262 GARDEN GUIDE 



The Teas 



The Teas often freeze back to the soil ; if so, remove all wood which is 

 the least bit browned. Take care to prune very severely ; the plants will 

 appreciate it and reciprocate by producing good blooms. All shoots which 

 live through the Winter should be shortened one third. Never make 

 the mistake of thinking that there is so little bush left that it will be 

 best not to prune at all. Nothing could be more faulty. Teas must 

 be carefully watched for suckers from the stock, which should be re- 

 moved from their point of origin. The leaflets of the grafted stock are 

 often paler green and hot so glossy, and have five to seven leaflets, in- 

 stead of three to five, as with many varieties. Never prune before eyes 

 start because some may be frozen back if done too early. 



Shrubs 



There are essentially two classes of shrubs — the Spring and the 

 Summer blooming ones. Those which bloom in the Spring have their 

 flower buds all formed on the bushes by the previous Autumn; they are 

 usuaUy near the top of the plant. Any pruning in late Winter or early 

 Spring causes a removal of these flowers. 



The most pernicious habit is the one which so many enthusiastic 

 gardeners have of pruning everything in the Spring, and not only that, 

 but making the graceful Barberries, Spiraeas and Mock Oranges into 

 formal, stiff shapes, due entirely to cutting their bushes with shoots 

 all the same length. 



Many Spiraeas and Golden Bells never bloom well, while the 

 Hydrangea blooms perfectly, merely because every one prunes in the 

 early Spring, which is not at all the proper time for, say Golden Bells, 

 but exactly proper for Hydrangeas. Spring blooming shrubs must be 

 headed in a trifle after flowering, which will cause the production of 

 flowering wood for another year. 



Hedges 



A hedge, in order to give the best light conditions to the lower 

 branches, should be broad at the bottom and narrower at the top. It is 

 best not to be flat on top for snow quickly lodges in this sort of hedge 

 and spreads it so that the true beauty is spoiled. Hedges should be 

 trimmed before growth starts in the Spring and again lightly in late 

 Sunmier or Fall. The young growth is best kept its proper length 



