Gardening for Amateurs 



901 



Hardy Flowering Shrubs 



IN the following notes plants of strictly 

 climbing habit have been excluded, as 

 they are dealt with elsewhere in this 

 work, and a limited number of the more 

 useful shrubs are described in preference 

 to an exhaustive list including many which 

 are hardly worth consideration except in 

 scientific collections. The majority of 

 evergreens are dealt with elsewhere, but 

 for convenience sake a few are included 

 in the following pages. In order that 

 intending planters may quickly ascertain 

 the season when each shrub blossoms, 

 or is at its best, they are grouped accord- 

 ing to their seasons. The periods of 

 flowering apply to the neighbourhood of 

 London, and it may be necessary to advance 

 the season a little for the south-west coun- 

 ties and retard it by two or three weeks 

 for the north. 



FLOWERING IN DECEMBER, JANUARY, 

 AND FEBRUARY 



Ghimonanthus fragrans (Winter 

 Sweet) is a Chinese and Japanese shrub. Al- 

 though a bush by nature, it is often planted 

 against walls. Mature plants are 6 to 8 feet 

 high, and during the first two months of the 

 year bear pale yellow fragrant flowers freely. 

 A variety known as grandiflorus bears larger 

 flowers than the type, and they are golden 

 in colour. It is, however, more tender than 

 the parent, and gives the best results when 

 planted against a south or west wall. A few 

 flowering branches of either plant placed in 

 a room are very pleasant. Loamy soil 

 forms a suitable rooting medium, and bush 

 plants require no regular pruning. Those 

 grown against walls should be spurred back 

 as soon as the flowers are over. 



Gornus Mas (Cornelian Cherry). 

 This forms a large bush from 8 to 20" feet 

 high, and bears small yellow blossoms freely 

 during February. It thrives in quite poor 

 soil, and needs no regular pruning. 



Daphne Mezereum (Mezereon) is a 

 handsome shrub 2 to 3 feet high, which 

 bears an abundance of fragrant red flowers 

 in February. It is sometimes found wild 



in the British Isles, especially where the soil 

 is moderately moist and of a chalky char- 

 acter. The variety grandiflora bears even 

 larger and showier flowers than the type, 

 whilst it blossoms a month earlier. There 

 is also a variety alba, of distinct merit, 

 which is recognised by its white blooms. 

 Later in the year the two former bear bright 

 red and the latter one yellow berries. They 

 are usually increased by seeds and require 

 no pruning. 



Hamamelis mollis (Witch Hazel) is 

 the most beautiful of all this family. A 

 native of China, it there grows to a height 

 of 30 feet. Here we regard it as a medium- 

 sized bush. Its large, broadly-oval, hairy 

 leaves are easily distinguishable amongst 

 other kinds, whilst its golden Primrose- 

 scented flowers differ from those of other 

 Witch Hazels by having flat, strap-shaped 

 petals with hooked ends, instead of the 

 more familiar twisted, spidery-looking petals 

 of other sorts. It may be at its best at 

 Christmas, but is sometimes a week or two 

 later. H. arborea is another showy kind. 

 It is native of Japan, and forms a tall, loose 

 shrub or small tree, which produces golden 

 blossoms towards the end of January. 

 H. japonica grows into a more shapely bush 

 than the last, but scarcely flowers so freely, 

 whereas its variety Zuccariniana is worth 

 attention by reason of its lemon-coloured 

 blossoms which appear with considerable 

 freedom. The different kinds of Hamamelis 

 thrive in light, loamy soil, and are partial 

 to a little peat placed about the roots. They 

 are increased by grafting upon stocks of 

 H. virginica, and require no regular pruning. 



Lonicera Standishii and L. fragrant- 

 issima (Bush Honeysuckles) produce fra- 

 grant cream and white flowers respectively 

 during January and February. Although 

 sometimes grown against walls, good results 

 are usually obtained from shrubbery-grown 

 plants. Loamy soil is required, and there 

 is no necessity for regular pruning. 



Rhododendron dauricum is a semi- 

 evergreen which blossoms from December 

 to February. 



