Round the Year in the Garden 



Sea Buckthorn is, as one might imagine from its popular 

 name, a seaside shrub, and it is perhaps happiest in moist 

 ground by the waterside, but the proximity of water is 

 not essential to its welfare. 



Heather and Moonlight Bramble. No reference 

 to winter shrubs would be complete without mention 

 of some of the Heaths, notably Erica carnea and Erica 

 mediterranea hybrida. The latter is often in bloom 

 throughout the winter and early spring ; it forms a bush 

 some 15 inches high and bears reddish flowers. Erica 

 carnea blossoms most freely of all, it grows only some 6 

 or 8 inches high, but throughout many weeks in early 

 spring it is a mass of pale reddish blossom. Some charm- 

 ing effects may be obtained by planting early bulbs 

 among it such, for instance, as Anemone, Scilla, Glory 

 of the Snow, and Daffodil. Heaths need no pruning as 

 this term is commonly understood, though it is advisable 

 to cut off the old flower heads when the blossoms have 

 faded. Among non-flowering shrubs that produce a 

 striking effect in the depth of winter, none is more 

 remarkable than the Moonlight Bramble (Rubus biflorus). 

 This produces vigorous shoots some 6 or 8 feet high, 

 that are white as though they had been whitewashed. 

 Having seen a group of this bizarre shrub in bright 

 moonlight, one can readily understand and sympathise 

 with the choice of its popular name. Some of the 

 Dogwoods and Willows are very beautiful in the winter 

 landscape, particularly Cornus alba and Salix vitellina. 

 The young stems are brilliantly coloured, and to obtain 

 the finest effects it is necessary to cut down the plants 

 each spring to force the development of fresh shoots. 



Items of Winter Work. Every possessor of a garden 

 has realised how, after a few sunny days in early spring, 

 trees and shrubs and plants seem to start rapidly into 

 growth, and how so many tasks appear to need carry hi g 

 out at once. Now is the tune to take steps to prevent 

 such a contingency. Dead and useless shoots and old 



98 



