BEAUTIFUL GARDENS IN AMERICA 



reaching the Coast or Cascade Range there is a change and 

 the climate becomes more like that of England than Maine. 

 Along the Atlantic coast from Maine to New Jersey, where 

 the climate is ideal for flowers, the greatest proportion of 

 Eastern gardens may be found, on the shore and inland as 

 well. 



So much for the general climatic effects upon flowers 

 of the more populous districts of our vast country. A 

 few lines will suffice to treat the climate question in con- 

 nection with hedge-plants. 



While the summer climate in the Southern States has 

 not generally a salutary effect upon the flowers, yet it has 

 favored the best development of Boxwood, Holly, and 

 certain other choice shrubs and trees, which do not thrive 

 well north of Philadelphia. Fine specimens of Boxwood 

 are rare sights in New England, where the more severe 

 winters have from time to time destroyed the top growth. 

 Many old New England gardens show the characteristic 

 Box-edged path, b'ut the shrub is usually not over two feet 

 high, and is likely to remain so unless eventually the 

 winter climate should moderate. Boxwood is seen on the 

 Pacific coast, north of San Francisco, but not to the south, 

 where Cypress is popular. There is little Boxwood in the 

 latitude of New York City, except for edgings, where for 

 tall hedges Privet, Arbor- Vitse, Hemlock, and Spruce are 

 probaby the most reliable evergreens. Arbor- Vitse is un- 

 likely to live longer than seventy years. 



Although all of our States are not represented in this 



II 



