38 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



and interesting plants, had disappeared, and the 

 lawn in front of the house was cut up into little 

 beds of red pelargoniums, yellow calceolarias, and 

 the rest. 



But we have now to speak of the shrubbery. 

 It will depend on its situation whether or not it 

 is backed by forest-trees, but in any case it will 

 have a certain number of evergreens in front. 

 To plant evergreens alone is generally a mistake. 

 Horace Walpole says that he was "not fond 

 of total plantations of evergreens/' and he was 

 certainly right. Shrubberies composed entirely 

 of holly, yew, and pinus must inevitably have 

 a solid, heavy appearance, and their use in winter 

 barely compensates for their melancholy mono- 

 tony during the summer months. They should, 

 wherever it is possible, have deciduous flowering 

 shrubs planted in among them. Nothing can be 

 prettier than to see the dark shades of the ever- 

 greens lighted up by the fresh tender green of 

 lilac or laburnum, while, later in the season, the 

 background of evergreen will in its turn give 

 effect to the purple plumes and golden tresses. 



