Brooms and Genistas 



become stiffened to a certain degree. It is a smaller 

 shrub than the gorse, and of particularly rounded and 

 compact growth, forming evergreen balls and cushions 

 of the neatest contour. In May and June its surface 

 is simply thickly overlain with a sheathing of golden 

 bloom. Prior to the blossoming it sends up from the 

 end of every branchlet bright green shoots that are 

 soft and tender among the underlying sharpness and 

 carry a number of oval, flat leaves which, as in the 

 case of the infant gorse already referred to, show the 

 lines upon which the Spanish gorse was originally de- 

 signed before the necessity of defence was thrust upon 

 it. It was introduced to English gardens in the 

 middle of the eighteenth century. 



Soil and Cultivation. The Brooms only require a 

 light sandy soil, in fact, a rich soil tends to lead to 

 their deterioration, inasmuch as in it they are likely 

 to become rank and poor flowering. A sunny situation 

 means much to them, and they do excellently on dry 

 banks. It is far better to grow them from seed, as 

 the plants are much healthier and more vigorous. 

 They are occasionally grown from cuttings struck in 

 sand, but they require well cutting back in their early 

 days to prevent straggling. 



15* 



