320 



HORTICULTURE. 



September 7, 1907 



of one species together, followed by 

 another harmonious group of another 

 sort, the border of the two groups in- 

 terlacing with each other, making a 

 natural and easy transition from one 

 variety to the other. Let the transi- 

 tion from one variety to another be 

 gradual, not too sudden, and let the 

 gi'oups be net too large or too exclu- 

 sive. An odd plant taller or different 

 from the others may occasionally stand 

 out or above its companions, very ef- 

 fectively; of course tall growers at the 

 back flanked with smaller and low 

 branching species in the fore. It is 

 not advisable to mix evergreen and 

 deciduous shrubs in the same group. 

 A few shrubs seem to be admirably 

 adapted for filling in plants. Tamarix 

 is one of these which may often be 

 used to relieve a too monotonous sky 

 line, or formality or to add variety iu 

 foliage effect, it being a tall, neat, in- 

 offensive plant which will harmonize 

 ■with almost any other. For low droop- 

 ing shrubs to be used for carrying foli- 

 age from the grass lawn up to taller 

 plants, few are more effective than 

 Spirea Thunber.gil, stephanandra, rho- 

 dotypus and Berberis Thunbergil. 



Shrubbery Outline. 



The outlines of shrubberies should 

 not be too straight or formal, but ir- 

 regular and natural. A skilled florist 

 or gardener should almost conceive 

 these ideas without instructions, but 

 definite knowledge of the habits of 

 the different shrubs to be employed is 

 essential to enable one to make a plant- 

 ing which ■Bill develop consistently as 

 they increase in age and size. That 

 such information can only be obtained 

 by observation and experience is evid- 

 enced by the very large number of in- 

 harmonious combinations that are 

 seen in shrubberies all about the coun- 

 try. Probably I'hododendrons are 

 treated injudiciously and are a source 

 of dissappointment and of waste of 

 money more than any other shrub, 

 largely through misunderstanding. 

 Rhododendrons are sociable individu- 

 als, liking the companionship and pro- 

 tection 01 other plants. Their fine 

 fibrous roots delight iu cool, moist soil, 

 but do not want to go very deep in 

 earth to find these conditions, and are 

 particularly sensitive to excessive heat 

 or drought in midsummer. A situa- 

 tion where the shadows of large trees 

 or buildings will shield from midday 

 sun in summer and winter and from 

 severe winds is an ideal iio.sition. A 

 perpetual mulch of leaves renewed 

 each autumn and with a light coat of 

 stable manure on top of the leaves, to 

 keep them from blowing away, is 

 most congenial to them. Mulching and 

 shelter from wind are the most essen- 

 tial conditions. 



One of the most satisfactory plant- 

 ings of rhododendrons was a small bed 

 at the south corner of a residence. 

 They were wanted in this position but 

 the owner had been told that they 

 would not succeed in southern expos- 

 ure. Recognizing the fact that a large 

 pear tree southeast ct this bed would 

 afford midday shade, and groups of 

 large forest trees and neighboring 

 buildings not far away would afford 

 shelter from wind, the location was 

 considered eligible. The natural soil 

 ■was quite sandy — bpt by generous ex- 

 cavation, two feet deep, and filling 



with muck and vegetable mould taken 

 from open ditches on a nearby farm, 

 and a few barrels of Jersey peat, a soil 

 was prepared which proved suitable. 

 The rhododendrons were planted four 

 to five feet apart and all vacant spaces 

 filled in with Mahonia aquifolia, it. 

 Japonica and heath arborvitae (Thuya 

 ericoides) until the bed was a solid 

 mass of foliage, effectually shading the 

 stems of the plants and the ground 

 around them. The ground was then 

 covered with a mulch of leaves a foot 

 deeep, with instructions to keep the 

 mulch there all the time, renewing it 

 every autumn, and as the rhododen- 

 drons grew and spread, that the nurse 

 plants should be cut back or removed. 

 This planting was made nine years ago 

 and has been successful. 



Shrubs for Small Gardens. 



A most difficult problem in shrub 

 arrangement, more frequently met with 

 in the practical experience of florist 

 and jobbing gardeners than in the lay- 

 ing out of large lawns where general 

 rules of landscape gardening might be 

 employed, is the requirements of own- 

 ers of small yards, who want one 

 dozen of their old favorites set in a 

 bed or along a garden fence. Perhaps 

 it ■«ill be a lilac, forsythia, snowball, 

 cydonia, weigela, spirea, deutzia, chion- 

 anthus, dogwood, hydrangea and a. pur- 

 ple filbert and .such other incongruous 

 neighbors. He who can airange such 

 a group as this tastily and so it will 

 continue attractive throughout the 

 year is a master in the ait of shrub 

 arrangement. Hopeless as this tasic 

 may seem there are plants which we 

 may always look to for help in such 

 emergencies. The slender sprays of 

 featheiy foliage of the tamarix, the 

 gracefully drooping branches of Spirea 

 Thunbergil, Stephanandra flexuosa. the 

 single flowered kerrias including the 

 white form known as Rhodotypus ker- 

 rioides with its crinkled foliage, are 

 all gentle, in^iffensive subjects willing 

 to help fill up a gap and hide from 

 public gaze the awkwardness of their 

 fellows wherever suoh service is 

 needed. By adding a few plants of 

 these slender species the stiffness of 

 a group may be much relieved and 

 some of its awkwardness softened. 



