XXVI 



THE BAMBOOS, ETC. 





CHOUGH fifteen years ago it was the 

 exception rather than the rule to find 

 Bamboo representatives in gardens, 

 so popular have they become in the 

 meantime that it is almost impossible to find a 

 really good garden without a collection. Popular 

 though as they are, Bamboos are not things 

 to plant indiscriminately, especially in exposed 

 places, for they suffer badly from cold winds, 

 worse even than from frost. When at their best 

 they are, without doubt, the most graceful of all 

 evergreen shrubs, and from July until February 

 they hold their own with anything we have. 

 Unfortunately, however, from February onwards, 

 for several months, Bamboos as a rule are 

 decidedly untidy, many of the old leaves being 

 brown and retained on the plants until the 

 appearance of young ones, which are not at their 

 best until the end of June. For this reason it is 

 advisable to form a small garden for Bamboos 

 and kindred plants, and keep them together 

 rather than place them indiscriminately amongst 

 other shrubs. As Bamboos are essentially water- 



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