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Show ' LEAF AND FLOWER ADD i BEAUTY TO THE HOME By Eben E. Rexf fd. To the writer, a house m, exposed foundation always seems unfinished. It needs the grace of growing plants to take away the bare look which is never pleasant, no matter how expensive expen-sive the foundation may be. There is a beauty in leaf and flower that cannot can-not be "put into stone and mortar. Illustration No. 1 makes clearer the idea I have in mind about biding the foundation walls than any verbal one In the first illustration Just enough vines are used to soften the outlines of the building, it will be observed. A vine used in this way has a chance to display its individuality. You see all its charm of leaf and habit of growth. But when trained as shown in illustration No. 2 this individuality indi-viduality is lost. Here we have "too much of a good thing." The windows are darkened, free outlook is interfered inter-fered with and the general effect is monotonous. One vine, planted at the corner and trained along the cornice, over the windows, with a few branches allowed to droop here and there, would have given a much more satisfactory effect. ef-fect. The only admirable feature of this illustration is the planting along the wall. But here, as with the vines, matters seem almost overdone. There is a crowded effect. Take another look at No. 1 and note the difference. The best plants to use about the base of the house are those which do not grow much higher than the wall. Among hardy kinds there is nothing better than Dicentra, the dwarf varieties varie-ties of perennial phlox and the herbaceous herba-ceous spireas. Along with these can be sued such annuals as the nasturtium, nastur-tium, nicotiana, aster, ten week stock 1 llttlb,;,,,- 1 f Illustration No. 1. can. In it the house seems to be less prominent than it would be if no plants grew there, and it therefore lacks that aggressive tone which characterizes char-acterizes the house whose walls are not relieved by growing plants. Perhaps I may be allowed to use this expression the use of plants close to the house, while not detracting detract-ing in the least from the dignity and importance of it, prevents us from looking upon it as something that boldly challenges the attention an idea not in keeping with the home sense which ought to characterize the building in which those live who care less for show and admiration than for beauty. All of us have seen houses which seem to absolutely force themselves upon our attention. We may admire them in a way, but it is a way with which the idea of home is not associated. But if shrubs and perrenials and vines were planted about them their aggressiveness would be hidden, or at least modified, and we would soon begin be-gin to think of them as homes instead of houses. No very tall-growing plants should be used anywhere about the house if they will interfere with the outlook. Windows are made to let in light and sunshine and we cannot afford to darken them with bushes or vines. Illustration No. 2. and coreopsis. Here geraniums and coleus can be made to do duty in summer. sum-mer. Bulbs for eany blooming can be scattered along the outer edge close to the path. To edge the planting pansies, bellis perrenis and the low growing varieties of phlox can be used effectively. To furnish brilliance in midsummer the gladiolus can be planted in groups here and there, and the tuberose to give bloom and fragrance fra-grance later in the season. (Copyright, 1909.) |