Evening star., 1940-02-17
Doorway P|aniings
Can Have Both Variety
And Proper Size
Wide Ronge Of Choice
AvoiIobie-Slow Growth
Types Appropriate
BY W. H. YOUNGMAN.

BY W. II. YOUNGMAN.
Most people notice the paintings
around q doorway before they see
the yards and grounds. It is quite
important, therefore, to have an
attractive looking and well land
scaped front entrance.
Few Of us stop to realize how
many doorways are unattracttve be-
cause of overgrown or poorly suited
shrub paintings. In some cases the
shrubs have so outgrown their To-
cation that the walk to the front
door resembles q tunnel. Often
times careless planting or lack Of
proper care gives q decided impress
sion Of neglect or untidiness that
Is entirely unnecessary.
Entrance paintings should frame
the doorway and at the same time
blend with the architectural fea-
lures. The paintings need not be
formal to produce the desired effect,
although most of them should be
carefully balanced. Evergreens are
not necessary even though they do
predominate in local yards. The
deciduous shrubs or a combination
OF evergreens and Towering shrubs
may be used effectively.
Plant Show Shrubs, Too.
When looking at. entrance plant
ings, one Is impressed with the pre-
dominance of shrubs that soon out
grow their location. Another i'm
preston is that we use too many
shrubs that grow too tall and too
wide. This may be due in part to
the urge to produce quick show
ing. That might be a legitimate ex-
cuse If the slower growing shrubs
were also planted at the same time.
Unfortunately they are not included.
The tall, rapid-growing kinds are
planted with the hope that per-
haps they will be stunted when they
reach the desired height and will
"stay put" They could be kept so
longer If pruned regularly and care
fully, q practice that Is rarely fol-
lowed.
In selecting evergreens or flower
Ing shrubs for the front entrance
take into consideration the situation.
Is it shady, dry, wet, hot, small in
area? What is the approximate
height to which the shrubs should
grow? And what is the distance be-
tween the sidewalk and the front
porch or entrance? A southern ex-
posure on a hot, dry bank limits
the selection of shrubs to definite
group that may be expected to live
and thrive under those conditions.
A shady, damp, northern location is
suitable for certain shrubs, while
others cannot be expected to do more
than exist there.
What Not to Do.
The height and width of the
spaces to be filled definitely limits
the choice of kinds and varieties.
A Black Hills spruce should never
be used in q space that is only feet
wide, while an American arbor-vitae
is not suited to space feet high.
An Irish juniper Is total loss in a
shady place, but a number Of the
yews will thrive in either sun or
shade. The jumpers, as q group,
stand hot, dry places.
Narrow columnar evergreens may
be had IN heights varying from the
CLIO feet of the Rosenthal arbor-
vitae and the 7-8 feet Of the Oriental
arbor- vitae to the $3.50 feet Of the
pyramidal juniper. For shady places
the dwarf hemlock or the upright
yew may be pruned to stay In rela-
lively small place, although they do
not normally grow IN q narrow
columnar form.
OF the medium height evergreens
which range from 10 to 20 feet tall,
the white leaf Chinese juniper, Can
mart red cedar, Schott red cedar,
goldtip juniper, spiny Greek juniper,
Colorado juniper, Swiss pine, jap
anese yew, Douglas arbor-vitae,
George Peabody arbor vitae, Ver-
vaene arbor-vitae and the Siberian
arbor-vitae are a few examples.
Lower-growing evergreens, which
include those Of more or less globular
form, are Dwarf Alberta spruce,
Hovey arbor- vitae, globe red cedar,
mugho pine, table pine, dwarf Japa-
nese yew, glove arbor-vitate, Little
Gem arbor- vitae, woodward arbor-
vitae. Hatfield and Thayer yews are
q bit taller than most of the group.
The Sprawly Type.
OF the so-called sprawly, but still
not classed as PROSTATE or creeping
evergreens, there are the Pfltzer
juniper. PROSTATE juniper, golden
PROSTATE juniper, Andorra juniper,
Meyer juniper, Savin juniper. pyr-
amidal Savin Junior, Won Ehren
juniper and the Roster red cedar.
The creeping evergreens include
Sargent, Waukegan, Japanese and
Bar Harbor jumpers and the pros
trate form Of the spreading English,
yew.
The above are examples of some
Of the various types and forms o1
the principal groups of evergreens
Since the list Is endless (more thar
: 800 kinds are nsted) each nursery.
man can stock only a few and prob
ably has some not mentioned above