OF SHRUBS AND THEIR PLACING 7 
East is a loose arrogant splendour; the flowers are vast, 
satiny in texture and sheen, sometimes torn and fringed 
at the edges, sometimes double, sometimes single—but 
always of the most imperious yet well-bred loveliness, in 
every pure shade of colour, from the white snows of Fuji 
at dawn, through faintest shades of pearl and pale rose to 
the growing ardours of coral, salmon, scarlet, vermilion, 
sanguine; and so on, into the deep tones of crimson, claret, 
and a maroon that deepens almost to black. All these 
marvels of gorgeousness did I mark down and collect 
when I was in Japan, and now, through June, the rows of 
Japanese 'T'ree-Paeonies make my garden a blaze of be- 
wildering colour. 
About the culture of the Tree-Paeony, too, much vain 
“nonsense has been talked, and many people are deterred 
from the culture of a most magnificent happiness by 
purely visionary terrors. Paeonia Moutan is absolutely 
hardy, in the first place, hardy beyond cavil, absolutely 
resistent to our climate. The only safeguard which can 
help the plant, and which is really by no means essential, 
is that it should not be put (in dangerous districts) in such 
a position as to encourage premature growth which may 
be nipped by a late frost. But as a matter of fact, in my 
damp perilous corner of West Yorkshire, where late frosts 
are almost a certainty, I have never had any difficulty or 
any sort of disaster with all my hundreds of 'Tree-Paeonies, 
planted as they are in every sort of situation and aspect. 
The only advice I should give would be to plant them in 
cool and shady places. Not only does this keep back 
young growth (Paeonia Moutan is a very early starter), 
but it also brings out the full brilliancy of the flowers, 
which against a cool background shine with a dazzling 
refulgence which they can barely attain in the full glare 
of the sun, against the uncompromising background of a 
wall. Too often, too often is a sunny wall made the 
