Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1916-08-18
ATTRACTIVE SURROUND
MGSFOR OUR FARM HOMES
Suggestions For Laying Out Grounds
And Planting Attractive
shrubhery.
B. W. ANsPoN.
Maryland Agricultural College.

Are you entirely satisfied with your
home grounds? Have you envied your
neighbor who had well planted yardi
| II SO now is the time to remedy that
condition. As the growing season is
rapidly drawing near we should have
our plan prepared before planting time
comes.
To prepare a plan is not a difficult
task. In fact. it proves a very inter
estine one. when the various members
OF the family are consulted and their
views are Incorporated in the plan.
Take the measurements of the
grounds and transfer them to a good
piece of drawing paper. Locate on the
plan all existing objects as house,
buildings. fences. trees, walks, etc.
This should be drawn to scale. If we
use the scale one inch equals twenty
feet every inch on the plan will repre-
sent twenty feet Of the grounds.
With this plan before you 1t is a
simple matter to view the whole area
at a glance Here one can only study
the relation Of one part to the other.
Those paintings that have not pleased
US can be changed, and so arranged
that they will make more pleasing eff
fects.
Where trees are too crowded this
should be indicated on the plan. New
groupings, changes in the walks, In
fact any work that Is to be done on the
grounds should be indicated on this
plan. Then we will have clear rec
ord Of the changes to be made. All
the work does not have to be done at
once. If limited rfhds are available
a portion of the work can be done this
spring, the rest later. Without plan
this would be impossible. No mind
can carry a definite plan from one
year to the next. We are prone to at.
tempt details that are found in other
gardens without considering the gen
eral arrangement, from which these
details are taken. Consequently
poor garden is the result. Every gar
den should be picture. One definite
idea should be carried out; all other
ideas should be subordinate to this
main one
Make Your Own Plan.
One should select the style Of gar
dening one wishes to follow and ad.
here to that style.
For most conditions the informal
style is best. In arranging our plan
according to this style there are sew
eral general principles that should be
considered.
1. Keep the centers open. This pro
vides for a large expanse of lawn,
which serves as a background upon
which to make the picture by means
Of trees. shrubs and flowers.
2. Plant In masses. In this style we
desire the effect OF the mass rather
than the individual plant.
3. Arrange the groups in irregular
borders, not in straight lines. To
unite the buildings with the grounds
vines and foundation paintings OF
shrubs are useful Thereby the
angular lines of the foundations can be
concealed.
Send to reliable nurserymen for
their catalogues. From these select
the plants wanted. Great pleasure can
be derived from groupings of native
plants. There are many native plants
in this State that lend themselves to
planting in the home grounds. Among
these may be mentioned button-bush.
Towering dogwood. arrowwood, fringe.
tree, elders, alders, wild azalea, noun
tain laurel, oaks, pines, naples, hick-
orfes, tulip popular. sweet gum, black
gum, etc.
With so many plants to select from
that are perfectly hardy there is no
reason why we should select tender
plants. Frequently we see such plants
that are tied up in straw and burlap
during the winter to prevent their
freezing.