Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-06-12

two or three inches below the surface
of the surrounding lawn, so that whsn
the eye passes over the grass it Will
see nothing but the expense of green
sward. The browning center of a
path or drive must never rise to the
level Of the lawn.
ga flower bed should never be 10
Gated il the center of an expanse in
trent Of the house. Flowers should
be planted in the angles of the house
between the porch and main structure,
bordering walks in the back yard or
between sidewalks and the house, but
never, repeat, to interrupt the ca
panse of greensward between the
house and the street. Irregularity
rather than formality should be striv-
en- for in border planting of any kind
'Now let us begin at the front of
the house. If wild flowers are de-
sired you can get early effects from
such species as trilliums, jacks-in-the
pulpit, phloxes or hepaticas-the last
named are little, low-growing white or
blue flowers, common now in the
woods. These can be mixed with
daisies, for later effects, and also With
dwarf sunfiowers and goldenrod to
give the blaze of yellow so grand in
the autumn
IF you prefer the common bedding
flowers you can plant in the previous
fall the early-blooming pansies. tulips
and hyacinths, followed by the cole'ls,
geraniums, scarlet sage, cannas,
| elephants ears or castor beans. Plant
these in the front angles OF the house
and at the sides of the porch steps,
Arrange the tallest in the rear and
bank those Of lower growth in front
The porch should be covered with
vines carried up in narrow columns
to form arched openings conforming
to the architecture. The greater mass
of vines should be near the caves and
should hang down, giving the grace
full effect of drapery. The best vines
for porch decoration are Boston ivy,
five-fingered ivy, actinidia and akebia,
especially the last two, which are alb
solutely free from insect enemies.
The most artistic arrangement OF
porch boxes planted with flowers is
to place them on a level with and out
side of the hand rails, extending the
series entirely around. They should
be filled with low-growing, hardy
plants, such as geraniums, lobelia
vinca and nasturtiums, trained to fall
over the trail.
For every house of this category
should be planted an irregular back
ground screen, hiding the vegetable
garden, outhouses or other objection
able views at the rear, or wherever
they may be situated. If the house
be new and immediate effects are de-
sired certain high grasses are best
But with these should be planted such
shrubs as barberry, sweet shrub, dog
wood, hawthorn, dentzia, silver thorn,
strawberry bush, rose of sharon bush,
honeysuckie or mock orange. These
will mature and later give permanent:
effects.
Among the tall grasses are the
arundo dOnax or giant reed, growing
to height of Is feet; zebra grass, 6
feet eulalie gracilis, 8 feet. A large
pyramid of these grasses, planted in
cOncentric circles, the tallest in the
center and the shortest outside, pro
vides a screen giving a tropical Ell
feet. Their dry stems stand through
out the winter without detriment to
the landscape. If cut down in the
early spring they will attain their
growth and color by summer. In The
rear Of the house such tall plants as
castor beans, scarlet sage and cannas
may also be grown to shut out OBJ
jectionable views.
"Outbuildings should be covered
with vines. If they are of brick this
is an easy matter but if of frame the
problem is a trifie more difficult. For
brick buildings Boston ivy is best
north of Washington; English ivy
south. These vines will cling to the
bricks, but on frame outbuildings
supports must be provided for nearly
all vines.
''There are two very excellent jap
anese species-actindia and akebia-
to be recommended for the latter; al
so the native five-fngered ivy and the
All of these serve we'll for covering
fences as well as outbuildings. Rab
bit netting wire affords them the best
support.
For covering banks where grass
will not grow Japanese evergreen
honeysuckle should be used.
Trees may be properly arranged in
side yards and on either side of paths,
but never in rows, except along al
straight path or the street walk. For
the latter purpose nothing is better in
the city than Norway naples and
elms, also sugar and soft naples and
some of the oaks. Catalpas are to be
especially recommended for the west.
American linden or bass wood for the |
east and northwest; for the latter also
the burr oak and green ash.
CAS- specimen trees for lawns the !
American plane tree-also called the |
buttonwood and sycamore-is excel !
lent for the east central and western |