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Gardening for Amateurs 



A warm position and light loamy soil are 

 essential to success. Propagation may be 

 effected by root cuttings in spring ; no 

 regular pruning is necessary. 



Gornus (Dogwood). The various mem- 

 bers of this family exhibit considerable 

 diversity of habit. Some have showy flowers 

 but in other cases the flowers would pass 

 almost unnoticed were it not for the con- 

 spicuous white or rare bracts which surround 

 the flower heads. The best of the last-named 

 set are C. Nuttallii, a large-growing sort from 

 California ; C. florida, from the United 

 States ; and C. Kousa, from Japan. The 

 first-named is particularly ornamental, and 

 the leaves colour brilliantly in autumn. All 

 require a sunny position, well-drained loamy 

 soil, and they ought only to be planted in the 

 warmer parts of the country. The flowers 

 open in June. Of the other group the most 

 showy of the summer-flowering kinds is C. 

 macrophylla, a small tree from Japan ; its 

 flattened heads of cream-coloured flowers 

 are borne freely in July. 



Deutzia. As a rule the Deutzias are at 

 their best during June. Many of them are 

 very beautiful, but, unfortunately, they begin 

 to grow very early in spring, and a single 

 frosty night may do irreparable injury to the 

 flowers. D. crenata is one of the hardiest of 

 all, and it rarely fails to bloom well. It 

 grows 8 or 10 feet high, and has a wide 

 spread. The white flowers are borne in 

 racemes 4 or 5 inches long. The varieties 

 flore pleno and Pride of Rochester have 

 double flowers. D. gracilis is another popular 

 shrub. It is a native of Japan and forms a 

 much - branched bush 2 feet or so high, 

 which produces its white blossoms with 

 great freedom when uninjured by frost. It 

 has for many years been considered a very 

 valuable shrub for forcing. D. discolor and 

 its variety purpurascens have purplish 

 flowers. They have been crossed with D. 

 gracilis, and a number of beautiful hybrids 

 have been raised. Good ones are D. gracilis 

 rosea, campanulata, carminea, multiflora, 

 and kalmiaeflora. D. Lemoinei is a hybrid 

 between D. gracilis and another rather 

 tender species, D. parviflora ; it bears large 

 inflorescences of white flowers. Good forms 

 of it are compacta, Avalanche, Apple 

 Blossom, and Roseball. Of quite new kinds 



D. longifolia, with purple flowers, D. Wilsoni, 

 with white flowers, and D. Vilmorineae, with 

 white flowers, are amongst the best. The 

 last-named is a very vigorous plant. 



Diervilla (Bush Honeysuckle). These 

 may be classed amongst the most useful of 

 all flowering shrubs. As a rule they are at 

 their best in June, though one or two kinds 

 continue to blossom for the greater part of 

 the summer. The varieties raised in gardens 

 are the most useful. Thev include the follow- 

 ing : Eva Rathke, with rich crimson flowers, 

 enjoys a long flowering period, for blossoms 

 may be found throughout the greater part 

 of summer ; Abel Carriere, Avant Garde, 

 Conquerant, Dame Blanche, Madame Cou- 

 turier, hortensis nivea and Saturne. These 

 plants are often called Weigela. The Dier- 

 villas thrive in any kind of good garden 

 soil, are readily increased by means of soft 

 cuttings in early summer, and are improved 

 by having a little of the older wood thinned 

 out occasionally. 



Dipelta. This is a family of Chinese 

 shrubs quite new to European gardens. It 

 is closely related to Diervilla. and the various 

 sorts need similar treatment. The chief 

 kinds are ventricosa, floribunda, Yunnanensis, 

 and elegans. All have tubular flowers. The 

 first-named has rosy-purple flowers. Yunnan- 

 ensis rose-lilac flowers, and floribunda rose- 

 pink blooms. 



Escallonia philippiana is the only 

 truly deciduous member of this family. 

 It is a native of Valdivia, and forms a bush 

 3 to 4 feet high, with small bright green 

 leaves, and white star-like flowers which 

 are borne freely during June and July. 

 Hybridists have crossed it with evergreen 

 kinds, notably with E. macrantha, and 

 several showy semi -evergreen sorts have 

 been raised. Exoniensis, a large, upright 

 bush with white flowers, and Lang ley ensis, 

 a good-sized bush with graceful, arching 

 branches and bright red flowers, are the best. 

 The last-named is a particularly handsome 

 shrub, suitable alike for planting in the open 

 or against a trellis. The Escallonias thrive 

 in warm, loamy soil, and are well adapted 

 for planting near the sea. Propagation is 

 by cuttings in summer. 



Genista (Broom). Three of the most 

 showy kinds of Genista blossom during June 



