, compact design into which one fits symmetry with ease. This is formality — which simply means that it is based on regularity of arrangement. Your choice, finally, will depend upon your particular site. The topography, the natural surroundings, the shape of the lot, all will have some bearing. Your own taste and desires and those of your family have an influence, for, after all, this is to be your garden and you and your family are to use it. By expressing in it your own good taste in simplicity and restraint, you can have a garden that will give pleasure to all who make use of it, that will be reasonably easy to maintain, and that will be an example and an influence for a better neighborhood. Art is the same whether it is expressed in painting a picture, making a sculptured figure, designing a building or a hat or a gown, or making a garden. In your planning, consider the principles of art. There are a great many of them — variety, unity, harmony, rhythm, repetition, and so on —but for landscape designing they can be summed up in three general rules: 1. Never use anything in the landscape that does not have a definite use and purpose. 2. Never use anything in the landscape that is not related to every other object in the landscape. 3. Always exercise restraint in the selection and the use of materials of all kinds. Make a Plan. Once you have mapped your property as it exists, next determine how to develop the various ai eas and decide what kind or kinds of gardens to plan so as to make the property more livable. The practiced designer takes the existing plan, places tracing paper over it, and sketches out

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his ideas. He may make five or six such study sketches, thinking only in abstract terms—that is, here plants will or should go, but leaving the kinds to be determined after the basic design is decided.

As you plan, look around you, critically. In parks, neighbors' properties, woods and fields, and even in books you will find arrangements and groupings of plants that will fit

PIG. 3. The completed plan and the finished job.

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certain situations in your yard. Your final plan may seem too ambitious or expensive. Remember that the gardens of Rome were not built in a day.

Half the fun in your yard will be in developing and improving it, and this never need be finished. The great value of a plan is to give some direction and continuity to the tasks you undertake from year to year. Furthermore, you

FIG. 5. The separations, rear lawn and terrace might be done the second year.

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will find that your plan itself will undergo gradual evolution as your family's tastes and interests change with the passing years. Whether you do your planning on paper, as we strongly recommend, or in your head, the principal purpose of this chapter is to help you with this continuing task of planning your garden as a part of the wholesome family life. DEVELOPING THE PUBLIC AREA OR FRONT YARD

Keeping in mind that your front yard is seen more by your neighbors than it is by you and your family, it should be neat and attractive and yet simple in its treatment. How far the house is set back, in these days, is usually determined by zoning ordinances, so you cannot do much about that. Problems that affect your treatment are topography and street trees.

the terrace is loo dry and too narrow to plant.

If the lot is relatively flat, the topography need not concern you very much, except to make this area as level as possible, with a gentle slope away from the house to help keep your cellar dry. Where the house is set higher than the street, you may need a terrace. The poorest treatment is to set the house on a bump — that is, to build a narrow terrace around the house. Of course, in some regions this may be

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FIG. 7. A wider terrace produces a better effect and makes it possible for the foundation planting to grow.

necessary in construction, especially where rock is so near the surface that the cost of excavation is great. In such a case, make the terrace wide enough —ten feet or more —so

FIG. 8. A terrace slope too close to the street (above) foreshortens the distance. Where possible, a gentle slope (below) gives the best effect.

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PIG. 9. Poor proportions in grading front yard (above). Good proportions in grading front yard (below) where the distance B-C is equal to, or, better still, a little longer than A-B.

FIG. 10. Where the front yard is short and the grade steep, a terrace slope vrill be difficult to maintain.

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that any plants you set upon it will have some chance to grow well. Where a terrace is put in, the slopes should be flattened out as much as is possible, especially if you expect to grow grass upon it. Soil will come to rest where the slope is what is known as one and one half to one, that is, where

FIG. 11. A retaining wall will give a more satisfactory solution. Planting at the base of the wall (above) conceals it and optically reduces the height. Plants above the wall (below) increase its apparent height.

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the land rises one foot in every one and one half feet of distance. But it is difficult to establish lawn on such a slope and even more difficult to mow it. I t would be better if the

f i g . 12. Where the front yard is deep and the slope steep, two terraces upheld by retaining walls may be best.

slope were three and one half to one or flatter, and, where it is, be sure to round off the crown well so that your lawnmower will not cut into it (Fig. 13).

pig. 13. Plants at foot of slope (below) decrease apparent while plants at top (above) increase height.

height,

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Where the land is steep in front, it may be less expensive and more satisfactory in the long run to construct one or more retaining walls. You can plant vines in front of these to take away their bareness, or shrubs to screen them. (See page 318 for suggestions on retaining wall construction.)

FIG. Ik- The bareness of the curb of steps in a terrace slope may be softened by English Ivy, kept trimmed (above) or by some spreading, decumbent shrub, like Rock Spray Cotoneaster or Spreading Juniper (below).

Sometimes the solution of the problem is to place rocks in the soil to hold it. If you do this, exercise restraint. Often you will see such a bank planted with highly colored flowers, like Mountain Pink. This is getting away from simplicity. I t calls attention to the rocks, crying out: "Look, I've got to have rocks in the bank to keep my house where it belongs." I t will be better to plant such a slope with a vine t h a t will help to retain the soil and will cover up or soften the effect of the rocks (Fig. 15). English I v y is good for this purpose, where it will survive. Japanese Honeysuckle is also

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useful, and good practice calls for mowing it with a scythe every two or three years after it has become established. Rosa wichuriana is also satisfactory — although it does bloom, the bloom is not obtrusive and the glossy leaves

PIG. 15. On a steep bank, where rocks are needed to prevent erosion, the rocks should be partly buried and spreading plants should be used (left). This device helps conceal the bank. The opposite results follow the use of conspicuous plants, such as highly colored flowers or spiky evergreens (right).

give a covering through most of the year. Other plants t h a t can be used are Cotoneaster adpressa and Cotoneaster dammeri. Too often gardeners use taller evergreens in such a situation, but these merely accentuate the infirmity. If you want a rock garden, have it in the back yard where you can enjoy it. When the House Is Lower than the Street. Where streets are laid out on hilly country to follow the contours of the land, a good building site will be found somewhere on the lot. Where streets are laid out on hilly country in the rectangular system, however, there always arises the situation in which, on one side of a street the lots will be above, and on the other side below, the street level. Those which are

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lower present special problems, and that is why, usually, the upper side will be built upon first. When the house is lower than the street, the drainage problem is serious. Foundation walls and basement floors need to be especially well water-proofed, with tile around the base of the foundation to carry away seeping water. A house that is so located should be set farther back from the street than on a level lot, to leave room for suitable grading operations. As nearly completely around the house as possible a low terrace should be constructed to drain water away from the foundation. From the street the ground should be sloped as gradually as possible downwards. Where these two slopes meet, they will form a depression to catch water as it runs down in either direction. This waterway in turn should be so graded that it will carry the water around the house to some point or points where it can be delivered to catch basins, the drains for which will carry the water to some point where it can cause no damage (Fig. 16).

street.

This plan, in effect, creates a broad, shallow, sod gutter. It should be eight to ten or more feet wide. The depth will depend somewhat upon the width and the amount of water to be carried off. Often a gutter six inches deep will be

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sufficient, but sometimes the depth will run up to twelve inches. The garage, in many cases, will be built under the house, and for this reason the driveway and the turncourt must be carefully graded, with catch basins and drains installed to carry the water away. This will be a protection to both the drive and the turncourt. It is better if these are made of some permanent material, such as asphalt-bound gravel or crushed rock. The planting of the front area presents a problem. Of course, if for any reason it should be advisable to erect a buffer screen to keep the noise and dust of the street away from the house, it is comparatively simple to plant shrubs that are not too high (the height will depend upon the amount of slope down) inside the sidewalk line. A tree or two, depending upon the size of the lot, may be used to frame the house. Plantings at the base — the foundation planting—should be restrained in quantity and especially in height. If plants that are too high are used, the optical effect will be to lower the house still more. You can give the effect of raising the house by putting in a supporting planting. Such a planting will be curved along the margins of the free front area. It will tie in with the plants at the corners of the house, and then as the bed curves outward and toward the street, the plants gradually decrease in height to those that come only a little above the sidewalk level. This arrangement will give the illusion of elevating the house. Obviously, plants chosen for such a special purpose must be selected with great care. Plant the Front with Restraint. It is not good procedure to make the front property the site of highly-colored floral effects. If this area is planned in a neat, dignified manner, with lawn, a tree or two, and a few shrubs to tie the house

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in, bright flowers will distract attention from the over-all effect you want of framing the onlooker's picture of your home. Furthermore, if your flowers are neglected, the effect will be still worse. Would it not be more to the point to have the flowers in the private area, where they can be enjoyed by those who live in the garden? If you want others to enjoy them, invite them to tea in the garden, thus fulfilling one of the purposes of a well-designed place. A common problem near the street is created by the roots from street trees and by dense shade. Unfortunately, one of the trees frequently used on streets is the Norway Maple, and the dense shade and the competing roots from this are usually fatal to grass. The best solution seems to be

TIG. 17. The straight entrance walk in the lower left front yard makes the front lawn area and even the house front look narrower than they are. Other front yards diagrammed here show better arrangements of walks, depending ujxm traffic needs.

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to prepare the soil with plenty of organic matter and to plant an evergreen vine (See Page 158). The entrance path is often a distracting feature. If the house happens to stand in the middle of the lot, the path bisects the front area and consequently makes it appear much smaller. Of course, as a general rule paths should be placed where they are conveniently used. Thus, if most of the traffic comes from the side of the lot where the driveway is located, the center path can often be eliminated to improve appearance by connecting the house entrance with the driveway. If most of the traffic comes from the other side, a curved walk to the other corner of the property will often add spaciousness at no sacrifice to convenience. Then there is the matter of a fence or hedge along the front. Consider here what your neighbors are doing. If you use a fence, make it substantial in construction, yet graceful and simple in design. A post-and-rail fence is out of place on a city street, and yet we sometimes see one. Hedges are sometimes used. There is this general statement that can be made of any plantings like hedges or pairs or groups of plants by the walks: They always foreshorten the area and make the house appear closer to the street, which is usually not desirable. As a matter of protection to your lawn, it may be advisable in some cases to use a plant or two where walks intersect. In such cases, use rather low-growing sorts. The Box Barberry (Berberís thunbergi minor) is suitable for this purpose. Help it to blend with the lawn by adding an ivy ground cover around it (Fig. 18). Any plantings that are used in front should be kept toward the margins of the area. How often do we see front yards that are cluttered up with plants that seem to be stumbling over each other. These cause increased labor in

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mowing the lawn and make the place appear much smaller. Try this simple test. Take a card table and place a magazine or light-colored book in the center. Observe that there

FIG. 18. Walk intersection, lawn protected by corner planting of Box Barberry well away from walk. English Ivy covers the ground around barberry, helping it to blend with the lawn.

is a uniform margin around it. Now move the object near one corner. How much larger does the unobstructed surface appear! (Fig. 19.) r^rrr

•rVH

tr 1 . •* esa^^s

FIG. 19. A book in the center of a card table seems to occupy much more space than one placed near a corner. This shows the wisdom of keeping plants toward the margin of an area.

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Then there is this business of rows of plants, at intervals, paralleling a walk. To be sure, they create rhythm, but this is not the place for this sort of rhythm. In addition to complicating maintenance operations, they shorten the distance. Try this on a table with spools of thread or with dark-colored glasses or cups.

FIG. SO. Trees well placed frame a house and make it belong.

