jor February, 1921 



Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews 



FLOWERS AND FLOWERING SHRUBS IN WINTER. 

 jV/jUST gardeners— pri_ites?ional and amateur— like to see a few 

 IVl flowers and flowering shrubs in the garden during Winter. 

 .An outdoor bloom on a dull December or January day seems to 

 possess a value far above the most gorgeous blossom of Summer. 

 However insignificant the pale Winter flower mav be, it possesses 

 an outstanding glory. The Summer bloom is just one of a 

 crowd ; the modest Winter plant that raises its tinv blossom to 

 the dull grey sky has few rivals to dim its individual beauty. 

 Perhaps that is why the Winter flower is valued so highly. 

 Probably the most popular \\'iiiter flower is the Christmas Rose 

 (Hi'llcborus nigcr). It is a pretty plant, and its pure white, 

 simple flowers often beautify some dark corner toward Yule- 

 tide. It possesses the great quality of lasting quite a long time, 

 and remains fresh for days after it is cut. If allowed to remain 

 on its native bed the plant continues to put forth its sweet blooms 

 right through the night-time of the year. Another Winter- 

 flowering plant is the Winter Iris, which puts forth its bright 

 ^ flowers during the dark, short days. Then we have that pretty 

 shrub, the Laurcstinus, which flowers abundantli- during Winter, 

 and makes some little spot gay with its clusters of white blossoms. 

 It is very fragrant, and a bush smothered in the beautiful white 

 blossoms during this period of the year is a sight to gladden the 

 heart of the enthusiastic gardener. The old-fashioned Winter 

 Heliotrope also helps to shed fragrance on the Winter breeze, 

 for though the bloom itself is nothing great — quite insignificant, 

 in fact — it has a delicate aroma, and for this alone is worth 

 cultivating. 



Later on, of course, we have the sweet little Snowdrop — the 

 most modest of Winter flowers — and the Winter .Aconite. The 

 Crocus, too, sends forth its blooms whilst yet there is snow 

 in the air and King Frost reigns supreme. Nothing gladdens 

 the eye of the gardener and the lover of gardens more than the 

 sight of a border gay with blooming Crocuses. Winter Sweet 

 is a hardy flowering shrub that makes a shrubbery bright with 

 its yellowish-brown, purple-blotched flowers during December and 

 January. This plant has the e.xcellent quality of being long last- 

 ing, and when fresh cut the flowers will keep for quite a long 

 time, filling a room with their fragrance. As a rule this shrub 

 does best if grown against the wall of a garden facing the south 

 or southwest. Another e.xcellent flowering shrub that bears its 

 fragrant blossoms during the early months of the year is the 

 Winter Honeysuckle (Lonkcra fragrantissima). It is possessed 

 of a sweet aroma, and is one of the best shrubs for the shrub- 

 bery. Many gardeners place it against a wall, but this is not 

 really necessary, as it does equally well in the open. Daphne 

 Mc^crcum is another Winter-flowering shrub which is gay with 

 bright red blossoms during February. The leaves do not shoot 

 forth until long after the plant has commenced to flower. The 

 Cornelian Cherry is a fairly large-growing bush that bears smrdl 

 yellowish blooms towards the back-end of Winter. There are 

 several variegated forms of this flowering shrub, and it possesses 

 this advantage, it will flourish in the poorest soil. 



The cultivation of Winter flow^ers and Winter-flowering shrubs 

 is — or should be — popular with most gardeners, for such give 

 a touch of brightness to the garden during the dull grays and 

 browns of W'intcr, and we should aiivays hail with satisfaction 

 the blossoms that defy the cold and come forth to break the drab 

 monotone of color prevailing during tlie Winter. — Cnvdcnhvi 

 Illustrated. 



-AuTUMX Berries 



The autumn berries and fruits arc in many cases so brilliant 

 that one wonders more attention is not paid to them. 

 Special attention mi,ght well be given to those berry-bearing 

 plants of which we have at the present time so wide a 

 choice, and which are still being added to, in preference to the 

 breadths of the common Laurel and the mixed muddles of plants 

 that pass as ornamental shrubberies in public and private gardens. 

 Take, for instance, the Rose family, in which the Sweet Briar 

 has several aspects of beauty, but none more beautiful than when 

 laden with its charming hijjs, which usually hang on the 1)ushcs 

 from one year to the otlier. .\mong the single Roses how varied 

 are the fruits in color, shape and size. The Japanese Rose, witii 

 its huge Apple-like fruits, is at its best in the .\utumn, nothing 

 being finer than the scarlet fruits in clusters among the golden- 

 yellow leaves. Then, again, we have the Water Flder, the many 

 Rock Sprays (Cotoiicastcr). and Barberries, while the Hollies, 

 Hawtliorns, .\ucubas, and Skimmias are hosts in themselves. Few 

 things are more brilliant in the sun on an October day than tin- 



Spmdle-tree when laden with its i.eadulous fruits. What again 

 more beautitul than the front of a house covered with the >ire 

 I horn, with its double season of beauty, its peerless white cluster; 

 ot flowers m the Sprnig, and its scarlet clusters of berries in tne 

 Autumn? From the wild Roses, that will grow, one migb.t 

 almost say, anywhere, to the Pernettyas with their various]. - 

 colored berries and lovers of peat and sand, there are berrv- 

 bearing shrubs for all situations with enough varietv amonf them 

 to enable the planter to make a selection and use them in a bold 

 tree way.— Gardening Illustrated. 



