862 



Gardening for Amateurs 



shallow planting. Such as Hollies and Yews 

 are assisted at planting time by cutting back 

 a few of the shoots in order that the strain on 

 the injured roots may be lessened. Should 

 a hedge be planted in an exposed position 

 it is a good plan to place a few stakes here 

 and there throughout its full length to 

 which a stout wire can be strained. To this 

 the plants can be secured until they are 

 established. 



The Time to Plant depends entirely 

 upon the kind of shrub dealt with. Decidu- 

 ous shrubs may be planted any time between 

 the fall of the leaves and the breaking of 

 the buds in spring, while Privet may be 

 planted during the same period, but ever- 

 greens like the Holly, Yew and Laurel give 

 the best results if planted during late spring, 

 the latter end of April and early part of May, 

 or late summer, the latter part of August 

 and September. Hedges of evergreens if 

 formed in dry weather may be assisted by 

 syringeing the plants 'freely twice a day for 

 a few weeks until the roots become active, 

 while a surface dressing of decayed leaves 

 or well-rotted manure keeps the roots cool 

 and the ground about them moist. Newly 

 planted hedges are benefited by watering 

 in dry weather for the first year or two. 



Clipping Hedges. There is really no 

 settled time for clipping hedges, for much 

 depends upon the time at the owner's dis- 

 posal. Very often the clipping of slow-grow- 

 ing shrubs, such as Holly and Yew, is 

 limited to once annually, that being towards 

 the end of summer, say in late July or 

 August, but where there is more time, and 

 the owner likes to keep his hedges very neat, 

 they may be clipped in June and again in 

 August. Privet hedges must be clipped at 

 least twice, in June and August, whilst 

 some people clip them three or four times 

 during the summer. Thorn hedges may be 

 clipped once or twice, according to growth, 

 those about gardens often being cut twice 

 and those surrounding fields once. As a 

 rule hand shears are the most satisfactory 

 instruments with which to clip hedges, but 

 when plants with large leaves, such as 

 Laurel, are concerned, it is better to use a 

 knife or a pair of secateurs, for large leaves 

 mutilated by shears are very unsightly. 

 The clipping of hedges during the first few 



years needs considerable care, otherwise the 

 lower parts may become very thin. To 

 obviate this do not allow the hedge to increase 

 much in height until the base is thoroughly 

 well furnished. Here and there it may be 

 necessary to peg branches down to the 

 ground or even insert a small plant to stop 

 a gap. Thorn hedges are often allowed to 

 stand a year after planting and are then 

 cut down to within 3 or 4 inches of the ground. 

 This results in a vigorous growth of young 

 branches from the ground line. Old Thorn 

 hedges which are becoming thin about the 

 base may be rejuvenated and turned into 

 quite good hedges again by " laying." This 

 is done by cutting the stems three parts 

 through and bending them over, securing 

 the branches to stout stakes driven into the 

 line of the hedge. All surplus growth is 

 cut away, leaving a narrow hedge, which in 

 the course of a year or two thickens out 

 and becomes quite strong. 



It is necessary that hedges, young and 

 old, should be kept free from weeds, therefore 

 the ground about the roots must be well 

 cleaned several times a year. It is also 

 necessary to protect young hedges from 

 rabbits and cattle ; wire netting and posts 

 and rails, as the case may require, being 

 used for the purpose. The following form a 

 selection of the best hedge plants : 



The Quick, Whitethorn or Hawthorn 

 (Grataegus monogyna) is the most widely- 

 used hedge plant in the British Isles. Its 

 naturally dense habit and spiny branches 

 make it peculiarly useful as a protective 

 fence. 



The Common Holly (Ilex Aquifolium) 

 is perhaps the most satisfactory of all ever- 

 green hedge plants. If attended to in early 

 life it forms a capital hedge, densely furnished 

 with branches from base to summit. Hedges 

 30 feet high are known, but those 12 or 15 

 feet in height are usually the best. The 

 variegated-leaved Hollies are sometimes used 

 in gardens, but the common kind is more 

 useful. The large-leaved Ilex Hodginsii is 

 also used sometimes, but we prefer the 

 common kind. It is not at all fastidious 

 regarding soil. 



The Yew (Taxus baccata) is also popu- 

 lar as a hedge plant. Its foliage produces a 

 more sombre effect, however, than that of 



