PLANTS FOR GROUND COVER : Page 546

The plantsman is often called upon to select material which may bevines, perennials, or low-growing shrubs, to be used for ground-coverpurposes under large trees, and in situations heavily shaded by build-ings. Most of these plants should have, for their most successfulgrowth, an excellent topsoil containing a small percentage of clay, or arich woodland loam consisting mostly of well-rotted leaf mold andfibrous roots. These plants are valuable because of their ability tothrive under extreme shade. One often sees in large lawn areas andat the edges of woods, or on the shady side of buildings, spots whichreceive little or no sunlight where grass will not thrive and where mostof our ordinary shrubs and perennials grow thin, leggy, and not vigor-ous. In such locations the only real solution lies in the selection ofplants which will form a ground cover and thus preserve a mat ofinteresting green foliage. Many of these plants also, like the bunch-berry, the ground yew, and the partridge berry, have interesting fruit.The waterleaf, the moneywort, and the Japanese evergreen spurge aretypes valuable only because of their foliage, and the stonecrops, theperiwinkle, and the wake robin are valuable also because of their inter-!