The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-05-09

add these features to our own prop
ty by obscuring the limiting fence
which reminds us that our line stops
there. With the fences down ev-
erything in sight belongs to US.
Having made up our minds as toi
where to plant the question of what
to plant comes up. In riding along
the road in the spring we often stop
to admire dogwo0d, the redbud, the /,
shadbush, the wild crab. And later
in the season. We notice elderberry,
the wild roses, the bushy dogwo ids
and clumps Of other Towering SHRUBS.
even On to the time OF the witch hazel
and the turning of the leaves to au
tumn colors. We often think how
pretty that would look if / had it att
nome. And why not? Can a home
be more home-like, landscape more
TO tune with its surroundings, than
when the paintings around it are
made with the native plants from the
neighboring woods. A little study of
the native shrubs will bring out dit
ferences in height of the different
KINDS, and also in color and time IL
Towering and fruiting and in the col
orlng of the leaves in the fall.
In planting, the taller shrubs should
be placed nearest the house or near.
est the fence in the border planta.
ZION, using the lower kinds, or me-
ulum sized ones whose branches
sweep gracefully to the ground, for
the front edge of the mass. If wei
note the shrubs which nature has
planted around some open glade we
will see that there are irregularitia
in the width of the border. In some
places a mass of certain kind push.
es out from the others in a broad
founded curve, and in other places
the border narrows down to but ore
kind OF shrub. We may take lessonsl
mere and make our paintings simulate
nature by varying the width of our
borders in the same manner,
Our plantation being planned out |
even if only cluster of shrubs in
the corner by the porch, and having
decided what to plant, we come to
the time most suitable for doing me
work. The best time to TRANSPLANT
IS when the plants are resting early
IN the spring before the leaves 90
velop, or in the fall after the leay es
have dropped. The ground to De
Elanted should be plowed or spaded
should be prepared just as it would
be to plant corn. After the bushes
the in place the ground should be
given the same care that is given a
garden or any cultivated crop, for IT
least two years. When thoroughly
established the shrubs will take care
OF themselves, needing only the cut
ting out of dead wood. If a bush
becomes too tall in front of a win
dow cut off the tall shoots at the
ground, leaving the shorter ones to
fill the space.
When the plantations are well IS |
tablished so that doeing is no longer
needed, one may fill in among he
shrubs with the early spring flowers
from the woods These will ind
themselves thoroughly at home I'M
der the native shrub and will flower
and fruit and spread year after year.
Summer and fall flowers and fruit
may be planted in clumps and mass.
es in front of the spring Towering
shrubs, thus carrying on the flower
ing season and adding to the beauty
of the landscape which we have NOV
ed from the woods to help us make
the house we live in really and truly
a home.-Homer G. Skeels, Botanical
Assistant Bureau Of Plant Industry,
U. S. D. A.