October 15. 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



529 



Midsummer Flowering Shrubs 



Although a largv number of our most beautiful 

 shrubs are seen to the best advantage during the first 

 six months of the year there is also quite a large variety 

 which is capable of beautifying our gardens from the 

 end of June until the fall, and much more advantage 

 might be taken of these than is the case at the present 

 time. Landscape gardeners and those who are respon- 

 sible for the planting of public and private grounds 

 could use these later-flowering shrubs to great advan- 

 tage as they come at a season when flowering material 

 is most fully appreciated in the hardy garden but when 

 it is most conspicuous by its absence. 



Although there are quite a number of beautiful hy- 

 drangeas the ubiquitous Hydrangea paniculata grandi- 

 flora seems to be almost the only one known by the 

 general public, and though a beautiful shrub it is to 

 be hoped that greater variety will be required in the 

 near future. This variety needs hard pruning back to 

 the old wood every year, but the typical H. paniculata 

 from Japan does not need such severe treatment. It 

 bears numerous upright corymbs of flowers, of which 

 sufficient are sterile to make the plant conspicuous, 

 during August and September. 



Hydrangea arborescens grandiflora, a native of the 

 Eastern and Central U. S., is destined to become a very 

 popular shrub here and in Europe it is already a general 

 favorite. In this locality it grows from three to four 

 feet liigli and prdduces immense heads of sterile white 

 flowers on straight stems wliich need cutting down an- 

 nually. An establislied plant will- produce fully two 

 hundred heads of flowers which last in good condition a 

 long time. H. quereifolia, from the Southern United 

 States, is desirable on account of its handsome foliage, 

 the individual leaves being eight inches long by six in 

 width, and it also produces conspicuous corymbs of 

 fertile and sterile flo-wors. H. paniculata tardiva from 

 Japan is an uncommon Init handsome variety with a 

 large proportion of sterile blossoms. The corymbs are 

 produced very freely and it makes a good-sized sym- 

 metrical bush. 



Amorpha canescens, the Lead Plant, from the middle 

 west United States is a distinct and pretty shrub un- 

 like anything else we have. It makes a spreading bush 

 about six feet high and the pinnate leaves and stems 

 are clothed with a dense, white tomentum which makes 

 a pleasing contrast with the purple flowers with golden 

 anthers produced in terminal panicles. This is a very 

 attractive shrub remaining long in bloom and well- 

 suited for a very sunny position. Stephanandra incisa 

 or flexuosa, a native of Japan and Korea, is a pleasing 

 small shrub with an abundance of small creamy white 

 flowers and very pretty foliage. Its congener, S. Tan- 

 akae, also from Japan, differs in being larger in all its 

 parts and needs to have the old flowering wood removed 

 annually as it sends up new wood from the base very 

 freely. 



Cytisus capitatus from Europe and C. nigricans, also 

 from the other side, are two pretty yellow-flowered 

 shrubs quite hardy here as one wishes more of this 

 beautiful genus were. The latter is particularly desir- 

 able and one of the best bright yellow-flowered shrubs 



in existence, the flowers being produced in great pro- 

 fusion on upright slender spikes. It is also one of the Q^KUl 

 very few cytisuses which will bear transplanting success- 

 fully. Genista elata from S. Europe, is another yellow 

 free-flowering shrub after the style of the well-known 

 Genista tinctoria. The white-flowered Ceanothus Amer- 

 icanus, a native of the Eastern LTnited States, is too 

 well-known to need description, but it might oft«n be 

 used to advantage in gardens for grouping, especially 

 in uncultivated places. Ceanothus hybridus and its 

 variety flore-plenus are both pretty dwarf bushes with 

 quantities of pale rose flowers. 



The Spiraeas are good shrubs for producing a display 

 of flowers when it is most needed and desirable varie- 

 ties are S. notha, pale pink; S. pachystachys, pink; S. 

 Nobleana. rich rose; S. expansa, rich red, very free; S. 

 Japonica and S. Bumalda Anthony Waterer. The last 

 is a beautiful shrub with deep red flowers. Holodiscus 

 (Spiraea) discolor, from N. W. America, deserves a 

 place in every garden. It will grow ten feet high and 

 in the hottest part of the summer is shrouded in deli- 

 cate creamy-white I'acemes of bloom. Spiraea Aitchi- 

 .soni, a somewliat new arrival from Afghanistan, is a 

 strong-growing shrub and will leach a height of eight 

 feet put in good soil. It has ornamental pinnate leaves 

 and an inflorescence of white flowers fully one foot in 

 length. Sorbaria sorbifolia is after the same style, but 

 the flowers are creamy white and rendered all the more 

 conspicuous by the very long stamens. 



Itea Virginica, a native of the Eastern United States, 

 is showy in summer with its profusion of white racemes 

 and ior gi-ouping can be used to advantage. The Deut- 

 zias are a beautiful genus and many good sorts are now 

 obtainable. Those of special merit are. D. scabra Wat- 

 ereri, a very free-Howering single white, D. scabra 

 Wellsi, a fine double white, D. scabia Pride of Roches- 

 ter, double white tinted with rose and exceptionally 

 free-flowering and D. scabra plena, which has pure 

 white flowers. The foregoing by no means exhausts the 

 list of summer flowering subjects, but it includes some 

 of the most desirable for producing a display when good 

 flowering shrubs are much needed. 



Arnold Arboretum. 



Landscape Effect Considered In 

 Greenhouse Construction 



Too often has it been true that greenhouses are placed 

 with little regard for landscape effect and in such a way 

 as to mar and detract from, rather than accentuate the 

 beauty of their surroundings. The dividing of the twin 

 palm houses as j^hown in our cover illustration thereby 

 opening up the lovely vista across the Hudson river, was 

 a very clever conception and well worthy of having the 

 attention of our readers drawn to it for this, if for no 

 other reason. This is one feature of a range of fine 

 conservatories designed and erected by the Pierson 

 F-Bar Company at Hyde Park, N. Y. The range is 

 unusual in its treatment and the houses were designed 

 and located especially with reference to their environ- 

 ment and their effect on the surrounding gardens, trees 

 and landscape views. 



