Gardening for Amateurs 



911 



and July, G. virgata and G. cinerea being 

 at their best during the former month, 

 and G. Aethnensis in July. All grow into 

 large bushes and produce golden flowers. 

 G. virgata is specially valuable for poor 

 ground. If they are pruned regularly whilst 

 young little will be necessary in later years. 

 Propagation is by seeds. 



Hypericum (St. John's Wort). This 

 family contains deciduous and semi-evergreen 

 shrubs. All are yel- 

 low - flowered, grow 

 in ordinary garden 

 soil, and the majority 

 bloom from July un- 

 til October. The best 

 for ordinary garden 

 work are H. patulum 

 var. Henryi, a Chinese 

 shrub 2 to 3 feet 

 high ; H. hookeria- 

 num, 2^ feet, very 

 showy ; H. androsae- 

 mum, 1| feet, July 

 and August ; H. 

 elatum, 3 to 4 feet ; 

 H. prolificum and H. 

 kalmianum, both dis- 

 tinct by reason of 

 their narrow leaves 

 and large heads of 

 small flowers ; H. 

 moserianum, a dwarf 

 kind, forming clumps 

 1 foot high, and 

 nearly 2 feet across ; 

 the golden flowers 

 are between 2 and 

 3 inches wide, and are borne in clusters; 

 H. catycinum, an evergreen species growing 

 from 9 to 12 inches high, which spreads 

 rapidly by means of underground stems ; 

 the golden flowers are 3 inches across. It 

 is an excellent plant for growing beneath the 

 shade of trees. Hypericums should be primed 

 fairly hard each spring, and the majority 

 are readily increased by cuttings. Ordinary 

 garden soil suits. 



Ligustrum sinense (Privet) is a tall- 

 growing Chinese Privet which is of con- 

 siderable decorative value. It forms a large, 

 wide -spreading bush or small tree, and bears 

 panicles of white flowers in June. 



One of the St. John's Worts (Hyperi- 

 cum hookerianum). 



Philadelphia (Mock Orange). This 



family is familiar to garden lovers under 

 the name of Syringa or Mock Orange. 

 There are many kinds, and all are showy, 

 easily-grown shrubs, which thrive in almost 

 any kind of good soil, and are easily increased 

 by means of cuttings of half-ripe shoots in 

 summer. The large-growing kinds do not 

 require regular pruning, but those of low 

 stature, of which P. Lemoinei is an example, 

 should have all old 

 wood cut away as 

 soon as the flowers 

 fade, for the most 

 floriferous plants are 

 those which contain 

 the best one-year- 

 old wood. The best 

 of the strong-growing 

 sorts are P. grandi- 

 florus and its varie- 

 ties floribundus and 

 laxus, all three of 

 which grow from 12 

 to 18 feet high, and 

 P. corona rius, P. 

 Lewisii, and P. un- 

 dulatus which grow 

 from 8 to 15 feet 

 in height. The 

 majority of the 

 dwarf set are hybrids 

 between P. micro - 

 phyllus and P. coro- 

 narius. The former 

 grows into a dense 

 bush 1J to 2 feet 

 high. Its white 



flowers are very fragrant. P. Lemoinei 

 and its variety erectus are typical of the 

 dwarf hybrids. They grow from 2 to 

 3 feet high, and blossom with the greatest 

 freedom, the flowers being white and 

 deliciously scented. Other good ones are 

 Manteau d'Hermine, semi-double ; Mer de 

 Glace, white ; Voie Lactee, large white 

 flowers ; Virginal, large white ; Perle 

 Blanche, double white ; purpureo-maculatus, 

 white with purple eye ; and Rosace, large 

 semi-double flowers. The different kinds 

 are at their best during June. 



Plagianthus Lyallii is a shrubby member 

 of the Abutilon family, and a native of New 



