THE FLORAL WOULD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 3G5 



and (iiio that a <;oo(l group of bony-bearing shrubs shoubl constitute 

 .1 protninent and powerful feature in a garden. 



Tlio idea may be supported by three arguments at least, and 

 our readers may be left to discover as many more as tiiey |)lea9e. 

 firstly, then, such a bed or group of beds, wlien once propt^rly 

 ])lantofi, need not cost a punny in money, or an hour in time, for any 

 kind of renovation beyond weeding, in the course of a dozen yearn 

 or so. Si'condly, the distinctive beauty, that is to say, the brilliant 

 berries displayed in grand profusion, gives us delight wiiun llowers 

 an; past, and warms the face of tlie duU-coniplexioiuHl winter. 

 Thirdly, the beds occupied with the berry-bearing shrubs nuiy bo 

 made gay with llowers all (he summer, iuul therefore they are not 

 to be regarded as winter beds solely. 



Now we come to thi; consideration of the stuff suitable for these 

 beds, and it will occur to many readers that the " hips and the 

 haws" are the very things wanted. In a certain sense that is true, 

 but the cointnon hawthorn and its varieties, equally witii all the 

 wild roses, are unlit for the |)urpose now in view. We shall, indeed, 

 begin witii a thorn, and it shall bo the brilliant Pyracantha, which, 

 at the ])resent time, adorns many a sunny wall with a profusion of 

 its vermilion scarlet fruits. It is a fact known to very few that this 

 evergreen thorn makes a very telling bush or standard, and as it 

 succeeds in this form perfectly on the cold clay of our Stoke 

 Newington gardens, it may bi^ ex[)ccted to do equally well almost 

 everywhere on the southern side of the Trent. We allow the trees 

 to grow in as nearly a natural way as possible, supporting the leader 

 with a suiUcient stake, and pincliing in all the young growth in the 

 middle of June, to promote a close habit. If pincluMl or pruned 

 later, tticre is not time for the wood to ripen suliiciently to insure 

 a good crop of berries, but superlluous and misplaced whoots may 

 be cut out any time in the winter. 



Being thus provided with a remarkably telling berry-bearing 

 tree to begin with, we proceed to support it by planting in the 

 same compartment tiie nearly evergreen and abundant berry- 

 bearing Cotoaeaster Simmondsi, the berries of which ripen as early 

 as those of the Pyracautiia, and do not fall from the tree until 

 April. 



Having secured these two very best shrubs of their class, we 

 liave plenty at command for filling in and completing a splendid 

 group. The wide-spreading 'half-decutnbent Cotoneaster inicro- 

 ])hylla produces berries in great abundaiu;e when growing in the 

 full sun on a somewhat dry soil, and for tli(! foreground of a group 

 is invaluable. For the foreground in a shady place, or for an 

 outlying border overhung with trees, we have Skimmia Japonica, 

 which <j:rows slowly, bears a wondrous crop of berries for its size, 

 and thrives better in shade than in sun. 



Thus we have secured four line things with which a splendid 

 effect may be produced, anil if something quite diiferent is re(]uired 

 to 8e[)arate them, with a first-class quality of winter greenery, we 

 recoTimetid Berberis aquifolium undiilata nana, a variety raised by 

 Messrs. Veitch and Son. It is the finest of all the garden berberies, 



December. 



