234 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



flowers early, is of erect habit, and exceptionally free. The pale pink 

 flowers are very lasting. The Grey Heath (E. cinerea), a native species, 

 grows about a foot high, and at midsummer has a profusion of purple 

 flowers in terminal racemes. E. carnea (Winter Heath) is a jewel. It 

 is neat in growth, wonderfully free, and flowers in the dead of the winter, 

 the colour being a pleasant shade of rose-pink. The variety alba also de- 

 serves mention, as it flowers at the same time. Planters should make 

 a note of these fine Heaths (see also p. 179). 



Escallonias are seaside shrubs, and some of them are very free. 

 They form neat bushes, and for their foliage alone deserve greater re- 

 cognition. In very cold localities plant them against a wall, as they 

 are apt to suffer in very severe winters. Most of them are evergreen and 

 flourish in ordinary soil, but dislike positions exposed to east winds. 

 E. macrantha, the most frequently planted evergreen kind, is very hand- 

 some and sturdy, with bright glossy green leaves and clusters of red 

 flowers produced freely during summer. E. philippiana is not only the 

 hardiest, but one of the most distinct and pleasing of Escallonias. It is a 

 native of Valdivia, and was introduced to this country nearly thirty 

 years ago. It is bushy, of free growth, with long arching shoots, narrow 

 bright green deciduous leaves, and its dainty pure white blossoms appear 

 in profusion. E. langleyensis is a most attractive hybrid raised by 

 crossing E. philippiana with E. macrantha, the former being the seed 

 parent. Its small flowers are of a rose-pink shade, and as they are borne 

 so liberally the plant, when in full flower, is particularly bright. E. 

 floribunda bears white flowers, generally after the majority of the kinds 

 have finished flowering, for which reason it is valuable for prolonging 

 the display. It grows freely, and is of neat habit. 



Eucryphia pinnatifolia, an uncommon shrub, introduced from China 

 about 1870, bears white flowers with bright yellow stamens in the centre. 

 It blooms in summer, and its handsome, bright green, pinnate leaves 

 are tinged with brownish-orange and crimson in autumn. It requires 

 a rich, perfectly drained soil and sheltered position, but at the same time 

 one exposed to full sunlight is essential, because it never blooms well 

 unless the wood is thoroughly matured. It forms a sturdy bush, and is 

 rather slow in growth. 



Euonymuses (Spindle Trees). These include deciduous and ever- 

 green shrubs, or small trees indigenous to Europe, North America, &c. 

 Every one is of simple culture. None are conspicuous for showy flowers, 

 but the deciduous kinds, particularly the Spindle Tree (E. europceus) and 

 its varieties, are remarkably pretty in autumn with their richly coloured 

 capsules. Many an English hedgerow is made bright with the ruddy 

 berries. The autumn-tinted foliage, too, is very bright. E. europezus 

 is well known, but some of its varieties are less frequently seen, the 

 most important of which are: Atropurpurea, which differs from the 

 type in having deep purple leaves, shaded with orange in autumn. It 

 has showy capsules and prominent seeds. The leaves of aucubifolius 

 are bright green, spotted with yellow. The broad-leaved Spindle Tree 

 (E. latifolius) is a fine shrub for the garden, and altogether finer than 



