70 THE BOOK OF SHRUBS 



general habit of growth. Conifers suffer in some districts 

 from easterly winds, and therefore in their growth as 

 single specimens it is desirable to plant them where they 

 will receive some shelter during the earlier years of 

 their life. It is most desirable to avoid planting them 

 where they will be exposed to keen winds, as for 

 example opposite openings in belts of trees and shrubs 

 on the east side of them. Nor should they be near the 

 corners of the dwelling-house as the winds that sweep 

 along the walls are most injurious to them. 



The smaller growing kinds that can be readily raised 

 from cuttings such as the cupressus, retinosporas, and 

 thuias, are extremely useful for filling flower beds 

 during the winter and also for window boxes. The 

 golden varieties of the above-mentioned kinds and of the 

 yews may be used with excellent effect in the production 

 of rich masses of colour in the shrubbery borders. Com- 

 pact growing forms such as the Irish Yew and Cupressus 

 Laivsoniana erecta viridis are extremely useful in geometric 

 flower gardens for planting in lines alongside terraces 

 and other walks. 



ABIES OR SPRUCE. This is a comparatively large 

 genus and the species are mostly too robust in growth 

 to be admissible to gardens other than those having an 

 extensive area. Those of special value for the garden 

 are : Abies Englemanni glauca, a remarkably handsome 

 form with bright silvery-blue foliage. A. orientalis, a 

 beautiful form of a bright green hue. A. pungens 

 g/auca, a beautiful variety with silvery-white foliage and 

 very effective in contrast with the dark conifers. A. p. 

 g. pendula, an elegant variety of pendulous growth with 

 silvery leafage. A. Nordmannian and A. Pinsapo are 

 both of rather large growth but they are exceedingly 

 handsome at all stages. They have rich green leaves 

 and the second of the two is formal in aspect but very 

 beautiful. 



