t4 Capital Journal Building Section. Friday, March 10, 1950
n
PLANTING that wasted $100. It looked pretty for a couple of years when
there were leaves on the bushes, but during the winter it added no color to
the house. As time went on it was necessary to trim constantly to keep the
bushes from obstructing the windows and spreading over in front of the house.
THE SAME HOUSE with a new $300 planting good for 10 years without ex
pensive upkeep, and gaining in beauty each season. The landsc'aper planned
this for restraining growth to eliminate constant trimming and winter care.
Japanese holly, yews, azaleas and barberries give color the year-round.
BY CYNTHIA, LOWRY
Home isn't just the house any more. It's the grounds as well.
no matter how small they are. That means landscaping must be
given the same careful consideration that goes into the size of the
living room and the arrangement of the bedrooms.
Outdoor living is becoming more and more important in our
scheme of life. Today the trees,
bushes and flowers on the plot
rank with house architecture it
self as a major piece of planning.
Architects are specialists in
home planning. Builders are
presumed to know how to build.
The man who knows what
should happen to your grounds
is a landscape nurseryman. And
the time to consult him is when
your property is still a vacant
lot and before the architect
starts putting lines on paper.
Usually there are allowances
for landscaping in a buildin;
contract. Frequently the builder
isn't interested in that part of
the job. Often the new house
owner winds up with a bunch of
inexpensive, quick-growing ev
ergreens stuck here and there
around the grounds. In a few
years he'll have to hand over
more good money to have the
overgrown stuff-pulled out and
still more money to have it re
planted. Many people buy a house be
fore it is completed. In those cir
cumstances it is wise to have an
experienced specialist a land
scaper advise what should go
into the ground, where they
should be placed and suitable
varieties.
This doesn't necessarily mean
a big. expensive planting job. It
can mean a considerable saving
in the long run.
Howard C. Taylor, owner of
the big Rosedale Nurseries at
Eastview, N. Y., and former
president of the American Asso
ciation of Nurserymen, preaches
the twin virtues of a carefully
thought-out original planting for
the new home coupled with a
long-range plan.
"Most people," says Taylor,
"can't afford to shoot the whole
landscaping works right off the
bat. The best thing to do is take
care of the most important ef
fects first, and then fill in later
as finances permit. But it should
be done unit by unit, not hit or
miss."
There are the foundation
plantings close to the house
usually with emphasis on ever
greens to provide color during
the winter months to conceal
ugly lines or soften sharp ones.
There must be strategically lo
cated shade trees. And there
must be the important border
plantings which give the family
privacy and beauty within eye
shot. "Think about the ease of
maintaining the ground." Taylor
eounsels. ''Remember that it is
much easier to mow an unbrok
en sweep of lawn than one
which has trees and shrubs here
and there.
"Avoid cutting your grounds
into small sections with a small
- flower - bed here and another
there. A walk flanked by flower
beds neatly slices your lawn in
half and makes it look much
smaller."
In landscaping. Taylor thinks
first of the people living in the
house and, second, about how
the house looks to passersby.
He likes to rim the property
with a tree, shrub and flower
border that acts as a screen.
"The modern home has more
and more glass in 'it. People
should be able to look out on
beauty from every window." he
maintains. "I think first about
what can and should be seen
from the windows. Then I think
about the appearance of the
property from the street."
The items of importance in
permanent plantings are, of
course, evergreens, deciduous or
leaf-shedding trees and shrubs.
Each has its uses.
;iSIow-growing evergreens are
best for small plots." Taylor
says. "Most trees grow to big
sizes and are apt to dwarf the
house, even though it is hard to
think so when they are first put
in the ground."
Of these dwarf or slow-grow
ing evergreens, Taylor sings his
loudest praises of the vew or
Taxus, which can be used anv-
where except the hot parts of
the country-.
'It tolerates full sun or shade.
It is hardy and not apt to be
broken by snow or ice. It is rea
sonably dwarf in character. It if
a deep, dark, rich green. It trims
well."
There are also the useful
broad-leaved evergreens, such
as rhododendron, azalea, laurel,
andromeda. holly and evergreen
barberry. Any of these are val
uable in plantings around the
SAVE THAT TOPSOIL
Insist that your building
contractor preserve all top
soil removed in excavating.
Have it replaced carefully
when building is completed.
Topsoil is necessary for
plant growth and it is very
expensive to buy.
foundations of the house. They
give winter color, fill in bare
spaces and soften awkward cor
ners.
The place for the larger ever
greens is in the border and for
screening effects, Taylor main
tains. Important among the va
rieties are hemlocks, smaller
pines, junipers and arbor vitae.
Think of them when you want
to cut off a view of the neigh
bor's garage, or close in your
own utility yard.
