82 4 



SPIR/EA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



My dozen would include the following 

 kinds, which are placed according to their 

 average heights, beginning with the 

 tallest: S. Lindleyana, ariaefolia, Douglasi, 

 trilobata var. Van Houttei, prunifolia fl. 

 pi., japonica superba, confusa, canescens 

 var. flagellata, cantoniensis, bella, Thun- 

 bergi, and japonica Bumalda. 



The above selection includes types of 

 all the sections, and is sufficient for any 

 garden in a general way, but should more 

 be required, a second dozen may be 

 selected to include the following : S. 

 opulifolia, salicifolia grandiflora, Noble- 

 ana, sorbifolia, japonica paniculata, cana, 

 Blumei, japonica ruberrima, tomentosa, 

 crenata, japonica alba, and bullata (crispi- 

 foliaX 



From these selections I have excluded 



Douglasi, and others, and lesser groups of 

 the dwarfer kinds, or these may form 

 masses at jutting-out portions of a main 

 tree and shrub group. The small kinds, 

 such as Bumalda, should always be planted 

 in a group. This does not necessarily 

 imply that one must plant a hundred of a 

 sort at the outset, but a definite plan 

 should be made in one's mind as to where 

 the bold groups of good colours shall be, 

 and then a dozen plants can in the course 

 of a few seasons be made to extend 

 throughout the projected group by pro- 

 pagating. 



Contrast a Spiraea any of them 

 growing in a deep moist loam with one 

 growing in a poor, gravelly, or sandy soil. 

 One would scarcely at first think they 

 were of the same kind. The fact is 



Spiraea Bumalda. 



that fine shrub Exochorda grandiflora, 

 which is sometimes known as Spiraea 

 grandiflora. 



Let me plead on their behalf against 

 the baneful practice of planting such 

 graceful shrubs in the "mixed" shrubbery, 

 where the delicate have to fight the 

 strong, and where one seldom sees a 

 healthy shrub. Such is not the place for 

 these elegant plants, which being for the 

 most part surface-rooters cannot bear 

 to be encroached upon by ravenous 

 Laurels and the like. The place for 

 Spiraeas is an open, sunny spot, away from 

 the roots of big trees and shrubs, yet 

 connected with the main masses of shrub- 

 bery by intelligent grouping. If a garden 

 were large enough, I should always have 

 isolated groups (good bold masses from 

 10 to 15 ft. across), of the taller-growing 

 kinds, such as S. Lindleyana ariaefolia, 



shrubs and ornamental trees require 

 cultivating in order to get their beauty. 

 Even if the soil is good and deep, the 

 site for Spiraeas and suchlike shrubs 

 should be thoroughly and deeply trenched 

 at the outset if good results are expected. 

 It should be remembered that Spiraeas 

 1 generally are lovers of moisture, and I 

 | have noticed where I have seen them 

 growing wild in Japan and America that 

 they like moist places. If they were not 

 near streams or boggy places, they were 

 growing best where plenty of moisture 

 reached them. Some grow actually in 

 boggy places, and the finest Spiraeas I 

 have seen in English gardens have been 

 on the margins of lakes and streams. 

 Wherever there are moist spots in a 

 garden, such as near a pond, lake, or 

 ! stream, there should groups of Spiraeas be 

 planted. Spiraea Lindleyana is a grand 



