52 Isaac Hicks & Son, Westbury Station, N. Y. Shrubs 



Entrance drive to the residence of Mr. T. J. Regan, Wheatley Hills. This shows large plantations of various shrubs 

 bordering the drives and boundaries of the property. Such plantations can be economically made by using small shrubs as 

 offered in our price-list, planted 2 to 5 feet apart, jlf heavily manured the first year, they will grow rapidly and give a good 

 effect the second year. Thereafter, such groups prove cheaper than the lawn, for they require less labor. For such plantings 

 we recommend Barberry, Deutzia, Red-twigged Dogwood, Elaeagnus, Forsythia, White Fringe, Hercules' Club, Upright 

 Honeysuckle, Magnolia, Japanese Maple, Privet, Rhodotypos, Spirea, Sumach, Syringa, Weigela, etc. 



Shrubs 



We do not head this department Flowering Shrubs because planters are coming to realize that flowers 

 are not the main object. This was well expressed by Samuel Parsons, Landscape Architect, New York 

 Park Department: "The flowers are only an incident." The principal thing is the form, texture, and 

 density of the foliage masses and their way of carrying lights and shadows. It is from such elements that 

 a landscape composition is made. If, in addition, some shrubs give a beauty of flower or fruit, that must be 

 harmoniously arranged, but should not be the controlling reason for its use. 



Many of the best shrubs for landscape planting have flowers that are of but little prominence. On the 

 other hand, several of the most showy flowers are on plants which are ugly abominations for the rest of 

 the season. The worst mistakes in landscape design are made by giving too great prominence to freaks of 

 variegated or purple foliage, or utilizing plants mainly for their flowering value. 



The attempt is made in these descriptions to state various landscape problems- as they appear on Long 

 Island, and to suggest' shrubs that may be used in their solution. An index of these problems will be found 

 at the back of the catalogue. 



The use of shrubs and other plants for covering the ground instead of grass is but little understood 

 in this region. We have grown many varieties of shrubs, vines and evergreens from seed or cuttings in large- 

 quantities, so they can be sold at low rates for this purpose. 



A prominent landscape architect says: "The foliage of shrubs that are well established remains green 

 when dry weather turns grass brown. The broad mass of shrubbery will take care of itself when the grass 

 needs frequent attention. It might with advantage replace grass upon all surfaces too steep to walk upon 

 with comfort," and, it might be added, too expensive, or impossible, to keep in good lawn. 



Large shrubs are not as decided an advantage as large trees. The reason is that most shrubs will attain 

 a mature effect in two to four years. However, we have a number of large shrubs suitable for immediate 

 effect that are especially desirable about new residences or to use with large trees to immediately complete 

 the landscape. For houses completed after the planting season we can successfully plant large shrubs and 

 evergreens in late May and June or July. 



We aim to keep a good assortment of shrubs, but we have not made our nursery mainly of shrubs, for 

 that is an error nurserymen are prone to make, shrubs giving the quickest return on the investment and most 

 of them being easily propagated from cuttings, while most of the valuable deciduous and evergreen trees 

 are propagated from seed, which is more difficult to get and takes longer to grow. 



Plantations of shrubs should be made much closer than their permanent growth permits. The thinning 

 should commence in two to four years. It is usually left too late or entirely neglected. 



Shrubs are the best under-planting for deciduous and evergreen groves. Trees will generally grow 

 much faster where shrubs shade the ground and hold the leaves about their roots, than when they are grow- 

 ing in the open lawn. Young evergreens, especially Hemlock, make a good start when planted arrtong the 

 shrubs. With evergreens, however, it is very essential that the shrubs be thinned or cut back every year 

 to allow 2 feet of space for the sun to reach the lower limbs of the evergreens. 



