GARDENS NEAR THE SEA 



seem especially appropriate to take into the garden 

 as well as to use in front of tall plants forming beds 

 or borders. Again they compose stunning masses in 

 spots of intense dark verdure where the vivid color 

 of their flowers shows to advantage. 



Early in May, the large flowers of Azalea mollis 

 mark their immediate vicinity as the spot of all others 

 for deep admiration, even wonder. For their flowers 

 come out in all the varied tints and harmonies of 

 an undaunted flame. From lemon yellow they pass 

 through the shades of orange, saffron, and carmine 

 to one of vivid vermilion, paling again to orange and 

 returning at length to the fiery hue. Of all the hardy 

 shrubs this one seems to me the most compelling in 

 early spring. I have seen it used to form large rect- 

 angular beds, marking the driveways of great estates, 

 mingled with perennials in hardy borders, in front 

 of extensive plantings of rhododendrons, and also 

 banked before solemn looking evergreens, in which 

 situation I liked it best of all. It is equally valuable 

 for the formal garden and for general planting, and, 

 happily, it does extremely well in the heat of many 

 seaside places. A. mollis is a Japanese, another in- 

 stance of the beauty that has come to America from 

 that land. In extreme exposures, it may need pro- 

 tection for a year or two after its planting; but as a rule 

 it is quite hardy, improving in size and the abundance 

 of its flowers with each succeeding season. 



The Ghent or hybrid American azaleas are among 

 the most hardy shrubs, occurring in so many pleasing 

 colors that there is scarcely a limit to the effects that 



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