THE FORMAL ARRANGEMENT OF TREES. 



Trees for 

 clipping. 





FIG. 339. 



prove much more effective than the elaborate cones, obelisks, columns, spheres, spirals, 

 domes, bottles and corkscrews, canisters, and so forth, of which we have too great a 

 profusion. The shapes adopted should be complementary to the existing lines. Where, 

 as at Blickling, there is an abundance of erect-growing conifers, and^ upright lines 

 predominate, perfectly flat-topped beds of yew are in keeping, but where, on the 

 contrary, there are a number of horizontal lines and flat surfaces, as at Montacute, the 



long lines of obelisk-shaped yews are equally effective. 

 The requirements of every garden cannot, of course, be 

 so easily gauged or dogmatically determined as in these 

 cases, nor is this desirable, as monotony would be sure 

 to result. There is ample scope for the exercise of 

 ingenuity in this direction which leaves no excuse for the 

 wearisome repetition of old shapes. If the surroundings 

 fail to suggest some new and simple form, incentives 

 may be gleaned from old cottage gardens, unless shrubs 

 which have naturally a decidedly formal shape will fulfil 

 all requirements. 



While there are many trees which will stand clipping 

 to artificial shapes, box and yew stand unequalled for the 

 purpose, and nearly all the clipped shrubs in this country 

 are either in one or the other of these materials or in 

 holly. Box is best where dwarf clipped shrubs are 

 required, while taller pyramids and cones are better in 



yew or holly. The numerous small leaves and branches so compactly placed allow of 

 its being trimmed to almost any shape, which it will retain long after clipping, and it 

 has also the advantages of being one of the longest lived shrubs we possess, and of 

 thriving in most soils and atmospheres. In addition to the common kind, there is 

 the Handsworth box, an effective variety with a beautiful blue-green sheen, and also 

 the golden box, which looks pretty when trained to a dwarf cone. 



The best variety of yew is undoubt- __ __, 

 edly the common one, Taxus baccata, 

 but there are others almost equally ser- 

 viceable for clipping. Taxus elegantissima 

 aurea can be obtained trimmed into many 

 shapes, such as obelisks, mole hills, cubes 

 and pyramids. Standards may also be 

 obtained consisting of mushroom-shaped 

 heads of this tree grafted on to Irish 

 yew, the heads, with their bright golden 

 colour, contrasting admirably with the 

 dark green of the Irish yew below (111. 

 No. 341). Another variety deserving 

 of more attention than is usually be- 

 stowed upon it is the Taxus adpressa 

 stricta, which is somewhat darker than 

 the common variety and more compact in habit. It makes a beautiful pyramid and 

 requires little attention. 



Of hollies, the common variety is the best, and for trimming to some shapes is 

 the only one possible. The golden queen, Ilex Aquifolium albo-marginatum, I. minorca 

 and several others make capital pyramids, while Waterer's golden holly, is a slow-growing 

 and compact, but most useful variety. 



FIG. 340. 



260 