If there are street trees, additional trees of size will seldom be needed in the front yard. If they are, locate them so that they frame the house and help to tie it into the picture. The Base Planting. What is the purpose of the base or foundation planting? The base planting should have one purpose — to soften the lines of the house and fit or blend it with the surface. In doing this, there are angles that need to be softened and reduced in effect. These are the vertical angles at the corners of the house and the horizontal angle where the foundation and land meet. Seldom, these days, is it necessary to make a planting completely around the base of the house like a necklace. How many houses appear to be resting uneasily upon a cushion with neat rows of evergreens like pins pointing upward ! Instead, a single plant or a group of plants may sup-

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port each corner and a single plant or group of plants frame the doorway or entrance. Then there is the matter of form relationship to consider. The American domestic type of architecture calls for a different form in plants t h a n a Queen Anne or any type

FIG. 21. Foundation plantings. Use plants appropriate to the architectural style. With a rectangular type house (upper left) rounded forms tie the house to the ground, but pointed forms dwarf the house (upper right). With a pointed type house, rounded plant forms make the house appear taller (lower left). Pointed plant forms carry out the architectural lines (lower right). They may need the support of smaller rounded forms to complete the picture.

with pointed roofs and gables and dormers. To the former a rounded form of shrub or tree is more adapted; with the latter, the pointed forms are in keeping. I t doesn't matter much what classes of woody plants you use for base plantings, or for any other planting for that matter, as long as you use them properly. Some people prefer narrow-leaved evergreens, such as the Yew or Juniper. They are cheery in winter, but they lack variety for they are the same from the beginning to the end of the year. Others prefer broad-leaved evergreens, such as Pieris, Mountain Laurel, and Rhododendron. These are green all

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year and have the advantage of seasonal bloom. Still others favor deciduous shrubs, because these have constant changes in aspect or interest. Swelling buds in spring, leafing out, bloom, a good mass of green foliage in summer, perhaps fruits of color, dropping of leaves in autumn, and

FIG. &£. Planting plan using Japanese Holly and Hemlock. (a) Ilex crenata microphylla. (6) Ilex crenata convexa. (c) Tsuga canadensis.

FIG. ¡23: A planting plan using Rhododendrons, (A) Rhododendron catawbiense or a hybrid. (b) Azalea hinomayo. (c) Azalea vaseyi. (d) Azalea schlippenbachi. (e) Rhododendron maximum.

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the characteristic twig pattern and color and bud habit and color intrigue us during the winter. A combination of types is sometimes possible with even greater interest and variety. However, combining evergreens and deciduous plants must be done carefully or else

FIG. 2b. Planting -plan using Hemlock, Arbomritae and Pine, (O) Thuja occidentalis Rosenthal. (6) Pinus mugho mughus. (c) Thuja occidentalis globosa. (d) Tsuga canadensis.

FIG. 25. Planting plan with Yens, nana, (c) Taxus cuspidata.

(a) Taxus hicksi. (6) Taxus cuspidata

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the effect will be spotty, as in alternating an evergreen and a deciduous shrub. The unity of the group must be considered. Sometimes a small-growing tree will be better than a

Center: Enlcianthus campanulatus.

FIG. 27. Right: Hamamelis virginiana. Left: Taxus cuspidata. Underplanting in bed: Vinca minor, Scilla, Ferns, Epimedium, or Galanthus.

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corner may be softened effectively by using a narrow trellis with a vine, or, in the case of stone or brick, planting a clinging vine that will be kept in restraint by pruning.

FIG. 29. A small tree with supporting shrubs, (a) Cornus florida. (6) Kalmia latifolia. (c) Abelia grandiflora, (d) Vnderplanting of ferns, Vinca minor or English Ivy.

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Betual populifolia. Left: Pieris japónica. Underplanting: violets, narcissus, Vinca minor.

TOO M A N Y

PLANTS

We Americans like to finish a job in a hurry ánd so we often set out two or three times the number of plants we actually need for the final results in order to obtain an immediate effect. These excess plants are usually not removed soon enough, so that they become crowded and overgrown. Instead of putting in too many plants, a good method is to use only those plants that will be finally needed, and to fill the spaces among them with some plant or plants less permanent in nature. For example, among almost any sort of shrubs tall ferns like Cinnamon Fern, Interrupted Fern,

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FIG. 31. A small tree, Magnolia virginiana, supported by two Leucothoe catesbaei.

baei. (c) Taxus cuspidata. (d) Cornus florida. (e) Pachysandra terminalis.

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n o . S3. Vines used to soften corner of house. Left: On brick or stone'a clinging vine thai should be restrained by pruning. Right: On wood construction, a twining vine on a trellis.

FIG. 31f. A hinged trellis, vyith hooks arid eyes at the top, is easily lowered before painting the house.

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Royal Fern, Shield Fern, and so on will provide green filling for the bare spaces and yet will not sive enough to inhibit the growth of the shrubs. those ferns which spread out, such as bracken scented Fern, should be avoided.

a gracious be aggresOf course, and Hay-

FIG. 35. Vines on trellises at the entrance give a cosy look.

Above all in the base planting, exercise restraint and good taste. Don't spend all your money for this planting to the detriment of what should be the main effort for your family's benefit and enjoyment, the private area. Remember that the purpose of the base planting is to make the house belong to the property and not to compete with the spending habits of your neighbors. Keep in mind that the soil close to the house is more often than not filled with the debris of building operations. This should be investigated. If a lot of lime has been covered in grading, Rhododendrons and similar plants set in it will

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show the adverse effect of this material in a few years. Bricks, broken slate, laths, lumps of concrete, all help to dry out a soil quickly and make it unsuitable for the growth of most plants. All this coarse material should be removed and, if necessary, fresh soil brought in. It should be manured, fertilized, and limed for plants that will tolerate lime. Renovating the Foundation Planting. If your foundation planting has grown to the point where it is covering the windows, one of your problems is what to do about it. Many foundation plantings are composed of what are actually evergreen forest trees that were planted while in an immature stage. They were planted thick but as they grew were not thinned enough to reduce the number. Now

FIG. 36. Classical doorway. Left: Columnar plants detract from pillars by emphasizing vertical lines. Right: Rounded forms of plants focalize and support pillars.

they may have spread so that the individual plants are pressing so closely against their neighbors that portions on the sides and in the back next to the foundation have died. Where the lower and side branches are dead, it is not possible to restore them. You might be able to use some of them in a regrouping, with other things planted in front, but your best course would be to get rid of them and start over. And don't make the same mistake that many people

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do of planting exactly the same things. Of course, by root pruning and shearing many of these plants can be kept within bounds, but it is a constant fight. In the tables on pages 73, 74 and 83 you will find some suggestions for foundation plantings. If your problem planting has not progressed as far as that described above, it may be possible to regroup and salvage a portion of it. The first thing to do is to take an inventory of the varieties and their condition. There is sure to be someone in your neighborhood who can identify the plants for you. Then consider the elimination of such species as are seldom suitable on a small property, such as fir (Abies), spruce ( P i c e a ) , and pine ( P i n u s ) . There are dwarf varieties of these, such as the Mugho Pine, the Umbrella Japanese Pine, and the Dwarf White Pine that might be used. The rest are forest trees. On page 69 and following are directions for pruning evergreens, with a statement of what varieties will respond to severe cutting back. Follow these suggestions or, if you like, make a trial on your own plants to see which ones will recover after severe pruning. Where the height needs to be reduced, do not cut back just to the height desired. Cut twelve to eighteen inches below that in order that the plants may grow upward and be shaped before they reach the height desired. After deciding which plants to keep, study the regrouping so as to present a more pleasing picture. When you have made your choice, transplant. Such transplanting will reduce the roots so that a shearing will be necessary to bring about a better balance between top and root. Further, it will take a couple of years for the plants to become thoroughly established in their new locations so that they take up normal growth.

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THE SERVICE AREA T h e service area would include the driveway, garage, maybe a clothes drying yard, vegetable garden, and other strictly utilitarian features, according to t h e needs of the household. This area calls for a relatively formal t r e a t m e n t , because t h a t helps you to derive t h e most use f r o m t h e least space. Location of the Garage. If the garage is located a t t h e rear of the property, there is a lot of land wasted in driveway. Of course, if the property is a corner one, t h e entrance to the garage can be f r o m the side street. If possible, a detached garage should be located on the north side of t h e property, where it will not create any shade problems.

FIG. 37. Wherever the garage is placed there is always room, for a uisteria above its large and. indecorative doors.

vine

T h e nearer the garage can be located to t h e house, the better. T h e ideal is an attached garage. B u t there are complications. I t is desirable to have an attached garage t h a t does not look like a garage. If the lot is wide enough, the entrance can be a t t h e side, rather t h a n t h e front. If not, the entrance should be from the rear. This entrance, of course, requires room for a turn. I n either case, the wall of the garage facing the street will be without the gaping door

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and can be constructed in harmony with the house. In the case of the rear entrance attached garage, you can set sockets in the driveway pavement so that it can be used for a drying yard, either a single socket for the folding type drier or several sockets for a line. If you pave the turncourt, it can be used for badminton or similar sports not requiring too much space. Your vegetable garden might go at the rear of the turncourt (Fig. 38).

no. 38. House with attached garage entered from the rear. Driveway may be paved and used as a clothes drying yard or for badminton or other games.

THE PRIVATE AREA With the public and service areas out of the way, the space that remains is yours to develop in the way that will give the most satisfaction and enjoyment to your family and friends. This is your outdoor living room, and the more nearly you can approximate this concept, the greater will be your dividends in pleasure and, indeed, in health. Here you can provide for much of the warm weather social life of the family and for the expression of your own artistic

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instincts. Y o u can have the balanced symmetry of a formal pattern, or the random grace of an informal design. Y o u can have a picnic center with benches, a table, and a fireplace; a play area for the small fry; a flagged terrace for hot, lazy summer afternoons; and for decoration you can choose from all nature's vast array of flowers, shrubs, trees, and other forms of plant life. A GARDEN FOR THE SITE

Not all properties are alike in topography nor are all people alike. Your garden, within the limits of topography, should be an expression of your individuality. It is possible, in a row of identical houses and properties such as you will find in the older sections of Philadelphia and many other eastern cities, to have as much individuality in the gardens as there is in the selection and arrangement of the furnishings in the house. That is one reason that garden patterns are undesirable, because they would tend to bring about the standardization of an art, and standardization should be resisted. The topography of your land will have a great bearing upon your gardening. Where the land is flat, the problem is comparatively simple. Where the land is steep and rocky, it is poor planning and expensive to attempt the realization of the type of garden that would be adapted to flat land. People on rocky land have ideal conditions for rock gardening that is lacking in sense on flat land. Where a stream flows through a property, conditions are ideal for water and waterside gardening and it would be foolish to attempt formal gardens. In brief, your aims should be to adapt a suitable garden to your site and to be sure that it is as. closely related as possible to your home and life.

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FORMAL DESIGN Although many persons think they have an aversion to formality in design, the very nature of the problem often calls for formality. On many lots, for instance, you are dealing with rectangles and rather small areas. Furthermore, we who call ourselves ordinary are actually the most formal in art expression. Where do you find more formal verse than appears in our nursery rhymes and folk songs? Is there anything in music more formal than the rhythmic drumbeat of the so-called savages? The two types of formal gardens intended especially for flat land are the result of gradual evolution through the centuries. These are the oblong garden and the radial garden. The oblong formal garden, we are told, started in ancient Egypt, coming to greater development in the Roman Empire and Italy of the Renaissance. The radial garden had the same beginning, presumably, coming to its best days in the patio gardens of Moorish Spain. The Oblong Garden. The oblong formal garden is, of course, rectangular with two parallel sides longer than the others. Proportions vary, but a ratio of one and one half to one gives a pleasing effect. The framework of the garden is based upon a system of axes—structural lines which are set up by means of terminal features of one sort or another. Terminal features serve to direct the eye. If all the units of the garden are arranged in relation to these lines, bilateral symmetry is attained and the unity of the garden is assured. A major and, perhaps, one or more minor axes are usually considered advisable in attaining this result, although in small gardens the minor axis may be lacking. The major axis runs lengthwise, usually. The minor axis is established at right angles to the major axis, usually about midway, but

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circumstances may change its location. If the garden is long and narrow, more than one minor axis may be used, but too many, close together, are likely to confuse the design.

