THE 



ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN 



AND HOME GROUNDS 



ABELIA. Beautiful shrubs, of the 

 Honeysuckle order, little grown in our 

 country, and best in warm districts. The 

 best known is the Rock Abelia (A. ru- 

 pestris), a Chinese shrub, delicate pale 

 pink in autumn, is always best planted 

 in a raised bank in light soils, as it is 

 then less liable to injury during winter. 

 A. uniftora, also from China, is of like 

 habit. The Three-flowered Abelia (A. 

 triflora) coming from N. India, is less 

 hardy than the Chinese kinds, but will 

 clothe a wall in a few years. It bears 

 fragrant pink flowers in clusters at the 

 end of summer. A , floribunda is rather 

 too tender for the open air, except in the 

 mildest parts of the country ; it is ever- 

 green, with clusters of rose-purple flowers, 

 and makes a good wall shrub. In mild 

 districts in the southern parts of England 

 and Ireland Abelias sometimes do well in 

 the open air. 



ABIES (Silver Fir]. Beautiful ever- 

 green trees of northern and mountainous 

 regions, many hardy in our country, and 

 valuable timber trees in their own. Some 

 of the Indian and Japanese Silver Firs 

 suffer in our country by starting too early 

 in our open winters and harsh springs ; 

 in their own frost-bound mountain lands 

 the young shoots only start when all 

 danger is past, but with us they often 

 start owing to the mild weather and are 

 injured afterwards. One remedy for this 

 is the selection, where possible, of exposed 

 and elevated positions which will not en- 

 courage early growth, and also, perhaps, 

 not making the soil so rich and deep as 

 is the rule. In our country, as with many 

 of the conifers, the usual way is to put 

 them apart as "specimens," but that, 

 from an artistic point of view, and that of 

 their own health, is not always the best. 

 Where there is room these trees should 

 be grouped together so as to shelter each 

 other, in which state they are more effec- 

 tive and protect the ground from the sun. 

 Grafting of rare kinds, is very often re- 

 sorted to, which should, in all cases where 



we hope to secure their long life and 

 health, be on their own roots. 



There is still much confusion of names 

 owing to the American trees having origin- 

 ally been sent over under various names, 

 and from different localities. The follow- 

 ing selection includes the best and most 

 distinct so far as the trees are known. In 

 this, as in many other families, there are 

 a variety of variegated and other sorts 

 which are given fine names, these are 

 generally useless to those who think of 

 the natural dignity and beauty of the tree. 

 We do not refer by this to natural geo- 

 graphical varieties which may be valuable 

 as coming from diverse climates. 



A. AMABILIS (Cascade Mountains Fir). A 

 tall, massive tree with deep bluish-green foliage, 

 and dark purple cones thriving in Britain. It 

 is not easy to get it true to name and on own 

 roots. Owing to propagating by grafting from 

 side shoots the trees do not make a good leader. 

 British Columbia. 



A. BALSAMEA (Balsam Fir). A slender 

 northern forest fir rarely attaining a height of 

 more than 80 feet, and much smaller in 

 high Arctic regions. Hardy in our country 

 but somewhat uncertain as to soil, owing to 

 the great difference in our climate to its own. 

 Northern America, and the mountains in N. E. 

 America. 



A. BRACHYPHYLLA (Jesso Silver Fir). A 

 handsome and hardy tree, over 100 feet high, 

 with bright green foliage and short leaves. 

 The densely crowded leaves are very silvery 

 underneath, and the general effect of a healthy 

 specimen very pleasing. Japan. 



A. BRACTEATA (Santa Lucia Fir). A stately 

 tree, often 150 feet high in its native country. 

 The foliage is long and rather scattered, sharply 

 pointed. It is injured in some districts by 

 starting early in the spring. There are very 

 few good specimens of it in Britain, the best 

 being at Tortworth Court and Eastnor. N. W. 

 America. 



A. CEPHALONICA (Cephalonian Fir). A 

 vigorous Fir of about 60 ft. high, hardy in this 

 country in a variety of soils, but is best planted 

 in an exposed position to prevent it starting 

 into growth too early. In Britain, is handsome 

 till it reaches a height of about 30 ft., when 