One of my most valuable lessons 

 about planting was learned in walking 

 through a lawn with an old gardener 

 who remarked, 'The man who planted 

 this place understood his business. 

 See — every tree is set on a little hill 

 or mound." The next time you have 

 opportunity, compare the difference in 

 appearance of a lawn where trees and 

 shrubs stand in mounds slightly above 

 the level of the surounding lawn, and 

 other plantings where the lawn level 

 is carried up to the roots of the plants, 

 or as is sometimes seen, w-bere plants 

 stand in a depression. See which you 

 like best, and then judge of the wis- 

 dom of the above sugegstion. A bed 

 or border for shrubbery should be 

 heavily manured and dug or plowed 

 deeply and prepared as carefully as toi- 

 corn or any other crop which is 

 wanted to grow well. If I tell you not 

 to run the roots into a little hole in the 

 ground but to set them on a little 

 mound, you will think I am joking, 

 but that is pretty nearly what I mean. 



It would seem as though every gar- 

 dener should be tired ot bearing the 



trite advice to dig big holes for shrubs 

 and trees, but the innumerable evi- 

 dences of violations of the rule show 

 that many planters have not yet 

 learned this lesson. Some shrubs, as 

 forsythias, spireas, deutzias, etc., may 

 flourish if stuck in the ground any 

 way, but many others need the best of 

 care to insure success, and careless- 

 ness in setting often discredits good 

 material and a job which in other re- 

 spects may be all right. Dig holes 

 larger and deeper than the roots re- 

 quire and larger in diameter at bottom 

 than at top. then fill in some of the 

 best soil obtainable, making a little 

 cone or mound in the centre of the 

 hole. Then spread out the roots of 

 plants around this mound of earth so 

 that all roots tend downwards rather 

 than horizontal or upwards. Fill in 

 the richest soil, first tramping firmly 

 as the filling proceeds. Remember 

 Peter Henderson's chapter on the "Use 

 of the Foot in Planting." Also bear 

 in mind that it is results that count 

 and five minutes spent in care of 

 planting may mean one or two years 

 saved in attaining the desired end. 



Under the heading "How to Treat 

 Shrubs" I will allude to manuring, 

 mulching and pruning. After planting 

 apply a good mulch of manure to con- 

 serve moisture, furnish nourishment 

 and suppress weeds. An annual 

 mulching of leaves, with coarse man- 

 ure to prevent their blowing away, is 

 beneficial to almost every class of 

 plants, and mulched or fallow ground 

 is better than grass around the stems. 

 Most deciduous shrubs should be 

 pruned severely, when planted. Rho- 

 dodendrons, azaleas, andromedas, etc., 

 are usually transplanted with balls of 

 earth, and do not need much pruning 

 but, where it is needful, will not hurt 

 them. 



Pruning. 



The annual pruning is a most im- 

 portant part of the work of the care of 

 shrubbery and the point most difficult 

 to give instructions on by written di- 

 rections. It is an art which must be 

 learned by practice and observation. 

 The general rule is to trim early 

 bloomers, as soon as they are 

 through flowering, and midsummer or 

 late bloomers, in winter, contains a 

 suggestion, but the indiscriminate cut- 

 ting back of every shrub every year is 

 a great mistake. When a shrub seems 

 weak and needs strengthening, cut out 

 declining shoots and apply manure 

 around it. When one is too \igorous 

 and rampant remove or shorten super- 

 fluous shoots and reduce to symmetry 

 with as little mutilation as possible. 

 WTien one has become overgrown and 

 dilapidated in appearance, cut back a 

 part, or perhaps all, of its unsightly 

 stems, severely, probably at the 

 ground, and allow new shoots to re- 

 store tile beauty and vigor of youth 



The only way to learn the art of 

 trimming shrubbery is by observation 

 and practice and the exercise of 

 gunription. A safe general rule is that 

 whenever you see a twig or branch 

 Avhich needs removing, cut it off on 

 sight, regardless of time of year or 

 other conditions: and when you don't 

 see anything that needs removal, don't 

 ]uune it. regardless of rule or custom, 

 and for a negative rule, never shear a 

 shrub with a hedge shears. The shear- 

 ing of lawn shrubs into bald pates. 



