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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Shrubs and Vines for Seaside Homes 



ARBORUM AMATOR 



(Contimicd) 



ONE of the hardiest and most satisfactory of all 

 flowering shrub is the Hydrangea paniculata 

 grand iflora. This shrub, grown either in bush or 

 standard form is suitable for seaside planting. The blooms, 

 which appear in great profusion in July and August 

 when few other shrubs are in flower, are carried well 

 above the foliage in long pyramidal panicles and are 

 white slightly tinged with pink. A unique characteristic 

 of this Hydrangea is that its flowers even after they have 

 passed into the seeding period, do not lose their shape or 

 fall away from their stems, but changing from their first 

 color to a light green tint overlaid with red splashes con- 

 tinue to be objects of beauty and. when cut, are in this 

 state, as well as when in fresh bloom, excellent for 

 interior decorations. 



Weigelas, known under the botanical name of Dicr- 

 villa, are suitable for seaside cultivation. Their flowers, 

 which appear in May and June in great numbers, have a 

 range of color from deep crimson-maroon to pure shin- 

 ing white. The June flowering species are iV. Eva 

 Rathkc, deep crimson: W . rosea, rosecolor ; W . Iwrtensis 

 nivca, Snow White; W. Gustavc Mallet, deep-rose; W. 

 Lavallei, dark reddish purple ; W . foliis variegatis, rose- 

 colored flowers and green and white variegated foliage ; 

 W . Candida, pure glistening white. 



The Globe Flower, Kerria japonica, a pretty low grow- 

 ing, graceful shrub, gives variety in seashore plantings ; 

 its bark as well as its foliage lieing a pleasing shade of 

 green. There is a variety of this with green and white 

 foliage. The numerous, pretty, yellow, single flowers, 

 reminding one of buttercups, appear in June, and some 

 casual blooms in Summer and Autumn. There is a 

 double flowered variety. A', japonica ftorc plena, not as 

 desirable, but yet attractive. This shrub is suitable for 

 growing in beds, or as an edging to groups of taller 

 shrubs. 



The Groundsel Shrub, Baceharis liahiiifolia, prefers 

 the seashore ; indeed is rarely found far from the coast. 

 This has a rounded outline, and though its greenish- 

 white flowers are not particularly pretty, its flufify white 

 heads of seeds are very attractive. 



Other nursery grown deciduous shrubs which may be 

 cultivated with success near the sea are the upright 

 Honeysuckles, Lonicera: the several species of the Silver 

 Thorn. Eleagnus argentca, E. uinbcllata. E. pari^iHora, 

 E. latifolia: the Rugosa rose bushes, whose growth is 

 shrublike ; and along the coast somewhat south of New 

 York in sheltered positions, the beautiful varieties of 

 Hydrangea hortcnsia, H. stcllata, and H. japonica. 



Nati2'e Deciduous Shrubs. 



There are a number of native deciduous shrubs, most 

 or all of vyhich may be bought at nurseries, which flour- 

 ish at the seashore. Among these is the well known Bay- 

 berry, Myrica cerifcra, which loves the sandy soil at or 

 near the seabeach from whose wax taken from the sur- 

 face of its slate-colored berries our forebears in this coun- 

 try made "bayberry tallow" and "bayberry tallow can- 

 dles'" ; Klderberry, Sambucus canadensis, whose broad 

 umbels of sweet scented white flowers are succeeded by 

 ornamental shining, black berries, edible but of insipid 

 flavor; jinttonhush, Ccphalantlms occidentalis. with 



round heads of white flowers of a pleasing fragrance, 

 the best of all shrubs, for planting in those low places 

 not unfrequently found just back of a beach, always 

 moist and in which the fresh or brackish water stands 

 most of the time. The Beach Plum, Prunus maritima, is 

 the most notable of all seaside shrubs. Growing there 

 in the sand at or just back from the high tide mark, this 

 shrub is jjerfectly at home ; its white flowers are fol- 

 lowed by purplish or pinkish edible plums, .-\rrow wood, 

 I'iburmim dcntatum. whose cymes of white flowers are 

 followed by bluish black berries, and Cornus paniculata, 

 a species of Cornel, with white flowers and white berries, 

 grow at the seaside. Here, too, the deciduous Holly, 

 flex verticilata. well known for its bright red berries in 

 Autumn, will thrive, and also the Fringe Tree, Chinonan- 

 thiis Z'irginica. whose fringe-like snow-white flowers are 

 followed by pendulous blue fruit, and last, but not least 

 desirable, the X'irginian Willow, /tea z'irginica, which 

 bears sweet-scented white flowers in long erect racemes 

 and which prefers a low, wet location. 



Broad-Leaved Evergreen Shrubs 

 The number of evergreens which can truly be called 

 shrubs suitable for the seaside, is not large. An excel- 

 lent location for these is at the north or in the northeast 

 or northwest angle of a building, or to the north or in 

 the southwest or southeast angle of the hedge which 

 surrounds the cottage grounds, in which positions they 

 will be protected somewhat from the burning sun and 

 the violence of the winds. In such and similar situations 

 we may plant the native Rhododendrons, R. maximum and 

 R. cataKbicnse. and some of the hardier hybrids ; also the 

 native Mountain Laurel, Kahnia latifolia. With these 

 we may grow the native Sweet Bay, Magnolia glauca, 

 a coast-loving shrub with creamy white, sweet scented 

 flowers and crimson fruit. The native American Holly, 

 Ilex opaca. too well known to need any descrijition, and 

 the native Winterberry, Ilex glabra, whose berries are 

 black, and the Malionia aquifoliuin. whose yellow flowers 

 are followed by blue berries, will all grow along the sea- 

 coast. South of New Jersey in sheltered spots at the sea- 

 side we may plant the beautiful Euonymuus japonica in its 

 many varieties, and all along the coast from New York 

 south, the several species of ]'ueca may be grown satis- 

 factorily. 



.\ arrox^'-Lcaved Evergreens. 



The narrow-leaved evergreens are reallv trees not 

 shrubs, but not a few of these a/e of such a dwarf, or 

 even prostrate and trailing growth that for practical pur- 

 poses they are shrubs. In this class of evergreens, which 

 can be planted in sheltered positions in seaside locations, 

 is the English Juniper. Juniper connntinis, with its many 

 varieties; the Swiss Mountain Pine, Pintis montana: 

 the Dwarf Mugho Pine, Pinus mughuj. Also some of 

 the beautiful rctinosporas, namely, Rctinosp.ora filifera 

 peiidula and its varieties, and R. nana and its variety 

 aurca ; some of the Yews, too, such as Taxus baccata 

 rcpandens. T. baccata adpres.m, T. baccata aurea, and T. 

 canadohfis. 



In seaside as well as inland planting, a well arranged 

 selection of both deciduous and broad-leaved evergreen 

 shrubs and of the very dwarf, and prostrate species of 

 evergreen trees precludes the monotonous effect that the 

 use of either alone might jiroduce. 