A G.\RDEx OF Berries 

 \\hy not plant a garden of berries when we have shrubs 

 that yield berries of mdigo blue, green, yellow, orange and 

 red--a great range of secondary colors, and white and 

 black." We have Blackberries, Barberries, Snowberries, 

 Bilberries Partridge-berries. Cranberries, Whortleberries, Mul- 

 berries, Llderbernes, Strawberries, Raspberries, Goo«e ber- 

 ries and a host of other berries. And docs not the Aucnba hear 

 berries, and the Cerasus, the Cratcegus, Dafhnc, Gaullhena Per- 

 nettya. huonymus, Cotoneaster, Hippoba; Arbutus, Samhucus 

 .Y^innnia, Symphoncarptt-s and the Fiburnum. The Monntani' 

 .Ash also, the Pyrus, Rubus, Ruscus, Rose, Ivv, Honcvsuckle and 

 Holly." 



For my part I have a border about 10 vards long by 4 vards 

 deep which I intend to plant with berrving shrubs. My' plan's are 

 only partly tornied, and I desire to help, but in imagination I see 

 the wall at the back covered with Cotoneaster horisontalis Coton- 

 easter microphyUa and Cratagus pxracautha in all their Octo- 

 ber glory of fruit and leaf. Gaultheria .■ihallon and I'iburuum 

 opulus will fill up the larger spaces with Euonxmus europccui 

 the white variety of the same, the sea Buckthorn and Cotoneaster 

 nwuptnensis. A clump of Syniphoriearpus. together with the 

 Rosa rugosa and a still larger clump of Rosa rugosa Movesii will 

 occupy a central position with Cotoneaster frigida and Coton- 

 easter Sinionsli. 



The .Mountain .\sh and the Barberries will have no place in this 

 border stones and rising through them the lovely seed pods of 

 the birds. _ Berberis Thunbergii. however, will be .given a place on 

 account of its beautiful color and its lateness, and maybe, some of 

 the newer Barberries also. The whole of the front of the border 

 shall be given over to the licautiful Pernettyas, with their large 

 and handsome clusters of red and pink and white berries that hang 

 until Spring is well in. Cotoneaster adpressa. Cotoneaster miero- 

 pliylla. and other dwarf Cotoneasters shall clothe the ground 

 wherever there is room, and the same shall come right over the 

 border stones and rising through them the lovelv seed pods of 

 the Gladwin Iris and the scarlet berries o"f "Lords and 

 Ladies." — The Garden. 



Ciburnuni rhytidophylluni.—Th\s is a very handsome species 

 from China, having large evergreen foliage 'and clusters of yel- 

 lowish-white flowers. One of the chief charms of this shrub, how- 

 ever, is that the flowers are succeeded by brilliant red berries 

 which last well into the Winter. There are many fine species of 

 Viburnum now in cultivation, some of them coloring up well in 

 the Autumn. I saw recently a bush of the common I'ibnrnurti 

 opulus. the foliage of wliich was of a brilliant crimson. I had 

 no idea that the leaves took on quite so brilliant a hue. — Gardening 

 Illustrated. [The leaves of this shrub are oilly semi-persistent, in 

 this country, as far north as the latitude of Pliiladelphia.— Fd.| 



NATURALIZING PRIMULAS IN WOODLANDS 



The term "naturalizing plants" may be defined in two ways. 

 either as the introduction in quantity of plants which grow in 

 similar positions in Nature, or the introduction of garden forms — 

 sometimes of exotic origin — and establishing them where they 

 will continue flowerin.g and .seeding without further attention. It 

 is with the second system that I propose to deal. 



Success in this form of gardening depends upon two things — 

 choosing the right varieties and jiultiiig them in suitable positions. 

 Both of these connote considerable knowledge and experience and 

 a lew notes from a place where results have amply justified 

 practice mav not be inappropriate. 



The woodland at Wisley is in a somewhat moist situation and 

 the trees consist of Oak and I'.irch which, while providing the req- 

 uisite shade, do not exclude too much light. .At intervals are 

 planted clumps of Bamboos, which not only provide additional 

 shelter, bin also form a pleasing setting for the flowers. 