They aren't so good for per
manent plantings because ot
their habit of tall growth. They
cover up windows and ultimate
ly make the house look smaller.
Most of them grow in conical
shapes.
'And try to avoid conical
shapes in the foundation plant
ings," says Taylor. "They don t
do a thing for the house and
even disguise the good lines.
He blasts another firmly-held
notion:
'One thing you definitely
don't need right off the bat is a
blue spruce."
The tree, so popular, should
never be used as a lone speci
men, he says. It can go into a
border, but even there the deer
blue type does not produce a
desired effect. Besides, it grows
:nto a large, forest-sized tree.
At least a third of the land
scaping material should be plants
of flowering or foliage type. Im
portant among these are the
flowering shrubs, arranged for a
succession of bloom from spring
blooming forsythia to late-flow
ering rose of Sharon.
Trees of what Taylor calls
"restrained growth" like dog
wood and flowering crab are
useful because they fit a small
plot and have handsome, showy
blooms.
Plan carefully for shade, he
advises. Trees should be spotted
15 to 20 feet away from the
house, and cast shadows at re
quired times into the areas of
outdoor living.
You can spend a great deal of
money on landscaping. Your
budget and bank account is the
only rule to work by. Costs de
pend upon what plant material
you select, how. much work you
do yourself. One thing is cer
tain, there's no economy in buy
ing cheap plants, inappropriate
plants or plants that are tem
porary.
Taylor maintains that the
small home owner who invests
S50 in a couple of specimen'yew
trees is spending his money
more wisely than the man who
buys 20 baby evergreens for
S2.50 each and has to remove a
score of overgrown trees a few
years later.
"The most important part of
trees is the root system," cau
tions the nurseryman, "and you
:an t see that. Nursery-grown,
transplanted trees and shrubs
Pretty uniformly do well. You
ire not taking much of a risk in
buying them. They can be set
:nto the ground, fed, watered,
nd go on growing. They don't
suffer a setback. Trees which
iave never been transplanted
before, those which have been
growing wild, suffer shock in
'ransplanting."
The first unit of planting for
a small home can be adequately
handled for between $200 and
S300. Taylor advises underplant-
ing rather than too much, and
says that if the homeowner is
willing to settle for smaller sizes
of shrubs and trees even more
money can be saved.
If you don't know a reputable
nurseryman, Taylor says, look
for one which is a member of
the American Association of
Nurserymen. Member concerns
display the organization's seal.
There are many reputable and
good mail - order nursery con
cerns, but there are some which
charge high prices for second
and third class material. One big
advantage in dealing with local
concerns as opposed to mail-order
houses is that if you aren't
satisfied, you can make your
complaint in person with very
little trouble.
Water Softener
An automatic water softener
has been designed with time
clock mechanism to regenerate
the mineral agent without man
ual attention other than replace
ments of the salts two or three
times a year. In hard water
eas, the automatic feature of
this softener is advantageous. It
is said to keep the mineral at
maximum efficiency and to pre
vent contamination from accu
mulation on the mineral for long
periods. The softening agent used
is said to remove iron . com
pounds.
New Trees Require
Winter Protection
The thousands of young trees
set out this fall must be protected
against winter damage.
To keep tree trunks from
breaking during strong winter
gales, wrap a loop of old rubber
hose around the trunk just be
low the lower branches. Attach
3 wires to the rubber loop and
draw them tightly to 3 stout
wooden stakes in the ground at
equal distances around the tree,
making sure that no one wire
bends the tree.
Burlap wrapped around tree
trunks will prevent damage
from rodents gnawing the bark.
Heavy burdens of ice and snow
should be knocked of trees and
shrubbery before its weight
breaks any branches.
CORNER PLANTING, three years old, shows how hare chimney and wall are softened with
a pink dogwood underplanted with mountain laurel, andromeda and rhododendron. Near cen
ter, partly hiding terrace chairs, is a low screen of azaleas, holly and yew trees, low enough to
-- - - - - preserve the riew front the picture window. - "
BRUSHES OVERNIGHT
When doing a paint job with
several colors of paint and several-
brushes, it is not neces
sary to clean the brushes when
the work is interrupted over
night. Place each brush in a
small paper bag and tie the--bag
around the brush handle. All
the brushes can then be sus
pended in the same can of tur
pentine. The different colors
will not become mixed.
Large slices of turkey may be
dipped in batter and fried in
shallow fat until golden brown.
Serve with cranberry or mus
tard sauce.
Make individual omelets of
eggs, minced onion, finely diced
salami, and salt and pepper;
serve between slices of rye bread
toast.
Orange and grapefruit peel
make economical sweets. Cut
the peel into narrow strips, boil
the strips until tender, and then
Iglaze them in sugar syrup."