TREES AND SHRUBS 



WANT OF VARIETY A BLEMISH 



THERE is a sad want of variety amongst evergreen 

 and deciduous shrubs in the average English garden. 

 Faith is placed in a few shrubs whose only desire is to 

 rob the soil of its goodness and make a monotonous 

 ugly green bank, neither pleasant to look at nor 

 of any protective value. As one who knows shrubs 

 well and the way to group them says, " Even the 

 landscape gardeners, the men who have the making 

 of gardens with, of course, notable exceptions do 

 not seem to know the rich storehouse to draw from." 

 Very true is this. We see evidence of it every day, 

 and the mixed shrubbery fondly clung to as a 

 necessary feature of the garden, with distressing 

 results. There are other shrubs than Privet in this 

 fair world of ours, and as for providing shelter, the 

 wind whistles through its bare stems and creates a 

 draught good for neither man, beast, nor plant. Mr. 

 Bean denounces the Cherry Laurel in no measured 

 terms. " Few other plants can stand against its 

 greedy, searching roots, and its vigorous branches 

 and big leaves kill other leaf-growth near them. 



A 