FIG. 39. A simple formal arrangement showing axes of the private area, with arrows showing two structural lines ending at terminal features. Here the garage is at the rear of the lot. A trellis with vines separates the garden area from the driveway. The informal shrub border may be replaced with a fence, trellis, or tall, clipped hedge.

The axis is not necessarily a p a t h ; in fact, it is advisable, usually, to dispense with a path. The line is established by terminal features placed definitively at the ends. These features should be carefully scaled to the particular garden. I t is seldom advisable to use plants as features inasmuch as they may be injured — then, too, they may blend too much with the background. Statues, fountains, large pottery urns or jars, arbors, and summer houses lend themselves well to this use. A large tree, appropriately placed and shading a paved or semi-paved area on which tables and chairs are placed, will serve in this situation. The major axis will lead, time and again, from a door or window to a paved or

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turf terrace, or to the steps leading down from the terrace to the garden. In this case, a pair of specimen plants beside the steps, or a pair of jars that are similarly placed, will serve to emphasize the terminus. An important point to consider is that no structure or object should be placed upon the axis so that the line will be broken and the purpose confused. The best treatment is a free expanse of lawn. However, many gardeners are fond of a little more display — and thus a pool or a bed of flowers may be placed at the point where the major and minor axes intersect. Such a pool should be a reflecting pool because, if aquatic plants are grown in it, attention will be distracted from the terminal feature —and the garden will lose its true form. If a flower bed is used, plant it with cool lavenders or delicate pinks and not too brilliant reds, which will clamor for attention. If the garden is one of a series, an arch may be placed in the separation, and this will serve, weakly, as a terminus. A gate might be used to good effect. The minor axis is often eliminated in small gardens, but at least it is established by means of terminal features in the same way as is the major axis, except that the features are of less interest than those on the major axis. For example, simple seats might be used as termini. Again, an opening into the vegetable garden or the drivecourt might be by means of a gate or an arch, and opposite that, a seat. The idea is to establish the axes so as to give the garden form and to contrast the relative importance of the major and minor. The formal garden should be enclosed completely to preserve its entity. The enclosure should be one that will blend with the garden itself. Usually the wall of the house forms one side. Other sides may be brick or stone walls, trellises,

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fences, clipped hedges, or hedges of natural-growing shrubs. Vines should be grown on walls or trellises. In such a garden, colorful effects of flowers are best kept on the margins, leaving the central lawn clear to give a

FIG. iO. The terminus of an axis on a wall, such as the house wall beside the terrace, may be established by a tile, plaque, or similar form. This may be strengthened by the use of "plants beside the steps.

FIG. %.l. The terminus of an axis may be indicated by a vine on a trellis against a wall. This may be strengthened either by vases or jars or by plants beside the steps. In some cases both mail be used.

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setting for the flower beds and to add a feeling of spaciousness in the area. The flower beds will have straight edges, for the most part, but a sinuous border that does not wave too much may be effective.

FIG. )$. Where the terminus of an axis is a window, the terminal features may be emphasized by supporting plants trained against the wall; a vine such as Clematis on a trellis, or an evergreen in a tub.

The Radial Garden. The radial garden is useful on small areas, some very small, perhaps about ten feet square, and is especially effective in square or round areas. Being relatively small and having uniform length of sides, it does not

a window.

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have axes, but is set up like a wheel. A terminal feature is placed at the geometric center of the garden. This may be a summer house if the garden is large—or, better still, it is the ideal place for a sundial or gazing globe. How often do we see one of these objects set in the front yard, with no relation to anything else in the picture! Used in the radial garden, it has a definite use and purpose. From this feature, like the spokes in a wheel, radii such as paths extend to the edges of the garden, which should be enclosed. In a small garden four radii will be sufficient ordinarily. At the outer ends may be placed minor features such as seats, pottery jars, ceramic plates inserted in a wall, or any small, permanent object. Planting is planned and carried out between the paths — so this type of garden is especially adapted to pattern gardening. In some patios planting is limited to a few trees or plants in tubs, the patterns being worked out with paving or tiles. As an example, a rose garden is well adapted to this style. The central feature may be a small summerhouse covered with climbing roses, with pillar roses featured at the ends of the radii. The beds between the radii may be divided into sections, each planted with one variety or color of roses, thus working out a pattern. Tulips may be planted for a pattern of spring bloom, to be followed by annuals. INFORMAL GARDENS

It has been pointed out that gardens should be adapted to the site. Formal gardens may seem to be the logical choice on flat land. However, there are many who prefer an informal arrangement, and this, of course, is possible. An axis should be established, just the same, but this time at an angle, so that the flower beds can be developed with sinuous

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margins, but in such a way as to give a feeling of balance. W e have two types of balance, the balance of symmetry that is found in the formal garden and balance of interest that is found in nature and can be developed within a garden area. If your property has been developed from a wooded area or with a stream running through it, the logical type of garden would be a natural one. This involves making some paths, but the main idea is to develop the particular topographic feature. Use plants suitable to the environment. I t seems so strange, for instance, for a person to develop a garden in a woodland, and to try growing cannas, geraniums, and similar plants when there are such beautiful asters, goldenrod, and other native flowers that would fit so much better into the picture. The rock garden is another type of informal garden that is properly developed in a suitable setting. W e see lots of "rockeries" in which the ordinary plants of the garden are grown. Some such gardens contain rocks from every state in the Union or boast similar unrelated assortments — these are travesties. The real rock garden is one in which the rocks are employed to make conditions suitable for growing a particular class of plants, the alpines. Some of these plants are tiny but they are showy and interesting. A collector can assemble a large number of these small varieties in a relatively small place. If you want to work with plants of this kind on level land, seek out a secluded corner in your garden and erect retaining walls up to five or six feet high so that you can have the semblance of a little mountain. Then, in the slope down from these walls, you can develop a moraine type of garden. In such a garden use rocks that are native to or typical of your region. They should be weather-worn, not freshly broken, and large enough so that

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you can bury at least two thirds of each rock to create the coolness about the roots so favorable to the growth of alpines. Every once in a while a garden fad arises. Now it will be rock gardens; later it may be pools. Pools may be desirable in formal gardens, but usually only as reflecting pools of formal outline. However, if you have children in your house, or even in your neighborhood, a pool is a serious hazard. If you want a pool for aquatic and bog plants, build it in a corner of the property. In the pool and in an artificial bog created adjacent to it, you can satisfy your craving for this type of culture. With this location you will still have the expanse of lawn that gives a feeling of spaciousness to the property. The Natural Landscape. The natural landscape is one showing nature's handiwork, the development being influenced entirely by natural forces. An artificial landscape usually should be an imitation of the natural one, but it cannot be a replica. In developing your particular bit of landscape, by all means consider what is already there when you start and work in harmony with it. Otherwise you will run into considerable investment for construction, more expense and worry in maintenance, and even more artificiality. Take a sand dune, for instance. If a person should set out to establish a lawn and make conditions favorable for growing blue spruce, Van Houtte Spirea, peony, iris, and China Asters, think of the expense he will face for topsoil, organic matter, and water! How much better it would be to plant things which will grow with the least trouble under the conditions that are presented, like Redcedar, Dune Grass, Beach Plum, Bayberry, Hudsonia tomentosa, and Seashore Goldenrod. This landscape belongs, whereas the

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landscape that is artificially created is a constant source of expense and labor; one uses materials that are definitely related to the environment, the other violates all the rules. Consider the low wet spot. It may be necessary to install drainage if you want a vegetable garden; but for a garden of flowering plants and trees and shrubs it will be much easier and much more reasonable to use plants which have a natural adaptation to the conditions: Oriental Iris, Forgetme-not, Monkeyfiower, Alder ( A l n u s incana), Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), White Fringe (Chionanthus virginica), Silky Cornel (Cornus amomum), Tatarian Dogwood (Cornus alba), Witherod ( V i b u r n u m cassinoides), Winterberry (Ilex vertidllata), Willow (Salix alba vitellina), Pussywillow (SaJix discolor), Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris). To do these things may take restraint and self-discipline, but you will get much more satisfaction in the long run from having developed a landscape rather than having created one at variance with the site. SPACE FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY If you have children, plan to set aside a space for their activities. You will want a sandbox for the small fry. If this is placed in an area that is enclosed, the sand, tools, and vessels necessary for the suitable enjoyment of it will usually remain within the area and will not be distributed throughout the garden. Make your enclosure low, however, because you must avoid obstructing a mother's view of the children. There are four aids which every young child needs for the development of muscle, courage, caution, and co-ordination. They also play a part in developing pride and selfrespect, for they will draw playmates to him and serve to

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accompany a noisy, youthful form of hospitality. These needs include a seesaw (for the three-year-old), a swing (for the four-year-old), an easy low-branching tree to climb (for the five-year-old), and a strong pipe framework for tricks and learning to "shinny up" in your own yard where you can help quickly in case of accident. With a bit of planning all of these can be placed in a small area. The tree (an apple is ideal if it happens to be there), may at once shelter the area from sun and tie the play area into a unified effect, attractive to the eye of one who likes children. HOW TO GET SHADE Shade in a small garden is not always easy to attain. Usually, if a large-growing tree is planted, especially one of rapid development, it soon outgrows its place and creates a problem. Sometimes neighbors can agree to plant so that one tree will cast shade in both properties, perhaps in the rear. This is a good arrangement. However, when thinking of the single property, judgment and restraint must be exercised. There is no tree that will grow fast and will not become too large for a small property, unless you are willing to forego the flowering plants that must have plenty of sunshine. Accordingly, you have to choose between buying a large specimen of a naturally small tree (this is costly but worth the price, if you have it) or exercising patience until a smaller tree grows large enough to furnish the desired shade. The latter course will take several years, but there will be satisfaction in knowing that your selection will not become too large. Above all, a gardener must have patience. It is well to locate trees in corners or near the rear or side property lines. Sometimes trees will fit in near the driveway or near a corner of the house. In the latter situation,

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you may be able to place one so that shade will be cast on a terrace. Small trees that are suitable for such a situation are Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), Cornelian Cherry (iCornus mas) trained to a single stem, some of the flowering crabapples, such as Malus spectabilis or Malus coronaria, Silver-bell (Halesia Carolina), Storax (Styrax japonica), Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia soulangeana or its varieties), even Washington Thorn (Crataegus phaenopkrum or cordata) if the thorns are removed from lower parts. PLANTING OUT BACK If you have no terrace at the rear of your house, with softening and accent plants adjacent to it, the house is likely to appear bare. Planting a small tree by one corner will help somewhat. Sometimes a few fairly large flowering shrubs, disposed at intervals, will break up the bareness. Often vines are used for this purpose. If the house is of

FIG. H- Left: A heavy vine on the brick or stone wall, growing unrestrained., conceals the beauty of the wall. Right: The same vine, restrained by •pruning, softens the corner of the building and covers bare wall spaces without masking the texture of the wall.

