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Planting Tree In The South

December 3rd, 2009 Thomas Fryd No comments

In the south shrub and tree planting projects are about to get under way. Everywhere people are beginning to recognize the economic and aesthetic values of shrubs and trees. This is particularly true of trees. Large producers of forest products are planting vast acreages with trees; the owners of woodland plots are utilizing every available acre; and the occupants of even the smallest lots in new developments are planting young trees of various kinds.

When I recently visited the state forest tree nursery, I learned that the more than sixteen million seedlings grown last season did not nearly meet the demand.

Our towns and cities are growing so fast, they are literally bursting their seams. Real estate developers have to reach far out beyond the suburbs, taking in large areas where there are either no trees to start with or where, in the process of preparing for construction, it is necessary to remove most, if not all, of the trees. Most builders and developers are apparently doing what they can to save the trees, but in many developments most trees ore sacrificed.

Fast-growing trees for the home – Fortunately there are several fast-growing trees well adapted to planting around the Southern home. A lot, after being planted with a few of these trees, will soon lose its bareness and also be considerably shaded from the hot sun.

Mimosa – One of the best is the mimosa, but in some areas it is subject to a wilt that causes the tree to lose its leaves and finally die. There seems to be no cure for the disease. Your only safety is to procure trees grown in a disease-free area.

Chinese parasol-tree – This species, known botanically as Firmiana simplex, is a large-leaved, tropical-looking small tree that grows rapidly to 25 or 30 feet, but then stops at that height. It has large heads of interesting cream-colored flowers, followed by bladder-like seed pods.

Goldenrain-tree – Another fast-growing small tree well suited to the small lot is the goldenrain-tree (Koelreuteria paniculata). Its compound leaves and great profusion of small yellow flowers add to its attractiveness. Unfortunately, neither the Chinese parasol-tree nor the goldenrain-tree is easily had from nurseries, as only a few concerns in the South handle them.

Chinese elm – For the larger lot, where a mature tree 45 feet high would be in scale, the Chinese elm is a good choice. It grows rapidly, thrives in poor soil and endures much dry weather.

Dogwood and redbud – Two native trees that are lovely and fit well into any home landscape or backyard landscape ideas are the dogwood and the redbud. We can hardly have too many of them. Many of the numerous tree-planting projects sponsored by garden and civic clubs have featured these two trees, and as a result tens of thousands of them have been planted in the South during the last five years. In a few years they will transform many of our now-uninteresting streets and roadways into avenues of great beauty.

Red maple – The red maple is another medium-sized tree that is well suited to home-grounds planting in the South.

Pine – The native pines continue in strong demand for planting on home grounds in the South. We did not realize how very rapidly these trees grew until we began growing them under cultivation. A pine’s growth is comparatively slow in the forest, but on the home grounds, where it is fed and watered, it is rather exciting. If you are planting for heavy shade, loblolly pine is preferable to slash or yellow pine.

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Expanding The Room With Houseplants

December 1st, 2009 Keith Markensen No comments

The fresh, garden feeling that comes from living with plants indoors is never more marked than when vines are part of the picture. Their graceful, curving lines seem more natural than stiff, upright plants; they give more flower and foliage display per square inch of root space; and they are more adaptable, without unnatural strain and distortion, to many desirable effects. Vines and hanging plants create vitality and motion, actually seem to “breathe life into a room.”

This is true in houses of all types of architecture or interior decor, and particularly true when the style is strictly contemporary. Planning for minimum maintenance makes use of building materials, fabrics, and finishes that are smooth and stark, but also sometimes monotonous and glaring. The clean, uncluttered look provides not only the opportunity but also the need for the kind of decoration vines can provide.

Straight, plain contemporary lines call for a softening effect. Large, bare areas are superb backgrounds for the play of light and shadow, for contrasts in color and texture. With the trend toward living, working, and eating areas instead of sharply separated rooms, vines can be used to give the effect of a screen or divider without actually closing off space. And the contemporary emphasis on “oneness with the outdoors” expressed in large windows becomes more emphatic when a vine makes a soft transition between inside and outside view.

Spanish or Oriental; Georgian, Tudor, or Victorian; Northern Colonial or Southern plantation – there is hardly a house that is not made more attractive by vining plants. By their very nature they are in character with the country cottage or farmhouse. To the prototype suburban home, vines contribute individuality. In many older homes they are useful in modifying, modernizing, or screening what we now consider defects in design, making all rooms more refreshing and livable.

A vine trained along certain lines can make a large room seem smaller and more friendly, a small room seem larger and more airy. Grown up or down a wall, a vine will heighten a low ceiling; horizontally, it lowers a high ceiling. Effective use of vines will pull the three windows of an old-fashioned bay into one homogeneous indoor garden decoration. Used in a single window where a variety of plants appear, vines help achieve decorative unity. Vines can be used to help balance a design for interior decoration, to give it rhythm, to create a center of interest or call attention to a focal point, to achieve any or all of the requirements of good design.

In the incredible variety of vining plants, there is almost unlimited choice of color, texture, structural form and size, and character with which to create any desired effect. Some vines make a dark room look brighter; others can be arranged for coolness and shade; and still others will produce either effect, depending upon how they are used. Today we have available a fascinating array of foliage vines that will flourish on indoor walls and in other places where the light is too dim for flowering plants, and we’re learning to love the beauty of fresh green foliage, the intricate tracery of twining stems, and the fascinating effect of the shadows of both.

There are vines in tune with the restful mood of the living room, the happiness of a kitchen or playroom, the femininity of a bedroom. There are small vines in scale with small rooms, large ones bold enough for great drawing rooms; vines effective when used alone, or in combination with other plants, or both. Some vines grow fast, some slow. Some climb up a support, some dangle from a wall bracket or hanging baskets. In using vines for indoor decoration, you can indulge your adventurous spirit and ingenuity to the limit, and at little cost.

There is one obvious condition upon which this is all possible – that the vining plants are healthy, colorful, and fresh-looking. This may require making some provision for light and sunlight, humidity, and other cultural requirements just like how to care for an aloe vera plant. Some plants can adapt to indoor life more readily then others; some are of such rare beauty that pampering is more than worth the trouble. In addition to optimum cultural conditions, Chapter 5 contains suggestions for some easy ways to keep a constant supply of thriving plants for decorative use.

So much for generalizations; now, let’s get specific. Here are a number of ideas for using vines and hanging plants for indoor decoration – in planter gardens, in windows, on walls and other vertical surfaces, in baskets and other hanging containers, and in small table-top compositions. Each idea is meant to be adapted to suit your house and your personal taste, and to inspire you to create your own completely new effects.

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