SHRUBBERY. 



295 



SHRUBBERY. 



will, liowever, soon cover the soil ; 

 and therefore in three years after 

 planting, it will be necessary to 

 begin to thin them. The thinning 

 in this case ought to be directed to 

 the removal of the commoner and 

 coarser kinds. The most complete 

 shrubbery that can be imagined 

 is one which should contain all the 

 larger trees distributed along it as 

 a background, with all the smaller 

 trees in front ; next to these should 

 be the larger shrubs, then the 

 smaller shrubs, next the Roses, 

 and finally in the front, apart from 

 the Roses, should be the herbaceous 

 plants ; thus forming a splendid 

 bank of vegetation on level ground. 

 To prevent such an arrangement 

 from becoming monotonous, it is 

 essentially necessary that it should 

 be combined with the natural system 

 of relationship between the Idnds ; 

 and this ought to be carried out in 

 the Roses, and in the herbaceous 

 plants, no less than in the shrubs 

 and trees. To solve this problem 

 so as to carry the idea into execution, 

 is one of the nicest points for an ama- 

 teur landscape gardener to attempt. 

 All shrubberies whatever, how- 

 ever scientifically they may be I 

 planted and thinned out after- ' 

 wards, will ultimately become old, i 

 and entirely lose the character j 

 vrhich they had during the first 

 eight or ten years after planting. 

 Hence, in small places, which have 

 been planted a certain number of 

 years, it is impossible to have a 

 shrubbery such as is here described, 

 without removing the large trees 

 and shrubs already existing ; and 

 this must necessarily depend on the 

 taste of the proprietor, and whether 

 a collection of young trees and 

 shrubs, which have a bare and new 

 look, but which will be continually 

 increasing in beauty and magni- 

 tude, be preferred to a few full- 



grown plants which are already in a 

 state of perfection, and which have 

 an air of grandeur and repose. 



^Yhen a shrubbery is planted, and 

 for some yeai'S afterwards, the 

 ground should be kept clear of 

 weeds by hoeing or slight digging ; 

 and the shrubbery shoidd be sepa- 

 rated from the walk by a verge of 

 turf or of box. When the opposite 

 side of the walk is turf, such as a 

 lawn, then tbe side next the shrubs 

 must have a verge of turf also ; but 

 where a walk passes through the 

 middle of a shrubbery, box edgings 

 may be used on both sides. In 

 general, however, a grass verge is 

 greatly to be preferred, as being 

 more appropriate to a scene con- 

 nected with the lawn ; and as not 

 ca^Ung up ideas of a kitchen-garden, 

 or of a small flower-garden, where 

 the beds are usually edged with 

 box. Whatever may be the width 

 of the gravel-walk, the grass verge 

 should not be narrower than two 

 feet, because less than that width 

 cannot always be kept in good 

 order ; such as neatly mown, level, 

 and with the margins clipped, but 

 not pared. Besides, a narrow verge 

 has an appearance of meanness, 

 and gives the idea of want of space. 

 As the shrubs spread over the 

 ground, there will soon be scarcely 

 any part of the interior of the 

 shrubbery that will not be covered 

 by their lower branches ; and the 

 shrubs along the margin will extend 

 their branches towards the verge, 

 and even spread over it. When 

 this is the case, which generally 

 happens in four or five years, all 

 digging and hoeing becomes unne- 

 cessary ; and the turf verge ought 

 to be encouraged to extend in -width 

 under the branches of the plants, 

 the Roses and herbaceous plants, if 

 any have been jilanted, being 

 removed. This is a point in the 



