ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE (2+1)

Making a plan

• Before any actual garden work is undertaken, a master plan has to be prepared according to a scale (1: 15 or 1: 20) in which all the features such as house wall, drive-way, paths, flower beds, shrubbery, etc., are plotted.
• The shaded areas due to large tree canopy or the building itself have to be marked on the plan.
• A plan prepared on a printed graph paper is of great help.
• The plan thus prepared should be studied again and again keeping in view what shape a plant will take in the long run. It is frequently observed that people attracted by the graceful form of a young Araucaria cookii, plant this in the centre of a lawn or near the house, not keeping in mind the gigantic form and height it will attain after some years. Per¬haps the owner of the house will cut this tree when overgrown or it may be retained to the detriment of other plants growing below it. Either way, this is not a good planning. Perhaps, one way of satisfying the urge of a garden lover to grow such beautiful trees in a small compound, is to grow them in large concrete tubs and bury the tub growing the tree in the appropriate place, thus giving the impression that the plant has actually been grown on the ground. When this attains a considerable height, say 3-6 m, the tree along with the pot should be lifted and given to someone who can afford to use such a grown-up tree. But it is better not to include such controversial items.