Evening star., 1951-04-22
BeoutifNng the Terrace
Shrubs and Vines Are Ideal for the
+ Terrace, but Care Is Needed in Planting
By w. H. Younemon
Gurden Editor

en- Editor
: rainfall because few kinds OF
grass are deeply enough rooted to
: hold a wet mass of earth.
Two Steps i'm Use of Vines.
The use of vines and shrubs on
la bank may be divided into two
steps:
i l. The selection of suitable,
adapted kinds, and 2. The proper
planting of them to insure their
survival.
i The size of the slope will de-
Itermine the mature height usable.
A low bank q to 5 feet) will re-
Iquire much lower growing shrubs
than one which is 10 to 20 feet in
height. The exposure, sun or
shade. .<and the moisture will re-
Istrict the choice of plants that will
thrive under the existing condi-
Itions. A shady slope may be
PLANTED with a number of attrac-
IItive low growing broadleaved ever
greens. while one with a southern
lor western exposure which Is
usually hot and dry should be
covered with plants adapted to
such a situation. The use of un-
adapted plants is likely to result
in poor growth.
The smaller shady bank might
easily be covered with myrtle
(yinca minor. pachySandra or
English ivy. Ferns may be sue
cessfully used on a moist shady
bank. The Christmas fern, an
evergreen. is especially attractive.
Azaleas. rhododendrons, laurel.
leucothoe and the f1ve-leaf aralia
are a few of the useful plants for
similar situation.
For the sunny bank the Jap
aneSe barberry is more widely
used than most other kinds. 1t
is inexpensive, makes a dense
cover and may be kept at any
height from IL to 36 inches. Hon
eysuckle is sometimes suggested.
but it must be kept within bounds,
otherwise it looks too unkempt.
Trailing roses are often suggested
for this purpose. but they seldom
smother out grass and weeds,
hence are difficult to keep attrac-
tive. Also the roses must have
a certain amount Of pruning Gre
moval of old wood if they are to
be vigorous and free Towering.
| A covering of trailing evergreens
| is attractive, but the initial cost
is apt to be hard on the budget,
The weeping variety of forsythia
| is attractive as is the winter jas
mine. Low-growing deciduous
shrubs, such as Spirea Anthony
Waterer. Towering ounce, coton-
teaster (rockspray), diervilla.
Scotch rose and other low growers
with spreading rootstockS, are
other possibilities.
Some of the taller growing
shrubs may be used for this pur-
pose and kept in proportion by
regular pruning should that be de-
Isirable. When once planted with
shrubs the ground covers sug-
gested above myrtle, pachySan-
dra and ivy) may be used to cover
the ground beneath them. This is
a distinct advantage since they
help to hold the soil and prevent
washing.
Plant With Care.
The planting of shrubs on the
terrace or slope should be done
with care If the woody plants
are to make a desirable growth.
If there is semblance of sod
4 it should be retained and the
plants set out in large holes filled
with well-prepared soil. To plant
in unprepared soil is to run the
risk of loss or stunting of the
shrubs since such a slope is apt
| to be short of moisture. Trench
| ing is often recommended and
where the trench is filled with
good soil more rapid growth is to
be expected. However, a good
deep hole sloping into the bank
is usually adequate.
/ AS soon as the shrubs are in
place the bank should be covered
with straw or coarse compost
which will protect the soil from
erosion. This will be unsightly
at first but will soon weather.
The following spring, bulbs and
ground cover may be planted in
between the shrubs to add inter-
est to the slope. However, a
dense cover of barberry will soon
smother the bulbs and they will
gradually disappear.
Most slow growing shrubs will
benefit by a. severe pruning the
first year or two to make them
branching and low growing. When
well started, prune to keep down
struggling growth and to remove
dead or injured wood. Fertilizer
may be needed at first to induce
rapid growth, but once that is
accomplished it will seldom be
necessary. Continued feeding is
likely to encourage rampant
growth.
If properly selected plants are
used for the terrace or slope little
spraying will be needed to pro-
tect against insects and diseases.
This should be a basic factor
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