132 IN A GLOUCESTERSHIRE GARDEN 



there is a large stock of evergreens, both permanent, 

 and used specially to fill in winter the beds which 

 had in summer the gay bedders. In the generality 

 of gardens these evergreens consist mostly of conifers 

 and laurels, and neither of these do I consider 

 very good for gardens of limited extent. I have 

 no great love for conifers (with a very few exceptions), 

 and in winter their stiff shapes and heavy colours are 

 brought into a prominence that gives me little pleasure, 

 though I must admit that they put on a wonderful 

 beauty when heavily laden with snow. Nor do I 

 much admii^e laurels as usually grown — that is, in 

 thick masses kept trimmed and shorn, though an 

 occasional one grown singly may be both useful and 

 beautiful ; but even so I would give the preference to 

 the colchican and the round-leaved varieties over the 

 common one. The Portugal laurel I do not grow at 

 all, and I think it only fit for very large gardens, and 

 even in those I have seldom seen one I could much 

 admire. But of all evergreens I think there is none to 

 compare with the holly, especially when allowed to 

 grow freely and naturally ; it is beautiful at all times, 

 and in winter, especially when covered with its scarlet 

 berries, it is a very precious ornament to brighten the 

 garden. 



But there are two classes of plants which I consider 



