Gardening for Amateurs 



863 



the Holly. Care should be taken to select 

 plants showing several leads rather than 

 those with single stems. The varieties with 

 golden leaves may also be used. 



The Oval-leaved Privet (Ligustrum 

 ovalifolium). It is the fashion nowadays to 

 revile this plant, but a great deal can be 

 said in its favour. It is cheap, easily pro- 

 cured, grows almost anyAvhere, and forms a 

 good hedge in a shorter space of time than 

 almost any other plant. However, it im- 



is desired. It does not, however, approach 

 the Hawthorn for general usefulness. 



Lawson's Cypress (Gupressus law- 

 soniana), Thuya plicata and Thuya 

 orientalis, all evergreen coniferous trees, are 

 sometimes used for tall hedges ; but they 

 are not suitable for very dense hedges. 

 They should only be planted where soil and 

 atmospheric conditions are fairly moist. 



Laurel. Both the common and the 

 Portugal Laurels are sometimes used for 





Remarkable old hedges of Hornbeam at Hewell Grange, Worcestershire. 



poverishes the ground by reason of its pro- 

 lific root system. It is a good plan to chop 

 the roots off at the outside of the hedge 

 each year. The golden-leaved form is also 

 popular as a hedge plant. 



The Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica) 

 is often used in nurseries and places where 

 a tall thin hedge is necessary. As it often 

 retains its dead leaves throughout winter 

 they assist in breaking the force of the wind. 

 Similar remarks apply to the 



Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus). 



The Myrobalan or Cherry Plum 

 (Prunus cerasifera) is sometimes used 

 where a deciduous hedge of spiny growth 



hedges, but are not very suitable for the 

 purpose. Holly is far to be preferred. 



The Common Box (Buxus semper- 

 virens) is sometimes planted as a low 

 hedge, but it is of slow growth, and only 

 really satisfactory in certain places. 



The Holm Oak (Quercus Ilex) is well 

 worth trying as a hedge plant in the south 

 and west maritime counties, for it grows well 

 and stands hard clipping. It is, however, 

 difficult to transplant ; it requires the same 

 treatment as the Holly. 



Informal Hedges of many kinds may 

 be used in the garden, and these naturally 

 must have little clipping. Two of the best 