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brick or stone, English I v y will do well on a northern or eastern exposure. Boston I v y is better for southern and western sides. If your house is of wood, don't plant a vine that clings. Instead, you can build a trellis upon which the vines will grow. The painter will bless you when he comes to do his job if you make your trellis frame of one-by-threeinch material, cover it with wide-mesh wire, hinge it at the bottom, and fasten it with hooks at the top. This will make it easy to unhook and let down without harming the vines. Clematis montana is often used for such a purpose, or on a smaller trellis some of the hybrid varieties of Clematis. Clematis paniculata is especially desirable because of its late bloom. This vine has an added advantage in that, after it has been established several years, it can be cut down to about a foot from the ground in the early spring, and in a few weeks, will be almost up to where it had been. TOO MUCH SHADE

Although some of us have to work hard to create shade, many others have more shade than we really want. What to do in shaded areas is a perennial question. You may have either or both of two types of shaded area, the one shaded by buildings and the other shaded by trees. In the first case you have merely the shade with which to contend; but in the second you may also have tree roots competing with your grass and other plants for the available supply of moisture and nutrients in your soil. In order to bloom, plants must have sunlight. The plants that flower in woodlands can do so only by blooming early and forming their flower buds for the next year before many leaves have opened on the trees above them. The rest of the year they are chiefly vegetative. The degree of shade has a great bearing upon the flowering of plants growing under its

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influence. In dense shade there may be no bloom. Even Rhododendrons and azaleas, some species of which naturally grow in wooded areas, fail to set many flowers if the shade is too dense and the competition from the roots is too great. Shade also affects growth. In dense shade, growth will be spindling. In the shade of the north side of a house, where there are no trees nearby, you may get better bloom from some plants because of the reflected light from the northern sky. However, in such a situation it is usually better to plant Rhododendrons and similar plants for their green effect, and if you should get some bloom, count it an added blessing. Some woody plants which will bloom in partial shade are Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), Mountain Pieris {Pieris floribunda), Japanese Pieris (Pieris japónica), Rhododendron catawbiense, Rhododendron maximum, Inkberry (Ilex glabra). If you want to establish shrubs near trees, you will have more chance of success if you can plant the trees and shrubs at the same time. This will give the shrubs an opportunity to become established and build reserves before the trees overreach them. To plant shrubs among large established trees is taking a risk. Some shrubs that may succeed in such a situation are Pinxterbloom (Azalea nudiflora), Common Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginica), Spicebush (Benzoin aestivale) in moist situations, Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum), Maple-leaved Viburnum or Dockmackie (Viburnum acerifolium), Bush-honeysuckle (Diervilla trifida), Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus). ENCLOSURES AND SEPARATIONS

Several times throughout the foregoing discussion the word enclosure has been used. A house has walls—these are

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for protection against the elements and to provide privacy for those who live inside. A house also has partitions — one of the purposes of these, is to support the upper portions of the house, but certainly another purpose is to separate the activities of one room from those of the others. The room in which we prepare food is separated from that in which we eat it, and the rooms in which various members of the family sleep are separated from one another. In the same way various areas of your lot have particular functions — public, service, private —and a degree of enclosure is not only appropriate but desirable. Your enclosure need not extend beyond the house line toward the street, for if it does, it may strike a discordant note in the neighborhood. It is sufficient to enclose the private area. The idea of partitions in the garden may seem strange at first, but it will develop gradually and then seem reasonable. Take, for instance, the place where your driveway adjoins the garden area. From this driveway comes dust and light may be reflected; neither are pleasant if you are having a tea party in the garden. A simple trellis with vines or a hedge along the margin of the garden area will create a feeling of privacy and intimacy. Personal experience has shown that a few plants separating the children's play yard from the garden will serve to keep the activities of the play yard confined. Why should the untidiness natural in the vegetable garden be fully exposed to visitors to the flower garden? Partitions between various garden areas give them form and preserve their identity. They supply the background which is so often lacking to set off flowers. Furthermore, they create interest, for if the planning is well done, and the various garden areas are not exposed to view at one

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time, curiosity is aroused as to just what is beyond that separation. WHAT TO USE FOR GARDEN SEPARATIONS

Y o u may fear that these separations will take up too much room, but this need not be the case. In a very small area, chains suspended between posts are effective in setting one area off from another. A trellis or fence, covered with vines, would give a more complete enclosure. If you are planning a rose garden, climbing roses on the trellis will add a good feature. For other gardens, Silverfleece Vine {Polygonum, auberti), Actinidia, Climbing Honeysuckle (Lonicera japónica halleana) are a few of the more rampant vines that may need some pruning to keep them within bounds. A more moderate growing vine is Akebia. If you want to go to the trouble, most of the shrubs can be trained fan-shaped on trellises. Particularly effective are Forsythia, Viburnum tomentosum, and even the evergreen Taxus cuspidata. These can all be kept in fairly narrow limits. For hedges we have the prosaic California privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium); a hybrid that is nearly evergreen and a little more resistant to extremes of cold, Ligustrum ibolium; the more hardy deciduous Ligustrum amurense. With a little more pruning care Regel's Privet (Ligustrum obtusifolium regelianum) makes a hedge of fine texture. There is also a columnar form of the Japanese Barberry. In the broad-leaved plants there is, of course, Boxwood which requires room to spread. In the narrow-leaved or coniferous evergreens, the yews seem most desirable, especially the upright growing forms like Hicks Yew, Hatfield Yew, and so on. Sometimes these are trained to a single stem to make a very narrow hedge. For more northern climates, Taxus

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canadensis stricta serves effectively for a hedge up to three or four feet. Then there are many of the flowering shrubs that may be used, although the bloom is not effective because of the severe pruning needed to confine them. Among these, as examples, are Deutzia gracilis, Philadelphus avalanche, Spiraea vanhouttei, and so on. Enclosures on the boundary lines of your property may be more substantial, if you wish. Y o u may want a brick or a stone wall, toning down their austerity by planting them to vines. Y o u can use a fence or a trellis of wood or of wood and wire —upon these, too, grow vines. Perhaps you'll prefer a high hedge, clipped or undipped, or a border of shrubs to add bloom in season. CIRCULATION

Y o u will have to provide for circulation among the various elements or units in your garden. Passage from one area to another can be by means of gates, arches, or mere openings. This arrangement makes it more convenient for your guests, and more important, it makes it much easier for you to transport the tools needed for cultivation and lawn maintenance. Wherever such passage is permitted you have an opportunity, through the use of an arch or a gate, to set up a simple terminal feature for an axis. But don't set an archway down on a stretch of lawn. Remember that the archway is designed to be a passageway through a fence, hedge, trellis, etc. Because archways concentrate the traffic, you will want paving under them. If your design is formal, the more appropriate shape of the paving stones would be random rectangles rather than the broken flags that go with informal designs.

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A GOOD HEDGE If you decide on a hedge, you want a good one. The choice of plant materials suitable for hedges is much wider than most of us realize, as you'll see from the lists starting on page 86. To keep your hedge green to the ground, and in good condition otherwise, here are the things to do:

FIG. Jt5. Training Privet Hedge. Left: Before and after pruning at time of planting. Center: Before and after pruning at end of first year. Right: May be cut back to eighteen inches in growing season of second year.

1. Set the plants close together. If the plants are deciduous (that is, lose their leaves in winter) and grown according to general nursery practices, they should be set twelve to twenty-four inches apart, depending upon species. If they are spruce, pine, or hemlock, they should usually be set eighteen to thirty inches apart. 2. Prune at time of setting. Unless the plants have been especially trained for hedge purposes, deciduous plants should be cut off to about six inches from the ground to insure low branching. If they are evergreens and are handled with the soil held about the roots by wrapping in burlap (designated in nursery catalogues as B. & B.), this severe cutting back is not necessary. I t is wise, however, to give them a good shearing at time of planting. 3. Shear frequently, especially in the early years of vigorous growth. This trimming will give your hedge density. With privet and other deciduous plants, you will

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have to shear several times during the growing season, to maintain a uniform hedge whenever the lower part of the new growth begins to harden. Frequent shearing means much branching, which is desirable. Give the final shearing in the autumn to have your hedge in good shape for winter. With evergreen material, the type of plant and hedge desired governs pruning practice. Y o u may shear boxwood sharply, but usually it is sheared in such a way as to maintain the natural billowy effect that is considered desirable. Evergreens should be sheared in early spring before growth starts, again about the latter part of M a y , and once more about the last of June or the early part of July. Pruning later than the period given may induce late growth that may be nipped by freezing, inasmuch as evergreens cease growth from the first to the middle of August over a large part of the country. Of course, if growth becomes very irregular, shearing may be done between the times stated, but usually these periodic trimmings will suffice. In fall, after there is no likelihood that growth will be renewed, the final shaping may be done. If this operation is performed, the spring shearing may be omitted.

FIG. i6. Shaping a hedge properly is important. Left: Where the top is narrower than the bottom, the hedge can be kept dense at the base. Right: Where the top is wider than the base, the lower part is likely to be bare of foliage.

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4. Shape the hedge well. The best shape to maintain a hedge that is leafed to the base is one in which the top is a little narrower than the base. When the top is wider than the base, shading prevents the good development of the lower part. II. PLANTING ACCORDING TO PLAN You should now have more than a general idea as to the why and how of plans for your home setting. You are ready for the selection of plants that should be installed around your home, according to plan, to become a part of your outdoor living room. In choosing plants, know what you are getting. If you have to depend upon someone else to make the selection for you, always get a list before you order, and look up the plants in a good encyclopedia or garden dictionary. For instance, as I look out of the window while writing this, I can see a foundation planting consisting of, in part, Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) Sawara False Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera), Norway Spruce (Picea abies), Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens glauca), American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), Redcedar {Juniperus virginiana). These are all plants that are relatively cheap and are commonly used in base plantings. Looking these up in a manual, you will find: Height Tsuga canadensis, Canada Hemlock 70 to 100 feet Chamaecyparis pisifera, Sawara False Cypress Up to 100 feet Picea abies, Norway Spruce Up to 150 feet Picea pungens glauca, Colorado Blue Spruce 80 to 100 feet Thuja occidentalis, American Arborvitae 60 feet or more Juniperus virginiana, Redcedar Up to 100 feet

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Of course, these trees require years and perhaps centuries to attain such heights, but there is a clear warning that they probably will grow rapidly, once established, and in a few years will outgrow the situation. The same thing holds true with other types of plants. If you are planting rhododendrons and the greatest height desired is six feet, you might plant Rhododendron carolinianum if the spot were somewhat sunny, and you could keep Rhododendron catawbiense and some of the hybrids down to that height by pruning, but it would be poor judgment to plant Rhododendron maximum, for this will grow up to thirty-five feet. Do not be influenced by partiality or by some ephemeral character. Many persons seeing a shrub in bloom and liking the flowers will buy it, regardless of its other characteristics. Keep in mind that the flowering habit, in the life of the plant, is relatively unimportant. The bloom lasts a week or ten days only. Consider the architectural effect of the shrub, its form, and foliage texture, because these are the factors that count during the greater part of the season. Many people like Mockorange (or the old fashioned name Syringa). The variety Philadelphus grandiflorus will attain a height of ten feet, while some of the more recent hybrids are lower, such as Philadelphus avalanche, about six feet, and Philadelphus Boquet Blanc, about five feet. The first will grow up in front of a window six feet from the ground, while the last two would be much more satisfactory in such a situation. Just as you want to avoid plants that will outgrow their setting, so you should avoid also, on a small property, plants with very coarse foliage or large coarse heads of flowers.

