CHAPTER XLIV 



FOURTH WEEK IN NOVEMBER 



SURELY there are no more beautiful objects in the 

 floral world than flowering shrubs when thriving and 

 well grown, and our gardens should be well stocked 

 with them, for the great bouquets of bloom which they bring 

 year after year are wonderful value for their original cost 

 and the little trouble they give when once established. 



Unfortunately, too much space in the shrubbery is some- 

 times occupied by non-flowering shrubs, such as euonymus, 

 box, yews, cypresses, &c., and the better class of flowering 

 shrubs is seldom adequately represented ; or some good 

 shrubs may be starving and crushed almost out of existence 

 by the encroachments of their stronger neighbours. This 

 is, however, the best time in the year to remedy this state of 

 things, and a walk round our shrubberies will often reveal 

 many a hard case of oppression, as well as suggest where 

 one useless plant may be removed or a beautiful flowering 

 shrub may be put in. 



But so much depends upon the aspect and position of the 

 site, the dryness or moisture of the soil, and the height and 

 natural outline of the plant to be selected for any salient 

 point, that it will be well to pause, before making our selec- 

 tion, to consider these things, so that we may not afterwards 

 repent our choice, but be rewarded in future years by the 

 beauty of a thriving specimen. 



In a moist and shaded spot, for instance, a rhododendron 

 will do well, and few shrubs are more handsome throughout 

 the year, for the fine foliage of these plants is always notice- 

 able, whilst the splendid trusses of bloom which they pro- 



413 



