THE ORNAMENTAL EVERGREENS 



921 



with the needles heavy and glossy dark green, arranged 

 in umbrella-like clusters — one of the most ornamental 

 evergreens in the world. Still further south, where the 

 climate approximates England's, one can grow the 

 South American araucaria outside. They are 

 plentiful in England, reaching 2 feet trunk di- 

 ameter and some 45 feet in height. With us 

 they are sold as a hothouse plant, very orna- 

 mental, the branches in regular whorls of dark 

 green needles sticking straight out from the 

 branch, recurved, graceful and fernlike in ap- 

 pearance. I should say that it would prove 

 hardy outdoors from Maryland south. 



Another beauty, not hardy in severe climates. 

 is the silver pine, P. Excelsa. a graceful and 

 elegant tree with drooping silvery foliage, the 

 needles like white pine but longer. A 4-foot 

 specimen will cost $2, but the owner will get 

 at least $10 worth of pleasure out of it. 



None of these specimens should be "lost" 

 in the mass of evergreens but rather empha- 

 sized by being planted at some conspicuous 

 place about the grounds. 



A word as to the flowering shrubs. There 

 are eleven varieties of deutzias, nine spireas, 

 four sweet syringias, and four wigelias, so you 

 will do well to consult a good nurseryman's 

 catalogue so as to pick out the ones you pre- 

 fer. ]f you just order so many of each bv 

 name the florist will bring around the simple 

 standard varieties, but there are manv beauti- 

 ful hybrids and special sorts which will well 

 bear investigation before using up vour avail- 

 able shrub space. 



In general your evergreens will come to 

 you with tlie ball of roots and earth done up in 

 burlaps, while the shrubs will have had the 

 roots cleared of earth and packed in moss. The 

 former can be planted with the burlaps on, as 

 it will soon rot away in the soil. Personally, 

 if the earth is still compact and moist, I take 

 off the burlaps as I always plant higher than 

 the nursery advises, knowing well the tendency of 

 gardens to rise, year by year, as more soil and manure 

 are added. The roots of the flowering shrubs want 

 dipping in thick mud before planting, and then the 

 earth is to be well packed about the roots. A shovel- 

 ful of well rotted manure is spread a few inches below 

 the surface after the roots have been well packed in 

 soil and finally a mulch of soft loose soil and manure is 

 piled about the young tree at the surface. The best time 



for planting is .\ugust to mid-November; second choice, 

 -March to May first. 



Finally, for the bulk of your evergreens, let me advise 

 our American species, hemlock, cedar, spruce, balsam 



Planting diagram for a suburban place with evergreens and flowering shrub; 



one hundred feet. 



l*rontage 



and pine ; and fur shrubs the good old-fashioned stand- 

 bys — pink and white deutzias, pink wigelias, cream-white 

 sweet syringias (or mock orange); spirea Van Houteii 

 (the dear old bridal wreath with its rows and festoons 

 of white dandelion-like flowers) and, lastly lilacs, laven- 

 der and white, without which May is not really the montlr 

 of Alay at all. And roses; lots of them. No special soil 

 required, but sunlight, at least from 10 to 4. No home 

 vet ever had more roses than it knew what to do with ! 