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HORTICULTURAL CURIOSITIES

Another thing to consider carefully is the use of horticultural curiosities or freaks. These stand out from their neighbors, calling attention to themselves and disturbing the harmony and unity of the picture. There are weeping forms of some trees and shrubs that lead the eye downward when it should be led horizontally or upward. A yellowfoliaged plant appears as if autumn had come prematurely. If you like these oddities, give them a place by themselves in the private area with a proper setting, and then they can be enjoyed for whatever beauty they have. The front yard or public area is not the place for them. WHAT PLANTS TO USE

Throughout this chapter plants have been suggested for use in different situations. To give you a wider choice, tables have been added, providing additional suggestions of plants suitable for particular conditions. These lists by no means exhaust the possibilities, but they are made up of plants that have proved dependable under the conditions for which they are recommended. In these tables information can be only generalized. The height and spread given are fairly average, but differences in soil or climate may increase or decrease these dimensions. The blooming dates are representative in succession. If you know a plant in the list, as to its time of bloom, you can judge the rest. At best, therefore, the tables can only help you in making a wise selection. Before you actually buy a plant, you should acquaint yourself with all its aspects: Its hardiness and adaptability to your particular locality, its height and spread, relative freedom from bothersome insect and dis-

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ease pests, ease of maintenance, whether it presents a pleasing foliage mass that remains in good condition for a long period, and above all whether it fills the needs of the particular space. On a large estate or in a park a dozen or fifty plants of one kind may be used to achieve an effect. On a small property you will need only one or two to give a similar effect on the much smaller scale. Consequently, you need to exercise more discrimination in selecting and placing your plants. Fortunately, if you do make mistakes, plants can be readily replaced or shifted about. Size of Plants to Purchase. The survival of plants is often dependent upon their age. It is better to start with deciduous shrubs that are only two or three years old in the nursery. Big, old shrubs are not desirable unless immediate effects are desired and you can spend a lot of money for moving them. If a plant is young and vigorous, it will form new roots more quickly and will soon outgrow an overgrown nursery plant with the usual method of handling. As to trees in general, the smaller the tree, the more likely it is to live and thrive. If you use large trees and shrubs, they must be moved with the soil about the roots balled and held in place with burlap (B. & B.) which, of course, increases the cost of handling. Evergreen plants, both narrow-leaved and broad-leaved, should be moved B. & B., so the size you buy will depend upon your budget. PLANTING YOUR TREES AND SHRUBS

After you have selected your trees and shrubs, considering their fitness for the picture of which they are to become a part, and their ability to survive in your particular climate and soil, the next requirement is to create as favorable

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conditions as possible so that they can thrive and complete the picture. (Detailed discussion of this subject will be found in the chapter on trees.) Prepare Your Soil Well. The soil for woody plants should have good preparation. When you are planting around the foundation, remove the debris left from building. If the shrubs are to be in beds, it will pay you to work over the whole area of the bed, digging into the soil a liberal quantity of some form of partly decayed organic matter, such as wellrotted stable manure, peat moss, humus, compost, or leaf mold. If you are going to plant Rhododendrons or plants related to them, have your soil tested by your county agricultural agent or state experiment station. If the soil is not acid enough, use sulfur or aluminum sulfate in the amounts recommended, or acid leaf mold to bring it to the proper reaction. Nearly all other woody plants have a wide tolerance for soil reaction. It is well also to dig in about one pound (two cups) of a complete commercial fertilizer (5-10-5 1 will do) to forty or fifty square feet to give the plants a start (except for rhododendrons, laurel, azalea, and the other heath plants). When the trees or shrubs are to be set singly, make the holes in advance and remove any coarse debris. The soil for back filling should be reinforced with organic matter; one third of the bulk of the back fill would not be too much. Dig the Holes Big Enough. Ordinarily the plants should be set at about the same depth they were in the nursery or just a little deeper. You can see the original soil line upon the trunk. Dig the hole about one-fourth to one-third deeper, to give the new roots plenty of good soil into which to make their first explorations. 1

For a discussion of fertilizer formulae, see page 282.

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The diameter of the hole should be such t h a t the roots may be spread out naturally, and a little wider. When plants are set in holes which are too small, so t h a t the roots are cramped, they often start slowly and may be stunted, just as if they were growing in pots. Preparing the Plants for Setting. You should be ready to set your plants as soon as you get them from the nursery. If they arrive before you are ready, they should be "heeled in." Dig a trench wide enough to contain the roots, remove all packing material and place the plants close together, a t an angle, with the roots in the trench. Cover the roots with soil and pack it down slightly to keep the roots moist until you can set the plants (Fig. 47).

TIG. If7. "Heeling-in" nursery plants prior to -planting, when planting cannot be done at once.

Examine the roots before you plant. Cut off any broken or bruised parts with a sharp knife or pruning shears, in order t h a t the injuries may heal and new feeding roots will form readily. Either before or just after planting reduce the

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tops to compensate for roots lost in moving. Cut out all weak or broken shoots and cut the remainder back from one third to one half. This precaution gives the roots a chance to develop before much top growth starts and gives a better balance so that the roots can support the top. Planting. First, if the hole has been dug deeper than the roots will need, place good soil in the bottom of the hole and tramp it down. If it is not trampled and there is much back fill, the soil may settle so that the plant will be too deep. Then set the plant in place and throw some soil around the roots. Grasp the top and gently shake it up and down to settle the soil among the roots. Then trample the soil down with your feet. Place more soil and trample it again. This packing of the soil is to bring it in tight contact with the roots so that there will be no air pockets to cause rapid drying out. It is seldom wise to fill more than six inches at a time without packing. If you are planting in the fall, mound the soil a little to compensate for settling. If the planting is in the spring, it may be wise to leave a slight depression about the trunk to catch and hold water. Another method is by watering in. Bring the bottom of the hole up to the proper level. Next, place the plant and shovel in enough prepared soil, free of grass roots and large stones, to fill the hole about three fourths full. Then pour in water gently, either from buckets or through a hose, until the soil is saturated, settling the soil about the roots. Don't pack it at all; just wait until the free water seeps down, then throw in loose soil to fill the hole. This method is especially good in a dry season. Setting Evergreens. Evergreens and sometimes other plants are shipped with a ball of soil about the roots held in place with a wrapping of burlap or some other material (B. & B.). The purpose of this wrapping is to keep moist

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soil in contact with the roots in order that there may be a continuous flow of moisture to the leaves. In handling such plants, the holes are prepared as before, amply large, and the plants set in. It is well to loosen the burlap at the top. If the soil of the root ball is moist enough so that it will not fall away, the burlap may be loosened and placed in the bottom of the hole. If the soil is crumbling, leave the burlap about the ball. Then fill in with soil and either water it in or pack it down as suggested. It is usually wise to trim most narrow-leaved evergreens back a little after setting. Early spring is a good time to plant them. They also may be set in the late summer or early fall, provided the soil is fairly warm. At least six weeks should elapse between setting and the freezing of the soil. Mulching After Planting. A mulch is usually a layer of coarse material, such as rye or wheat straw, salt hay, leaves, or strawy manure, placed on the soil about a plant. A good mulch will help to save moisture in the soil. For trees and shrubs planted in the fall, it will also delay freezing of soil, giving more time for the roots to develop so they can supply the moisture that is necessary to maintain the tops during the winter. This is especially necessary with evergreens; and even newly planted deciduous shrubs may lose so much moisture through the bark that roots which have not become well enough established will dry out, and the plant will die. Maintaining a Mulch. Ericaceous plants, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, Mountain Laurel, or Pieris, seem to grow better if the roots are kept cool in summer and relatively warm in winter. Hence, the maintenance of a mulch about such plants will contribute much to their health. A constant mulch of four to six inches of oak leaves is ideal. As these

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decay, nutrients will become available for the plants, and you will seldom have to add fertilizer. As the mulch rots down, it should be renewed. It is not advisable to use maple or other soft leaves for this purpose, as they rot quickly and seem to leave an alkaline residue, which may harm these heath plants. If oak leaves are not available, a coarse grade of peat moss about two or three inches deep will prove satisfactory. The mulch must be of such nature that air can circulate in it. Narrow-leaved evergreen plants will benefit from a yearround mulch; but if you don't like the appearance of the mulch in summer, you may apply it in the fall and remove it in the spring. Fertilizing Shrubs. Give your deciduous shrubs an application of complete fertilizer (as 5-10-5) at the rate of one pound (two cups) to forty square feet, applied in the spring to the soil about the plants and cultivated in. If the plants are mulched, spread it upon the mulch. It may not be necessary to make an annual application. Judge by the growth of the plants whether or not it is needed. Coniferous and broad-leaved evergreens, except the heath plants, will be benefited by an application of well-rotted stable manure or, if that is not available, use one half the quantity (one cup to forty square feet) of complete fertilizer recommended for the deciduous plants. If the response is not satisfactory, increase the amount slightly. If growth is too rapid, withhold fertilizer the next year or decrease the quantity. For heaths, like rhododendron or azalea, the ordinary commercial fertilizers may be injurious. You can buy special fertilizers for these plants, but if you maintain a mulch of oak leaves you probably won't need any fertilizer. A cupful to ten square feet of cottonseed meal spread on

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the surface of the mulch around the plants will give a steady flow of nutrients. But again watch the plants, because too rapid growth late in the season may result in killing tips by freezing. This will follow the excessive use of a nitrogenous fertilizer. PRUNING DECIDUOUS SHRUBS While there are species of shrubs and locations (such as in a bird thicket) which serve their purpose if left unpruned, in the refined garden it is well to give annual attention to this operation to maintain the plants in attractive form. Pruning, if done systematically, need not be a great burden. Some shrubs require little or no pruning, others need attention every year or two. In the following paragraphs you will find statements as to growth habits. With most of the shrubs that we use, the removal of one or two of the oldest stems every year or so will help to keep the shrubs in good shape. In flowering shrubs there are two definite groups according to blooming habit: (1) Those which form their flower buds in the autumn to bloom in the spring, usually before June 1, such as Mockorange, Van Houtte Spirea, forsythia, weigela, and so on; (2) those that produce the flowering buds and flowers on wood made during the same year, such as Rose of Sharon, Butterfly Bush, Snowhill Hydrangeas, or Chaste-tree. The first step in pruning should be to remove dead wood, wood badly infested with insects, and weak wood. Late Bloomers. With group two, the pruning should be done in winter or early spring before growth starts. Some, like the summer-blooming spireas, Butterfly Bush, Snowhill Hydrangea, may be cut to six inches or so from the ground. A better practice, however, is to select the strongest

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canes, remove the weak ones, and cut the strong ones back to irregular heights, in order not to present too smooth a top outline. With those that grow like trees, such as Rose of Sharon and PeeGee Hydrangea, thin out the weak twigs and cut back the remainder to three or four buds. Spring Bloomers. With group one, the spring-flowering shrubs, the recommendation is frequently made that they be pruned immediately after flowering. The purpose of this recommendation is to preserve all the flowering wood. As a matter of fact, in old shrubs there will be very old canes that are weak and have little flowering wood except at the tips of the twigs. Such canes might just as well be removed in winter, when you can judge better what to take out for the welfare of the plant. The spring bloom will not be materially affected by doing this. It is the habit of these shrubs to renew themselves from the base. If light and air can enter at the top, the newly developing canes will have a chance to grow and renew the top of the shrub. Consequently, whenever the pruning is done, either immediately after bloom or during the winter, the operation should consist in removing some of the oldest canes, close to the base, so that the top is opened up to admit light and air and so that there will be space for the new shoots to develop replacement canes. Cutting back or shearing the tops of shrubs rarely should be practiced. When this is done, new growth originates immediately below the point of cutting. This growth increases the density of the top, an effect desired in hedges but not in specimen or border shrubs that are more attractive in their natural form of growth. Lilacs. Lilacs, when they become too tall, can be cut down to a foot or two from the ground during the winter. This cutting, of course, removes the flower buds which are

