io8 LAWN SHRUBS [CH. 



specimens. One cannot imagine why it is so seldom seen 

 in gardens. 



Arundo Donax, the Great Reed of Southern Europe, 

 is a noble plant in a warm, rich, deep soil. It loves shelter, 

 and needs to have a mound of coal ashes or cocoa-nut 

 fibre thrown over the roots in winter. Some years ago 

 I brought home a small rootlet from the Jordan Valley, 

 which has ever since grown fairly well in the garden, but 

 in a neighbouring conservatory it has attained to very 

 great perfection, growing to the height of more than 30 feet. 



One of the sweetest of May flowers is the early Dutch 

 Honeysuckle ; it likes a warm corner, and should be cut 

 back hard as soon as it has made its summer growth ; it 

 may be increased by summer layering. 



Epimediums are very attractive little plants, with 

 wiry stems and graceful leaves ; pinnatum is said to be 

 the best. The old Sweet Briar and the familiar Sweet 

 Verbena are not grown in as many gardens as they 

 should be. The Verbena only needs a warm aspect 

 under shelter of a wall to make it quite hardy. 



When the frost does injure them, the spoilt branches 

 should not be cut in until late in the following spring. 

 The larger stems are hollow, and when cut back the 

 water collects in them and either rots or freezes the roots. 



The plan is to cover Verbena roots in November 

 with dry ashes ; they will then grow more vigorously 

 each year. 



Verbena cuttings strike readily in sand under a bell 

 glass on the greenhouse stage. 



