THE MANAGEMENT OF VILLA GARDENS. 343 



only temporary, and the plant safe ; but if the leaves dry on, 

 it is a sign of dissolution. The plant may be given up for 

 lost, if the foliage shrivels and holds on. Whenever, there- 

 fore, the roots have suffered much in the removal, the branches 

 should be unsparingly cut in, many branches entirely removed, 

 and the plant reduced to half its size. If an evergreen looks 

 weakly, the only chance for it is heavy pruning ; retain but a 

 skeleton, but let it be of a right form, so that when it does 

 make growtli, it may be of the proper character. It is no use 

 to compromise the thing by half cutting it, in the hope of 

 saving too much. Evergreens, as standards, should have all 

 weakly branches growing inwards always cut away ; and ever- 

 green standards are always exceedingly ornamental. The 

 magnolia tribe make fine standards, rhododendrons are very 

 show)'-, and even the Portugal laurel, the arbutus, and many 

 other evergreens, though they may have no flowers to recom- 

 mend them, look well as standards. The principal thing to 

 avoid is formality, and there is a good deal too much of this 

 among evergreens. Some of them are formal enough of them- 

 selves. The box, some of the arbor vitse, and many of the 

 firs, are almost mechanically formed, and can scarcely be 

 touched without being injured. The knife, in j^ct, among 

 evergreens, is only to keep them a little Adthin boimds ; and 

 when they are planted too close, this task is a little more 

 difficult, because more frequently imposed on us ; but whole 

 branches should be cut out ; clipping, or merely shortening, 

 makes a hard, close surface, which is not desirable, for it gives 

 everything a stiff and formal appearance. 



THE MANAGEISIENT OF VILLA GAEDEISTS, 



WITH MIXED PLANTS AND POT CULTURE, 



Those who lay themselves out for a continual supply of 

 flowers in a limited garden, must have recourse to the 

 nimierous ways of providing one thing under another to 

 supply the places of declining plants, and so keep at all times 

 ready the furniture which is to be displayed from time to 

 time in the garden drawing-room as it were, the place always 

 in sight. This may be done in two ways ; by keeping store- 

 beds, from which things are to be taken up in perfection 

 very carefully, and replaced where they are to expand their 