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located at the tips of the twigs. If flowers of lilac for use in the house are cut with long stems (often two or three feet long), this cutting will serve as a pruning operation at the same time. Lilacs should be pruned very shortly after bloom

PIG. Renovation -pruning of old shrub. Left: Old shrub. Upper right: Shearing top is not desirable because it will only make plant more dense and ugly. Lower right: Removal of one or more old canes at their bases to admit light, rain, and air permits the development of renewal shoots from near the base of shrub.

is past in order that flower buds will form for next year's bloom. The lilac usually does not make much growth after the flowering period, unless forced by pruning, and if the operation is delayed too long, little or no growth will result. Whether or not to remove the suckers from lilacs is a question that can be settled only on the particular site. If there are many suckers on the so-called French hybrid lilacs and they grow vigorously, they may in time reduce the bloom of the plant. So as a general principle, too many suckers should not be allowed to remain. Generally it is better to dig away the soil and cut the suckers below the

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level of the soil. Retention of a few suckers may save the plant if it is an own-root plant, in the event of a surprise attack by lilac borers, which sometimes kills the main plant. The suckers can take the place of dead wood if such an unfortunate event should happen. Magnolias. Magnolias are one group of plants that should be pruned only during the growing season, because the wounds will then heal more readily. It is wise, with magnolias, to watch the plants carefully; and as soon as a new bud starts in a position where, if it continues to grow it will cause interference with other twigs or branches, that new shoot should be rubbed off at once. This will leave no wound to heal over. This kind of training, rather than creating large wounds by pruning large branches, is much safer with magnolias. Vines. Vines seldom need pruning except to restrain them and keep them in bounds. Such pruning usually should be the complete removal of long branches rather than cutting back. Cutting back is usually followed by the rapid growth of several shoots to replace the one removed. PRUNING EVERGREENS Rroad-leaved Evergreens. Rhododendrons as a class seldom require pruning unless they become leggy. In that event, the top may be renewed over a period of several years by cutting back each year a portion of the main canes to about a foot from the ground. These will develop new shoots. The other broad-leaved evergreens, such as Boxwood and Japanese Holly, require only corrective cutting back. These plants will usually form new growth on old wood, if it should be necessary to cut them back severely. Narrow-leaved Evergreens. The coniferous or narrowleaved evergreens fall into two general groups: (1) those

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with frond-like twigs and leafage, like the false cypresses, the arborvitaes, and the junipers; and (2) the single or multiple-needled types such as spruce, pine, yew, hemlock. Pruning these evergreens depends somewhat upon foliage type. Those in the first group may be pruned in the early spring before growth starts and again about the first of June. Usually the operation will consist in cutting off a few inches of the tips. Many of these tips will not form new growth if cut back beyond the foliage. If it is necessary, because of an accidental breaking of branches or because of excessive growth, to remove large branches or to cut others back severely, the spaces will eventually be filled by lateral growth of neighboring twigs. As a class the yews and hemlocks can be cut back more severely, for most of them have dormant buds on old wood that will initiate growth. Thus, if they are growing erratically, you can cut them back into old wood with the expectation that new growth will start. Spruces form a whorl of buds at the end of the season's growth, but often there will be lateral buds developed along the new shoot. Cutting these back somewhat in winter will force the side buds, as well as some of the undeveloped buds in the whorl below. In this way the top and sides will be made more dense. Cutting back about June 1 will have a similar effect. Pines form a whorl of buds at the terminal. Seldom will cutting back the new twigs of pine result in anything more than the development of dormant buds in the whorl below. But this practice will help to make the plant more dense. PEST CONTROL

With the plants under discussion, insects are likely to be more troublesome than fungus or bacterial diseases. As far

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as possible it is wise, in selecting plants, to choose those that are relatively free from specific insect pests. Of course, almost any plant is likely to be attacked by aphids (plant lice), spider mites, and leaf hoppers. If you plant lilacs, you should understand that they are likely to be attacked by oystershell scale and possibly borers. Nearly all the species of Euonymus (E. alatus seems to be somewhat resistant) and Bittersweet, and sometimes Pachysandra are susceptible to attack by the Euonymus scale. Cotoneasters and azaleas may be attacked in summer by lace bugs. These are more or less specific insects and some require specific treatment. However, a dormant spray of miscible or emulsified oil will help to keep down the insect population. The proper time to apply it is in late winter or early spring, on a day when the temperature is forty degrees or above and when it will not drop to freezing before the spray has had time to dry on the plants. This spray will kill scale insects and also many of the eggs of aphids or spider mites, that may be laid on the bark. The material should be purchased and diluted according to the directions upon the container. Many hardware stores as well as seedsmen and garden supply houses sell spray materials. For the summer control of insects, much weaker materials must be used. There are two types of insects that attack plants. One is the chewing insect, which bites off, chews, and swallows leaf tissue. These include larvae or caterpillars. The bagworm is one such insect that may work on evergreens. For these a stomach poison like arsenate of lead or calcium arsenate, using flour or some commercial spreader to make it stick, may be applied just prior to the anticipated attack of the specific insect, or as soon as it ap-

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pears. The other type of insect is the one that thrusts its beak into the plant and sucks out plant juices. This group includes aphids, leaf hoppers, spider mites, and lace bugs. For these you need a contact insecticide, which must be applied when the insects are at work and at the points where they are working so that each will be coated with poison. The standard contact insecticides are nicotine sulfate, pyrethrum, rotenone, and oils of summer strength. The oils are often reinforced with some of the other insecticides, as nicotine sulfate. Nicotine, pyrethrum, and rotenone are usually mixed with some spreader that increases their effectiveness. The directions for using these will be found on the package. Rotenone is also effective as a stomach poison against some leaf-eating insects. Whatever is used should be applied just as soon as a few insects are observed at work. Set your sprayer so that the nozzle will deliver a fine mist, and direct it at the part of the plant on which the insect is working, so that the body of the insect will be coated. If you keep your plants thrifty and remove dead parts promptly, they will resist pest attacks. This is the first step. The second step is to select the proper material for the control of the particular insect, to apply it as soon as the insects are discovered, and to apply it to the part of the plant where the insect is working. An Added Word. And so abideth—paraphrasing those memorable words with all reverence—faith, hope, and charity; faith in your ability to create the kind of garden that's best for your neighborhood and your home, hope that the shrubs and flowers will grow well, and charity for your family, your neighbors, and friends who will enjoy the garden you plan and plant. Most of the rules are here. Follow them and you will succeed.

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NARROW-LEAVED (CONIFEROUS) EVERGREENS (SUITABLE FOR FOUNDATION PLANTING, ETC.) Upright, Pointed, Slow-growing BOTANICAL OB CATALOGUE NAME

COMMON N A M E

Chamaecyparis obtusa compacta Chamaecyparis obtusa gracilis Taxus cuspidata capitata Thuja occidentalis Rosenthal

Compact Hinoki Falsecypress Slender Hinoki Falsecypress Upright Japanese Yew Rosenthal Eastern Arborvitae

Spreading Juniperus chinensis pfitzeriana (in sun only) Taxus cuspidata Taxus cuspidata nana Taxus canadensis (in shade only)

Pfitzer Chinese Juniper Japanese Yew Dwarf Japanese Yew Canada Yew

Rounded Chamaecyparis obtusa nana Picea excelsa clanbrasiliana Picea excelsa gregoryana Pinus densiflora umbraculifera Pinus mugo mughus Taxus media hatfieldi Taxus media hicksi

Dwarf Hinoki Falsecypress Barry Spruce Gregory Spruce Tanyosha Pine Mugho Pine Hatfield Yew Hicks Yew

* Indicates interesting seed-pods or fruits.

4

GROUNDS

Thuja occidentalis com;pacta Thuja occidentalis globosa Thuja occidentalis Little Gem

FOR

LIVING

Parson's Arborvitae Globe Arborvitae Little Gem Arborvitae

Decumbent Juniperus horizontalis (and varieties) (in sun only)

Creeping Juniper

VINES FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES Cling to Walls or Tree Trunks Camp sis (Bignonia, Tecoma) radicans Campsis (Bignonia, Tecoma) tagliabuana Mme. Galen Euonymus radicans (many varieties, subject to scale) Hederá helix (and varieties) Parthenocissus quinquefolia Parthenocissus tricuspidata Parthenocissus tricuspidata lowi

Trumpetcreeper Hybrid Trumpetcreeper

Virginia Creeper Boston Ivy Low's Boston Ivy

Vines Climbing by Tendrils Clematis montana

Anemone Clematis

YOUR HOME

SETTING

85

Sweet autumn Clematis

* Clematis paniculata Clematis hybrids

Twining Vines * Actinidia arguta (male and female) Akebia quinata Aristolochia durior * Celastrus scandens (male and female) * Lonicera japónica haitiana

Bower Actinidia Fiveleaf Akebia Dutchmanspipe American Bittersweet

Lonicera sempervirens (and varieties) * Polygonum auberti Wisteria floribunda (and varieties)

Trumpet Honeysuckle Silvervine Fleeceflower Wisteria

Halls Japanese Honeysuckle

FOUNTAIN SHRUBS (TRAIN ON LADDER-LIKE TRELLIS TO DROOP DOWN) Forsythia suspensa Jasminum nudiflorum

Weeping Forsythia Winter Jasmine

GROUND COVER * Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (dry, sun) * Cotoneaster dammeri * Cotoneaster horizontalis (and varieties) * Cotoneaster microphylla (and varieties) Juniperus horizontalis (and varieties)

Bearberry Bearberry Cotoneaster Rock Cotoneaster Rockspray Cotoneaster Creeping Juniper

86

GROUNDS FOR

* Lonicera japónica haitiana Pachysandra terminalis (shade) Vinca minor Xanthorhiza simplicissima (shade)

LIVING

Halls Japanese Honeysuckle Japanese Spurge Periwinkle (Myrtle) Yellowroot

HEDGE PLANTS Low, Clipped (up to three feet) (E = evergreen)

E E

E E E E E E

Berberís thunbergi Thunberg Barberry Berberis thunbergi erecta Truehedge Columnberry Berberís thunbergi minor Box Barberry Buxus microphylla koreana Korean Littleleaf Box Buxus sempervirens suffruticosa (natural habit) Truedwarf Box Deutzia gracilis (either clipped or natural) Slender Deutzia Ilex crenata helleri (natural) Heller Japanese Holly Ligustrum obtusifolium regelianum Regel Privet Pinus mugo mughus (natural) Mugho Pine Spiraea thunbergi Thunberg Spirea Taxus canadensis stricta Dwarfhedge Canadian Yew Taxus cuspidata nana Dwarf Japanese Yew Thuja occidentalis globosa (clipped or natural) Tom Thumb Eastern Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis Little Gem (clipped or natural) Little Gem Eastern Arborvitae Viburnum opulus nanum Dwarf European Cranberrybush Medium Height, Clipped (three to six feet)

