62 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



mental shrubs, roughly, into three sets, i. e., those that 

 flower in late winter and spring, those that flower in 

 summer and autumn, and those of an evergreen char- 

 acter. The first two sets are of the greatest impor- 

 tance, and, owing to the divergent character of the 

 many kinds embraced, need the exercise of forethciught 

 and care. 



Of shrubs that flower in late winter and spring we 

 find good examples in the Winter Jasmine, Forsythia 

 suspensa or (jolden Bell, Spiraea aguta, S. Thunbergii 

 and S. confusa, Winter Sweet ( Chimonanthus fra- 

 grans), Prunus japonica flore jjleno and the Star- 

 flowered Magnolia, M. stellata. Now, it is obvious 

 that as these shrubs produce their blossoms so early 

 in the year, they must be borne on wood that was 

 made the previous autumn ; hence to cut away any of 

 this wood before the flowering, i. e., in autumn or 

 winter, would mean a corresponding loss of flowers. 

 I'cir this reason the wise gardener will defer any cut- 

 ting that may be necessary until after the flowers have 

 faded, bttt the earlier then it is done the better ; for 

 this removal of wood is an inducement to the shrub to 

 produce more growths of a robust character that will, 

 in most instances, flower freely next winter or spring. 

 Althc.iugh this may be taken as a good general basis 

 on which to work, some knowledge of the shrubs and 

 the conditions under which they are grown will also 

 be necessary. Some shrubs, notably Magnolia stellata, 

 already referred to, are so slow-growing that \'ery 

 little pruning is ever needed, all that is required being 

 an occasional thinning out of old wood. On the other 

 hand, the Golden Bell (Forsythia) or Prtmus triloba 

 flore pleno will need their shoots that have flowered 

 cut back close to the old wood if grown in beds or 

 against a wall, but if grown in a border, where large 

 specimens can be accommodated, only a few growths 

 need be treated in this way. Much the same remarks 

 apply to the \\'inter Jasmine when, on the one hand, 

 it is grown in a confined space and, on the other where 

 it has almost imlimited room. It will therefore be seen 

 that the pruning of early flowering shrubs calls for 

 the exercise of common sense and knowledge of the 

 habit of the plants and the purpose for which they are 

 grown. 



When we come to Summer and Autumn Flowering 

 Shruljs, the remarks as to the exercise of common 

 sense may be applied with ecjual force. But here the 

 method of ]iruning will differ considerably. Into this 

 section we may place such siirubs as Buddleia varia- 

 bilis veitchiana, Tamarix aestivalis, such Spineas as 

 japonica and Douglasii, Ceanothuses, azureus and 

 americanus, and Diervillas or ^^'eingelas. With these 

 shrubs the pruning is usually done in February or 

 March, especially with the Buddleia and Spiraeas, which 

 are then cut hard back almost to the old wood. These 

 shrubs produce their best flowers on growths that are 

 made during the current year, and, by pruning severe- 

 ly, the formation of sturdy shoots is induced. Then 

 someone may ask, "^^'hy not prune earlier in the 

 winter?" The reason is this: If the work were done, 

 say, in November or December, the dormant buds 

 that were left would, in all probability, start into 

 growth almost at once, and, consequently, he very 

 liable to damage by cold winds or frost. By leaving 

 the pruning until March, the buds remain quiescent 

 and the <!anger is to a very consideralile extent obvi- 

 ated. The Tamarix mentioned may be pruned in two 

 ways. At Kew it is grown in large lawn beds, and is 

 cut down nearly to the ground level early each spring. 

 On the other hand, if grown in a shrub border and a 

 large plant is desired, less drastic treatment would be 



called for, a partial shortening l)ack only of the growths 

 being necessary. The Diervillas or Weigelas need 

 different treatment again. Although flowering in 

 summer, the .blossoms are mostly on the previous 

 year's wood, and a thinning out of very old growths 

 is all that can be permitted, unless some are shortened 

 to keep them within bounds. The Ceanothuses named 

 are cut back almost to the old wood each year, but 

 this must not be taken to apply to such kinds as C. 

 rigidus, C thyrsiflorus and C. veitchianus. which 

 flower much earlier in the year, and ought, therefore, 

 to be treated as advised for Forsythia. Most of the 

 ornamental flowering shrubs come under one or the 

 other of the types that are named, and, with reason- 

 able care and observation, their jiruning ciught not to 

 be a matter of great difticulty. 



With Evergreen Shrul)s the work is of a compara- 

 ti\-ely simple character. It is usually done for the 

 purpose of admitting light and air to the plants, when 

 a general thinning out of the oldest and worst-looking 

 shoots is called for; or to keep the plants within 

 bounds. In the latter case shortening back of too ven- 

 turesome growths is demanded, and let it be done 

 y\'ith knife or secateurs, not with the garden shears, 

 especially where large-leaved shrulis are being dealt with. 

 .Although evergreen shrubs can be pruned at almost any 

 sea^on, March is most generally favored, because new 

 growt'i is subsequently very quickly formed, and any 

 branches that may have been laid bare veiled with 

 greenery. — TIic Garden. 



MAKING AN AZALEA BED. 



Though azaleas are by no means plants requiring 

 lots of care, they are particular as to soil, and it is in 

 this respect that the best is not always done for them 

 \vhen [/lanted. Everyone who has had to be among 

 them knows what very fine roots they have, some of 

 them almost hair-like, and this at once suggests a 

 peculiar soil fcir them. .\ first requisite, suggests 

 Joseph Meehan in Florists' Exchange, is that it should 

 be of a sandy or light gravelly nature, and whether it 

 be peat, decayed leaves or light loam to go with the 

 gravel or sand, is not material. The thing to avoid is 

 a heavy soil, which the azalea abhors. 



In the making of a bed for azaleas the main thing 

 to consider, aside from the soil, is proper drainage. 

 Should the nature of the ground be loamy and fairly, 

 drained there is really no need of a ]5re]:iared bed, 

 given the proper kind of soil. Should the soil be of a 

 stiff" nature it is better to dig it out to a depth of two 

 feet, filling in with the lighter soil spoken of, so that 

 drainage may be assured, not that the roots will ex- 

 tend downward to two feet. On hilly situations Avhe"" 

 drying out in summer is to be feared, it is well then to 

 dig the bed deeper, as a protection against drought, 

 the loose soil holding moisture better than that which 

 is hard. 



A good place for an azalea bed is where the shade 

 from a large tree or a house will fall on it in the heat 

 of the day. The plants prefer this, and the flowers 

 last longer than when exposed to full sun. 



Rhododendrons, andromedas of the evergreen char- 

 acter, and all like plants may be considered the same 

 as azaleas in forming a bed. Fine, loose soil, good 

 drainage, and partial shade is what they recjuire. 



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