FLOWERING SHRUBS FOR LAWNS. 



during the scorching midday sun, would 

 probably benefit some varieties such as 

 the Japanese Spireas, and a few others 

 that flower during the hot days of July ; 

 care must be taken however to keep 

 the plants a sufficient distance from 

 these, so that the plants are exposed to 

 the sun and air during the greater part 

 of the day. The height and habit of 

 growth of the plants must be taken into 

 consideration as well as the probable 

 growth of trees and shrubs growing near 

 to them, and the suitability of the plant 

 as to color, so as to have a variety of 

 color and form ; nor must we forget the 

 habit of growth of the plant as adapted 

 for the position selected, for some com- 

 paratively dwarf growing shrubs have 

 a loose spreading habit, such as For- 

 sythia, spirea van Houttii, S. lanceolata, 

 and others of similar growth which re- 

 quire more space to produce the long 

 arching branches that make these Spi- 

 reas so attractive when laden with their 

 hawthorn like flowers in early summer. 

 Most varieties of the Deutzia, Prunus 

 or double flowering Almonds, Spirea 

 prunifolia and S. bumaldii and a few 

 others are of more compact and upright 

 growth, requiring less space than the 

 stronger growing varieties, the dwarf 

 growing Deutzia gracilis^ D. parviflora 

 and the newly introduced variety Deut- 

 zia Lemoinei are specially adapted for 

 planting on small lawns, where the 

 space is limited, or near the edge of 

 walks. 



Pruning flowering shrubs is a very 

 important point in the successful growth 

 of these plants, so as to produce a 

 natural looking shapely plant and still 

 leave sufficient of the young growth, as 

 nearly all flowering shrubs produce 

 their wealth of bloom on the growth of 

 the preceding season ; there are a few 

 exceptions to this rule, the Hydrangea 



Fig. 1712.— Spray of ".Spirea Van 



HOUTII." 



paniculata grandiflora being one of 

 them. This plant requires severe fall or 

 winter pruning, cutting back the young 

 growth to within about an inch or two 

 of the older growth of the plant. 



The far too common method of clip- 

 ping, or to use the proper term, mutila- 

 tion of these plants cannot be too strong- 

 ly condemned. This unnatural and 

 disfiguring process usually takes place 

 annually in July or August, before the 

 plants have completed the season's 

 growth, and it entirely destroys the 

 young growth necessary to produce the 

 bloom of the following season. Many 

 of the most beautiful of our flowering 

 shrubs can be seen on lawns entirely 

 ruined by this mistaken system of clip- 

 ping ; unsightly looking plants of the 

 Forsythias, Weigelias, Spireas, and even 

 the double flowering Spirep. prunifolia 

 can be seen, clipped of all the growth 

 so necessary to produce the beautiful 

 minaret like spikes of snow-white blos- 

 soms, that make this plant so valuable 

 in spring and early summer for lawn 

 decoration. The best time for pruning 



499 