E

Buxus sempervirens

(or natural) Boxwood

YOUR HOME

E E

E E E

E

E E E E E E E

SETTING

87

Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera Thread Sawara Falsecypress Chamaecyparis pisifera piumosa Plume Sawara Falsecypress Euonymus alatus compactus Dwarf Winged Euonymus Ilex crenata convexa Convexleaf Japanese Holly Ilex crenata microphylla Littleleaf Japanese Holly Ilex opaca American Holly Ligustrum amurense Amur Privet Ligustrum ibolium Ibolium Privet Ligustrum ibota Ibota Privet Ligustrum ovalifolium California Privet Lonicera fragrantissima Winter Honeysuckle Philadelphus avalanche Avalanche Mockorange Pinus mugo (or natural) Swiss Mountain Pine Spiraea prunifolia Bridal Wreath Spiraea vanhouttei (or natural) Van Houtte Spirea Taxus cuspidata Japanese Yew Taxus cuspidata capitata Upright Japanese Y e w Taxus Hicksi Hicks Yew Taxus Hatfieldi Hatfield Y e w Thuja occidentalis Eastern Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis Rosenthal Rosenthal Eastern Arborvitae Tsuga canadensis Canada Hemlock Viburnum prunifolium Black Haw Medium Height, Not Clipped (three to six feet)

E

Berberis thunbergi Thunberg Barberry Berberis thunbergi erecta Truehedge Columnberry Buxus sempervirens suffruticosa Truehedge Boxwood Clethra alnifolia Summersweet Clethra Deutzia gracilis Slender Deutzia

88

E E

GROUNDS FOR

LIVING

Euonymus alatus compactus Dwarf Winged Euonymus Ilex crenata convexa Convexleaf Japanese Holly Ilex glabra Inkberry Rosa multiflora Japanese Rose Rosa rugosa Rugosa Rose Spiraea thunbergi Thunberg Spirea Spiraea vanhouttei Van Houtte Spirea Thuja occidentalis Rosenthal Rosenthal Eastern Arborvitae Tall—Clipped

Carpinus betulus European Hornbeam Crataegus oxycantha English Hawthorn Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington Thorn Euonymus alatus Winged Euonymus E Ilex opaca American Holly E Juniperus virginiana Redcedar Ligustrum ovalifolium California Privet E Taxus cuspidata capitata Upright Japanese Yew E Thuja occidentalis Eastern Arborvitae E Tsuga canadensis Canada Hemlock Viburnum, prunifolium Black Haw For suggestions of plants to use in the southeastern states, in Florida, in the north central states, in Washington, and Oregon, see Taylor, A. D., The Complete Garden. SUGGESTED REFERENCES Dictionaries and Encyclopedias The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, New York, Macmillan Co., 1935. . Hortus Second. New York, Macmillan Co., 1941. 10,000 Garden Questions Answered. New York, American Garden Guild and Doubleday Doran Co., Inc., 1944. B A I L E Y , L . H . , ED.

YOUR HOME

SETTING

89

Plants BAILEY, L. H. Conifers Cultivated in North America. N e w York, Macmillan Co., 1933. H O T T E S , A . C . The Book of Shrubs. N e w York, A . T . D e La Mare Co., 1939. . The Book of Trees. New York, A. T. D e La Mare Co., 1942. . A Little Book of Climbing Plants. New York, A. T. D e La Mare Co., 1933. M A T H E W S , F . S . Field Book of American Trees and Shrubs. New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons., 1915. T A Y L O R , A. D. The Complete Garden. New York, Doubleday Doran Co., 1921. Gardens G. R . Gardening in the South. New York, A. T . D e La Mare Co., 1929. H A M B L I N , S. F. American Rock Gardens. New York, Orange Judd Co., 1931. H U M E , H . H . Gardening in the Lower South. N e w York, Macmillan Co., 1931. M O R S E , H . K . Gardening in the Shade. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons., 1939. S A W Y E R , R . V . AND E . H . P E R K I N S . Water Gardens and Goldfish. New York, A. T. De La Mare Co., 1934. BRIGGS,

Planning M. E. The Art of Home Landscape. New York, A. T. D e La Mare Co., 1935. . The Design of Small Properties. New York, Macmillan Co., 1926.

BOTTOMLEY,

GROUNDS FOR

90

LIVING

Planning and Planting the Home Garden. New York, Orange Judd Co., 1932. O R T L O F F , H . S., A N D H . B . R A Y M O R E . New Gardens for Old. New York, Doubleday Doran Co., 1934. MURRAY,

PAULINE.

Pest Control Maintenance of Shade and Ornamental Trees. New York, Oxford University Press, 1941. W E S T C O T T , C Y N T H I A . The Plant Doctor. New York, F. A. Stokes Co., 1937. PIRONE, P . P .

2. YOUR LAWN Gilbert H. Ahlgren

Y

A OUR LAWN is the carpet of your outdoor living room. It provides the base upon which your plantings of shrubs, trees, and flowers will stand. A green, attractive lawn is a real asset. Without it, your shrubs and flowers lose much of their beauty and your home some of its charm. Because these considerations are so apparent, many of us make the mistake of looking upon our lawns as museum pieces. Although we would not think of forbidding anyone to step upon our prized rugs, we are tempted to enforce such a prohibition in the case of the lawn. Someone with a warped outlook once said that "children and dogs are incompatible with a good lawn." So far as we are concerned, this state of mind is based on an utterly false set of values. Your lawn is not a golf green, and you should not wish to have it so. It should invite your children and the neighbors' children to play there, and you don't want to stand over it with a shotgun to drive them away. After all, if your lawn can't be used, what good is it? Of course you will have to have some rules — bicycle riding should not be permitted, and baseball is better relegated to a vacant lot. The rules will be a little more rigid for the front lawn than they are for the back, but in neither case need they be harsh. You will soon find that with a reasonable amount of care your lawn will stand a lot of the wear 91

92

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and tear incident to such activities as tag, hide-and-seek, acrobatics, and crack-the-whip. If you are building a new home, you will want to know first how a good lawn is made. The great majority of us, however, are more concerned with the care and improvement of an established lawn. The pages that follow are devoted to this perennial problem. Some established lawns are so run down that we are tempted to think they should be spaded up and completely remade. Although this is sometimes the answer, you'd be surprised at how well even the poorest lawn will respond to good treatment. Before making up your mind to tear up your present lawn, read the subsequent suggestions on renovation. KEEPING YOUR LAWN HEALTHY People seem to think there is some magic in keeping a lawn in good shape. As a matter of fact it is really so simple that it is surprising that more of us haven't found out about it. Better than this, the work is not hard. Four simple rules will do the trick: (1) Feed your lawn in early fall; (2) roll it in the spring; (3) never mow it shorter than an inch and a half; (4) leave the clippings on the lawn except when they are too long and heavy. Feeding. Most of us get very hungry if we do not eat regularly and we begin to show signs of malnutrition. Grass responds in the same way, but instead of eating carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins it wants nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and some other elements. I t grows best when the soil is not too acid. Lime will counteract the acidity and furnish the calcium; commercial fertilizer will take care of the rest except under the most unusual circumstances. You can get these materials at your hardware or seed store, a farmer's supply store or in many de-

YOUR

LAWN

93

partment stores. Be sure to get ground limestone since the hydrated lime cakes and lumps in contact with moisture. For fertilizer get a 5-10-5, 1 7-7-7, or similar mixture. As soon as the extreme heat of summer is gone, spread your lime and fertilizer, putting on about twenty-five to fifty pounds of lime and ten to twenty pounds (five to ten quarts) of fertilizer for each one thousand square feet of lawn. Don't apply larger quantities of fertilizer than this or you may burn the grass. Apply both the lime and fertilizer when the grass is dry. You can buy a little two-wheeled distributor for the spreading job, but it is easy to do it by hand. A good plan is to broadcast half your materials by travelling back and forth parallel to the street and the other half at right angles to it. Wear old clothes, don't treat a lawn when the weather is windy or fertilizer will get in your eyes. Rolling. Turf gets heaved and the surface becomes irregular due to the winter antics of Mother Nature. The roots need to be pressed back into place, so that they can obtain moisture and nutrients from the soil below. This is best accomplished by a light rolling. Don't use a heavy steam roller. It's impractical for your pocketbook, but, worse than that, it ruins the soil by packing it solid, almost like a rock. A light ballast rollerfilledone third full of water gives the right amount of firming. It is possible to roll a lawn too early in the spring. Your lawn should never be rolled until the soil has become fairly well dried out and all freezing weather is past. Soil rolled when it is wet packs and becomes brick-like and it takes many months to get a decent soil structure back. Roll the lawn when on walking across it you can just see the faint 1

For an explanation of fertilizer formulae see page 282.

94

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impressions left b y your shoes. "Shoe impression" time is rolling time, b u t d o n ' t let your wife's high-heeled footwear be your guide. While extra early spring rolling is bad, so is long delayed rolling. If t h e grass roots are not firmed back into place before hot, dry weather comes the grass will surely suffer f r o m thirst. Get the job done, b u t d o n ' t be impatient. MOWING IS MORE THAN A CHORE M o r e lawns are ruined by careless and too close mowing t h a n b y any other single factor. Yours is probably no exception, so m a k e this resolution now: " I promise to mow m y lawn no closer t h a n one and one half inches from now o n . " This is a system of management t h a t is fair to the grass and

FIG. IfO. Long cutting (left) makes deeper roots and shades out weeds; close cutting (right) resvlts in shallow roots and weakens the grasses permitting weeds to infiltrate.

YOUR

LAWN

95

to you too, and a system that makes your job of maintaining the lawn many times easier (Fig. 49). That shouldn't be hard to take, especially when you think of the crab grass you will have to pull if you don't. As a matter of fact, high mowing is easier than close mowing, since the mower pushes easier and stays sharp longer. Setting the Lawn Mower. Most lawn mowers manufactured today can be set to cut at heights of one and one half inches or more. The essential thing is to adjust the roller so that the bedknife is at least one and one half inches above the soil surface (Fig. 50). The bedknife height can

B FIG. 60. The lawn mower is easy to adjust for height of cut and for sharpness, (a) Wooden roller. (b) Bolt for adjusting height of cut. (c) Screw adjustments for tightening or loosening the bedknife to give a cleaner cut.

be measured by setting the mower on the sidewalk and measuring the distance from the sidewalk to the bedknife. Set it even higher than an inch and a half, if you wish. If your lawn mower cannot be adjusted high enough, tie some coarse rope around each end of the roller. That will bring it up to the desired height.

96

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When to Mow. Cut the grass as often as you wish as long as you cut at the desired height. Boundless energy can be expended in this operation with mutual benefit to man and lawn. Normally, regular lawn manicuring once or twice a week is sufficient. Twice a week is best in the spring and fall when the grass is growing rapidly. Don't let your lawn go to hay; there's no market for it. People often ask how late in the fall a lawn should be mowed. There isn't any simple answer to this, because you can't tell how long the weather will stay mild enough to keep your grass growing. What you want is to let your grass go into the winter about three inches high. As a general rule, the first real killing frost is a pretty good signal to put your lawn mower away for the year. The grass catcher is out-of-date. I t takes more labor to operate with it, but we are not thinking of labor here. We are thinking of enjoying the lawn through pleasant tasks and, at the same time, making each lawn operation beneficial to the grass. None of us likes to bend over and hook a grass catcher on the mower, to say nothing of finding a place to dispose of the clippings. So our suggestion is: " D o n ' t do it." When grass is cut regularly once or twice a week, depending on how fast it is growing, there is no need to remove the clippings. These sift down among the grass blades and form a kind of mulch. This in turn saves moisture and on decomposition releases nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other elements needed for healthy grass growth. The only time grass clippings need to be removed is when they are so long and thick that there is danger of choking the grass underneath. This sometimes occurs when the lawn gets away from you during a long rainy spell in the Spring.

