Dccembor 19, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



40« 



Paxtoni, rose, compact habit ; and Towardii, rosy lilac. These 

 arc what have been nsed, and answered well, but there are 

 others equally good, and there are many much superior to 

 them, but they evidently have not the same claims for group- 

 ing as the above. It is best to have them in groups of one 

 colour and kind, for the foliage differs in cliaracter and hue, as 

 well as the flowers, and, if you plaut a bed of crimson, the 

 shades of that colour in the several varieties, though indivi- 

 dually good, form a mixture far from pleasing as a mass. 



The above are all the flowering evergreen shrubs that I have 

 used, and known to be employed in geometrical gardens, 

 except hardy Heaths, but they should be in groups of one 

 species, for I find mixtures are far from satisfactory, even if 

 the plants do flower at one time, for the differences in their 

 foliage and habit, and in the colour, nay, shape of the flowers, 

 have a far from pleasing effect. 



Evergreen shrubs not cultivated for their flowers are of two 

 kinds, those that are cut into form, and those that receive no 

 trimming beyond regulating irregular growths. 



Laurels. — Of the trimmed shrubs, common Laurel takes 

 precedence, and is usually employed for covering banks, and as 

 screens to the outer boundai^ of the garden itself. When 

 employed to form a bank of green foliage Laurels are planted 

 at about a yard apart, and allowed to grow a year. They are 

 then pegged down, letting the shoots into the gi-ound, and 

 making fast with pegs. This is done in the spring of the 

 second year. They usually shoot sufliciently to cover the sur- 

 face by September ; if not, the shoots are again pegged. The 

 shoots root where let into the soil, rendering further pegging 

 unnecessary. In subsequent years they are gone over in .June, 

 and the shoots cut-in, and again after the growth is made, re- 

 gulating these so as to form an even surface. Banks of Laurel 

 are fine objects, and that vei-y often where the bank would be 

 unsightly if not so covered. 



Screens of Laurel are even finer than banlss, and are formed 

 like an ordinary hedge by planting closely for early effect, and 

 in two or more lines, according to the width required. Some- 

 times they are planted so as to fonn terraces of different 

 heights and widths, sloping or perpendicular. It is a work of 

 time to obtain a screen of Laiu-el ; one may be made to look 

 well in about three years by laying the foundation of the form 

 desired through stopping the in-egular growths, and commenc- 

 ing low enough. Inattention to this very often results in a 

 failure at last, for if allowed to grow up in order to produce a 

 speedy effect, the shoots come strong and thin, but by stopping 

 these are not less strong, and more numerous. It is, therefore, 

 advisable to lay a good foundation, and increase the height 

 annually, so as to make the plants dense and even as we go 

 on. Such a screen will be pleasing even when small, and it 

 will increase in beauty every year. AH the Laurels require is 

 cutting back the irregular shoots once or twice during the 

 summer, nsuaUy twice, and the earlier after the growth is 

 made the better. When too large they should be cut-in or re- 

 duced before the growth takes place, and they will shoot fi-om 

 the old wood, and soon be as green as ever. 



Sometimes a number of plants are planted together with a 

 view to form squares and globes, and are treated like screens, 

 which last are occasionally domed at regular distances, and 

 sometimes have embrasure-like openings cut through the 

 living green wall. Employed in any of these ways. Laurels 

 are always ornamental, and only give place to Yews. 



Yews are the best shrubs for screens, but take a very long 

 time to form these, often, however, longer than otherwise 

 would be the case, from being planted too far apart. Three feet 

 is not too far, but they are often planted 6 feet apart, and the 

 branches are then a long time before they meet ; but in the 

 other case they meet almost at once, and by trimming the 

 sides only they grow up much more rapidly. Trees 3 feet high, 

 planted 3 feet apart, meet in a short time. Yews bear cutting 

 better than anything I know, and may be made to assume any 

 figure. The finest tree that I remember stands in the garden 

 of a farmer at a village seven miles from Y'ork. It is cut 

 round to some distance from the ground in the fonn of an up- 

 right pillar ; above this two branches go to opposite points of 

 the compass, east and west, cut flat, and n.arrowing to a point ; 

 again above these other two arms branch out, one to the north, 

 and the other to the south ; the. tree then tapers upwards for 

 some feet and expands into a globe, surmoiinted by a cock, 

 perfect even to spurs. In fact, there is not a shape that may 

 not be imitated in Yew ; but I am no advocate for cutting the 

 trees into the figures of birds and animals. They look much 

 better in some simple form. Yews are best cut in spring 



before the growth is made. The foliage then comepvery tliiok, 

 and has a feathery appearance. When cut after the growth 

 is made the trees are rendered too stiff. Any screen that has 

 become too wide or large may be cut-in very closely to the 

 main branches, from which it will shoot quite as freely as from 

 the twiggy branches. This is best done in spring before 

 growth takes place. 



