SPRING GARDENS. 



tree in gardens like Syon and others in the Thames valley ; while of 

 late years we have seen precious additions to this, the noblest family 

 of flowering trees. Some of these, like M. stellata, have proved to be 

 valuable ; all are worth a trial, and, as to the kinds we are sure of, the 

 great thing is to group them. Even in the case of the common Lily- 

 tree (M. Yulan) it makes a great difference whether there are four or 

 five trees or one. 



Amongst the most beautiful of the smaller alpine bushes ever 

 brought to our country is the alpine forest Heath, which is cheery and 

 bright for weeks in spring. It is one of the plants that never fails us, 

 and only requires to be grown in bold ways to be effective — in groups 

 and masses fully exposed to the sun. Other Heaths, like the Medi- 

 terranean Heath, are also beautiful in some favoured parts of the 

 country, but not so hardy generally as the little alpine forest Heath 

 which has the greatest endurance and most perfect hardiness, as 

 becomes a native of the Alps of Europe. 



Pyrus japonica, a handsome old shrub often planted on cottage 

 garden walls, may in many soils be used with good effect in groups and 

 hedges. The evergreen Barberries in various forms are beautiful early 

 shrubs, with soft yellow flowers, and excellent when grouped in some 

 quantity. Two very important families are the Deutzias and Syringas 

 which are varied and beautiful, mostly in white masses. They should 

 never be buried in the common shrubbery, but grouped in good masses 

 of each family. The flowering Currant (Ribes) of the mountains of 

 N.W. America is in all its forms a very cheery and early bush, which 

 tells well in the home landscape if rightly placed ; but perhaps the 

 most welcome and important of all early trees and shrubs is the Lilac 

 which in Britain is often grown in a few kinds only, when there are 

 many in France. Beautiful in almost any position. Lilacs are most 

 effective when planted together, so as to enjoy the full sun to ripen 

 their wood ; the danger of thick planting can be avoided by putting 

 Irises or other hardy flowers over the ground between the shrubs, 

 which should never be crowded. 



Crab Bloom. — Apart from the many orchard trees grown for 

 their fruit, we have in our own day to welcome some of their allies — 

 lovely in flower, if often poor in fruit. Our country has never been 

 without some of this kind of beauty, as the Crab itself is as handsome 

 a flowering tree as are many of the Apples which are descended from 

 it in all the countries in Europe, from Russia to Spain, and in our 

 gardens there were for many years the old Chinese double Pyrus, a 

 handsome tree which became popular, and the American Crab, which 

 never became so. But of late years we have been enriched by the 

 Japan Crab, a lovely tree for some weeks in spring and other 

 handsome kinds including Parkman's Crab, which comes to us under 



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