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97

CONTROLLING THE WEED ONSLAUGHT

Was there ever a lawn free of weeds? It seems rather doubtful. We would be bold indeed to pretend that we know how such a lawn can be maintained, but there are ways of keeping weeds in lawns at a minimum and weed warfare methods that match atomic bombing. The fall fertilizer and lime program is a must and so is the one and one half inch height of cut. Grass is more coldhardy than most weeds and when well-fed will fill in bare spots wonderfully in late fall and early spring while most weeds are dormant. This growth will leave the weeds no room. Keeping the height of the cut at one and one half inches will continue to encourage the grass to stay thick, dense, and healthy, thus crowding and shading the weeds out. Crab grass is better controlled by these methods than any other yet discovered. But, you say, there are many broad-leaved weeds that get into turf and are hard to eradicate — like the dandelion and buckhorn plantain. Here science comes to the rescue with a new weed killer known as 2,4-D. (That's only its nickname; here's the whole thing —2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.) A solution of 2,4-D in water at very dilute concentration will kill dandelion and buckhorn. If you don't believe it, try it, but don't plan on having any dandelion greens for spring salads. Directions supplied by the manufacturer should be followed in using this material. This new weed-killing chemical can be obtained from most lawn supply houses and it probably will be available at the corner drugstore before long. It is cheap, effective, and not dangerous to handle. It'll check the growth of clover for a while but the clover may recover or can be easily reseeded.

98

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spreading mainly by seeds. Difficult to dig or pull because of extensive root system. Upper right: Narrow-leafed plantain or buckhorn. Plantago lanceolate. Similar to P. major except for narrow leaves and short seed spikes. Lower left: Crabgrass. Digitaria sanguinalis. A prolific-seeding annual weed grass which, also spreads by surface runners. Lower right: Dandelion. Taraxaceum officinale. A perennial with a deep tap root spreading principally by seeds but also by shoots.

The best time to treat the lawn with 2,4-D is from the middle of August through September. Don't use it in the spring or summer, since you may have crab grass taking over the bare spots left by the dead dandelions and other weeds. The material is usually applied with the use of a knapsack or other small sprayer. Hand Weeding. This method is often the last resort in

YOUR

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99

keeping weeds out of the grass. Good cultural practices will control crab grass fairly well and 2,4-D will control the broad-leaved weeds. It is admitted that some few weeds will escape even these practices, and these are best either pulled or dug up. However, you can keep this kind of menial and discouraging task at a minimum. Top Dressing. Roots of dead weeds such as dandelions leave holes and uneven spots in the lawn. It isn't necessary to fill such areas with soil, but a lot of us have an urge to do so and undoubtedly it is a good practice. The youngsters won't trip and fall as often on a smooth lawn as they will on a rough one, and the mower won't be as hard to push. In lawns on which the topsoil is very shallow and on poor clay, sandy, or shaly soils, top dressing is also helpful. A good topsoil will improve the soil structure and increase the volume of soil in which the grass can thrive. Don't lay topsoil oil thick, but build it up over a period of years. Topsoil applied to a depth of one eighth to one quarter of an inch each year is sufficient. Just any old soil won't do. A good topsoil can be a "shot in the arm" to a lawn. Inferior soil contaminated with weed seeds may prove the blow that ended all enthusiasm for a good lawn. Get good topsoil or none at all. There are many commercial companies furnishing topsoil, but not all sell the weed-free type. Unless their reputation is good don't patronize them. Satisfactory top dressing can b^ made at home if soil is available. With every cubic yard of loam or sandy loam soil mix one hundred pounds of 5-10-5 fertilizer. Spent mushroom soil or a composted loam soil is good, used either alone or mixed with fertilizer. Top dressing is best applied in either early spring or fall. Most of us have good enough eyes and strong enough backs to spread it with a shovel. This means taking a shovel of

100

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topsoil and swinging it out hard, so that it spreads uniformly. You'll get wonderful exercise from this method, and how the lawn will respond to it! Watering. It isn't necessary to water your lawn to keep the grass alive. It'll turn brown and look "dead as a doorknob" in midsummer, but, sure enough, it will come back in the fall and green up again. Whether or not you water your own lawn depends on your desire for green grass right through the summer. But watering the lawn may help cool you off at night when you come home from a hot day's work. If you decide to water your lawn, don't do a halfway job on it. Occasional watering to a depth of five or more inches will encourage a deep healthy root system. Shallow waterings, often repeated, will encourage only crab grass and other weeds. Stick at the job and blast the weeds. Water can be applied any time of the day or night at your convenience. There aren't many other jobs that can be attended to with so little attention to the time clock. CHECKING ATTACK BY INSECTS

You may not think that grass is attacked by insect pests, but it is. The greener and more pleasing your grass, the better some of these pests like it, or, at least, so it seems. But there are ways to control these turf mutilators and they're not expensive or hard to apply. The grubs of Japanese beetles and similar invaders feed on the grass roots of infested lawns. The grass, losing its root system, dies and turns brown, and the turf, having lost its anchor, can be rolled up much like a carpet. The time to swing into action is in spring or late summer before this stage is reached. All these grubs can be destroyed by adding from five to ten pounds of lead arsenate per one thousand square feet, and this treatment doesn't have to be repeated

YOUR

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101

each year, since one application grub proofs the area for from five to ten years. Lead arsenate is poisonous—children and pets should be kept off the lawn when the treatment is made, and unless it rains soon after the treatment it is well to water the material in with a hose.

FIG. 52. The Japanese beetle grub has a white curved body and a hard brovm head. When full grown it is about one inch long.

The hairy chinch bug is a tiny, insidious, often unsuspected pest on carefully tended turf areas. I t causes small brown areas to develop by sucking the juices out of the grass leaves and stems. Unlike the beetle grubs, it is most destructive above the ground. I t looks like a small fly, being less than one eighth of an inch long, and it is very active in warm weather. Large numbers are required to cause substantial injury to grass, but, if uncontrolled, they multiply rapidly. Recent research shows that either sabadilla or D D T dust will destroy the pest. Since these materials are sold in varying concentrations it is best to follow the directions supplied by the manufacturer. A simple home treatment for destroying ants is to heat

102

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the water kettle and pour boiling water into the ant hill. Dusting with D D T is also effective. Sweet jellies carrying thallium sulfate can be used. Most of these materials can be bought at local lawn supply and hardware stores. RENOVATION AND REPAIR Most of our lawns, taking the rough treatment of summer weather and children's games, succumb to some local injuries —spots that go bad and need rebuilding and repair. This is such a common occurrence that we plan to touch the lawn up occasionally as part of the overall program. Well, the time to do the "carpenter work" on the lawn is in early fall. There are two reasons for this: The lawn carpenter, which means you, is more energetic in cooler weather, and the cool temperatures and extra moisture associated with autumn favor the growth of new grass seedlings. Bare and thin spots on the lawn are never difficult to locate. They glare at you just like the bald parts of a baseball diamond. The challenge is to get them covered with grass to the everlasting discouragement of vacuums and weeds. The time to start renovating these areas is as soon as the extreme summer heat is past. Bring up your heavy artillery consisting of a rake, spading fork, or hoe, and put them to work removing weeds and loosening up the surface soil. Just as an army travels on its stomach, so do new seedings of grasses. Add a light dressing of lime and mixed fertilizer such as a 5-10-5 to the area plus a thin layer of good topsoil if you have it handy. Rake these in lightly, mixing with the loosened soil; then level and smooth the surface so that it matches the rest of the lawn. Using an adapted seed mixture, sow the seed uniformly and rake it very lightly (Fig. 53) to cover it with soil to a depth of only one eighth to

YOUR

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103

one fourth inch. If the seed is covered deeper it may never come up. After these operations are completed, haul back the heavy artillery and bring up the watering system. A light mistlike spray is best used so that the seed is not

FIG. 53. Use the tips only and rake in one direction. Do not make deep channels.

washed into valleys nor the soil puddled by excess water. Keep the renovated areas moist until the grass is well established. Your lawn can be renovated in the spring in the same manner, but fall renovation is more certain to succeed, with fewer weeds, and should be practiced where possible. MAKING A NEW LAWN

New lawns are usually associated with new homes. Of course this isn't always the case, since some of us through overwork or sheer indulgence in other pastimes let our lawns get beyond a reasonable state of repair and then with new resolutions decide to start all over again. Perhaps it is the neighbor's lawn that shames us into action. From September to early October is the best time to plant lawn grasses. Since most of us are lazy we want to co-operate with Nature to make sure we don't have to do the job over again. Spring plantings are often satisfactory but the chances of real success are in favor of the fall seeding.

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To plant in September a seedbed should be prepared in August. This will give time for the soil to settle and become firm, and it can be leveled and graded as seems best. Even more important, early seedbed preparation gives the weed seeds a chance to germinate so that you can destroy the young seedling plants before the grass is sown. A few light sprinklings of the seedbed, if rain is lacking, will encourage the weed seeds to germinate and give you a chance to annihilate the seedlings. Y o u ought to enjoy getting rid of the scourges in an energetic fashion. Take your grouches out on them and the family will find you more agreeable. Hoe them out —rake them out—chop them out, and get rid of them. How the new grass seeding will appreciate your forethought ! Liming and Fertilizing. When a new seedbed is being prepared there is a good chance to get lime and fertilizer down Divide qom?lim> g 1«- 9— S T3 © V S — o s^ hi.2 • b © ra û ag

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Norway maple Acer platanoidcs

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Sycamore Platanus occidentali*

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Rapid

Rapid

Northeastern U. S. and Pacific slope.

Eastern U. S.

Medium

Eastern and southern U. S.

Rapid

Medium All soils.

Well-drained soils. Medium to moist, well-drained soil.

All soils.

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East of Missouri river and Pacific slope.

All soils.

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Maidenhair tree Ginkgo biloba 30

Withstands city conditions well, but not hardy in colder regions.

Well-drained sandy soil.

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Eastern U. S. and far west.

Tolerates city conditions. Does best on lawns and in parks. Lawns easily maintained beneath them. If thorns objectionable use variety inermis.

Moist well-drained soil.

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Rapid

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Eastern U. S. except extreme north. Medium

Drought-resistant. Grows in heavy alkali soils.

Dry, well-drained soils.

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Japanese pagoda tree Sopkora japónica

One of best lindens for street planting. Subject to aphids and sooty mold fungus.

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Extremely tolerant of unfavorable environment. Free of diseases and most insects. Does well near seashore.

Better suited for lawns and parks than streets. Very subject in wet seasons to anthracnose fungus on leaves and twigs

Showyflowersvery early in spring. Used 1 as street tree in south, as specimen in north.

! Easy to transplant. Lawns difficult to maintain beneath them. Subject to dis1 eases, insects, and storm damage.

| An untidy tree, loses leaves throughout the i summer. Also subject to scale insects.

Deep, rich soils.

Special Qualifications or Undesirable Characteristics Once considered one of best trees. Now subject to disease and insect attack.

Dry or moist soils.

Soil Type and Conditions Preferred Clay or loam, medium to moist soil.

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Eastern U. S.

Medium

Medium

Eastern U. S.

All areas, especially midwest and dry zones.

Rapid

Rapid

Growth Height Spread Rate 1 (feet) (feet)

Eastern U. S. and • dry regions.

Most of U. S.

Regions Best Suited

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Honey locust Gleditria triacanthos

Goldenrain Koelrueteria paniculata

Littleleaf linden Tilia cordata

Ash (green) Fraxinus Pennsylvania lanceolata

American elm Ulmus americana

Tree

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