TiiEE Box, planted a yard apart, makes an excellent low 

 screen, and is of the most easy management ; all it requires 

 is cutting early in June to the desired form, and going 

 over it again in September, removing the stray growths only. 

 The use of Box for tracery-work is well known, and globes and 

 cones of the gieen and variegated kinds are alsci well known, 

 and justly appreciated. They form excellent centres for beds of 

 bright colours. ' 



Hollies also endure any amount of cutting, and as half 

 circles and cones are fine at any season, more particularly in 

 winter. They also make good screens. They are best cut in 

 before growth is made, or in May ; after this a slight regulation 

 of the shoots is all that is needed, or cutting back the shoots 

 that are straggling in autumn. A judicious distribution of the 

 different varieties of HoUies regularly cut into form contributes 

 vastly to the beauty of a symmetrical flower garden in winter, 

 and HoUies are likewise useful in summer as a relief to the 

 briUiancy of colour, and fcr breaking monotony. 



Arbob Tit*:. — The American forms the quickest-growing of 

 screens, bears cutting remarkably well, and can be kept narrow ; 

 which is more than can be said of other screens. It does best 

 in light soils, and needs trimming to the desired form in April, 

 and again in August. The plants should be planted closely. 

 I have seen a screen made in a couple of days by planting, in 

 the first week in September, trimmed trees feet high at 

 18 inches apart. The Chinese Arbor Vita; makes a better 

 hedge or screen than the American. 



Shrubs of close, compact habit are very eligible for centres to 

 gi-oups of flowering plants, and of these few can compare 

 with the dense, deep green Taxus adpressa. T. ericoides and 

 T. nana (Foxii) are also desirable for the same purpose. Cryp- 

 tomeria japonica nana, with dense light-green foliage, fur- 

 nishes the centre of a bed well ; some of the Junipers are also 

 useful for beds, as Juniperus recurva densa, J. Sabina, and 

 its varieties tamariscifolia and variegata ; also Picea Fraseri 

 hudsonica. Then we have the pigmy Spruce, Abies Clan- 

 brasiliana, A. excelsa pygmrea, and the very dwarf Picea 

 pectinata pygmiea. These for the most part are pyramidal in 

 growth, some with narrow and others with broad bases ; but 

 we must have globular forms to relieve the monotony. We 

 will, therefore, take the Golden Arbor Vitae that -ivill show itself 

 in spring an exact golden figm-e of the earth ; but the plants 

 shall not be spheres but cones until seven years have passed 

 over them. We may also have monotony of foliage, and will 

 therefore relieve it with plants of bolder foliage, of which the 

 old Aueuba japonica maculata is veiy effective, and not less so 

 will probably be the newly introduced varieties. I must not 

 omit the Irish Yew. than which no pl>%nt is more employed in 

 geometrical gardens ; its close erect habit and dark foliage 

 peculiarly fitting it for lines and detached specimens. 



In addition to the slu'ubs already named, there remain some 

 that are peculiarly well suited for forming standards, and which, 

 when so grown, give a completeness to a garden not otherwise 

 to be secured. They at once prevent monotony, and yet are 

 in thorough keeping with the other parts of the garden. Pre- 

 bably nothing is so fine as standard Rhododendrons : half- 

 standards are equally effective, and even more so in certain 

 positions, where taller plants would not conform in height with 

 their surroundings. These standards, from 3 feet to 6 feet 

 high, and half-standards, from 2 feet to 3 feet high, take off the 

 flatness by standing boldly out to the view, and are fine at all 

 seasons. Next in order comes Kalmia latifolia on clear straight 

 stems 3 or 4 feet in height, and with heads as much in diameter. 

 Such are strikingly beautiful, and amongst the most elegant 

 objects grown. After it ranks the Portugal Laurel. It makes 

 one of the very finest of heads, on stems from 3 to fi feet in 

 height, and has the property of bearing cutting well. This 

 should be done before growth commences, for I find the shoots 

 ai-e liable to suffer from frost when the plants are cut late, from 

 the shoots not being matured. A shght trimming in the way 

 of removing irregular growths is all that is needed to keep 

 them in order after the jn-owth has been made. When there 

 is room the trimming may be limited to the removal of irregular 

 growths, they then form magnificent objects ; a walk with 

 standard Portugal Laurels on each side is truly grand. They 



