38 ORNAMENTAL GARDENING 



shining, especially during the warm season. The evening is the 

 best time as there is no danger of sun scald if water is put on then, 

 and one gets the greatest effect from a given quantity of water. 



As a general thing I do not think plants need a great deal of 

 trimming in Florida. Sheared trees and shrubs are, generally 

 speaking, monstrosities and nothing of the kind should ever be 

 grown except in a formal garden. To my mind they have no 

 beauty even there. Dead wood should be cut out and often 

 when shrubs get old they become straggling, and no amount of 

 care or fertilizer will restore them to vigor and beauty. The 

 reason for this is probably that our soil is poor and in time be- 

 comes exhausted. The best thing in such cases is to cut the 

 growth back severely, sometimes almost to the ground, at a 

 time when the plant is dormant. Then fertilize and work around 

 it and in a short time a fine, vigorous growth will spring up and 

 the shrub will be renewed. It is a good plan to work in some 

 muck with the fertilizer. Old Oleanders and Chinese Hibiscus 

 may be wonderfully renewed by this process. 



If possible one should set trees and plants where they are to 

 remain, but sometimes it is necessary to make changes in one's 

 grounds and transplant large specimens. If any considerable 

 amount of moving must be done it will pay to build a stone boat 

 to use in carrying the plants from the old to the new locations. 

 Dig the new hole first, taking care to make it a little larger than the 

 ball of earth which is taken up with the plant to be moved. Dig 

 the plant up carefully, raise it and slide it on the stone boat and 

 haul to the new location; ease it into the hole without disturbing 

 the ball of earth if possible, then carefully fill in earth into any 

 crevices and thoroughly water. With such transplanting large 

 things can be moved with but little risk and their growth need not 

 be checked, especially if they are well mulched. I have gener- 

 ally had poor success transplanting palms of any considerable 

 size but many of them can be successfully moved by the above 

 method. 



One can hardly estimate how much may be done in the way of 

 decoration by the judicious use of ornamental vines. I have 

 elsewhere suggested that when one is clearing pine land for a 

 home the vigorous, well-formed pine trees should be left standing. 



