HOW TO ARRANGE ORNAMENTAL 

 TREES AND SHRUBS 



NUMEROUS trees and shrubs of a deciduous and evergreen 

 character are conspicuous by reason of their coloured foliage. 

 Unlike flowers, fruits or the autumn tints, which are all more 

 or less of short duration, trees and shrubs with coloured 

 foliage last in good condition for a long time, the deciduous 

 ones throughout the summer and the evergreens the whole 

 year round. In small gardens it may be only possible to 

 plant a few single specimens or mix in a few coloured-leaved 

 shrubs with the green-leaved kinds in the shrubbery border. 

 Used in this way they are pretty, but the effect obtained 

 is nothing approaching their liberal employment in the 

 pleasure grounds and parks of large estates. Here large 

 groups or masses of one kind may be planted to form a 

 feature in the landscape, perhaps on sloping ground or by 

 the lakeside. 



A border or large bed of mixed coloured-foliaged trees 

 and shrubs gives a charming picture from spring till autumn, 

 providing the grouping of the colours is carefully done. Fig. 

 18 represents a plan of such a border at Kew, 120 feet long 

 and 40 feet wide, and will give readers an idea of the grouping. 

 At first sight the plan appears to be crowded, but it is quite 

 easy to go over such a border in March each year and shorten 

 the long growths of those which are trespassing into the space 

 which should be occupied by their neighbours. In this way 

 comparatively large shrubs, and in some instances trees, are 

 kept trimmed to a moderate size. By cutting back the young 

 shoots of the Golden-leaved Elder, Sambucus nigra foliis 

 aureis, to within one or two eyes of the old wood each spring, 

 vigorous young shoots push up, with plenty of leaves which 

 colour better than those on old wood. The subjects planted 

 at the back of the bed illustrated are somewhat shaded by 

 trees in the vicinity, and are planted with the idea of furnish- 

 ing in addition to colour effect. In front of the bed there is 

 a wide stretch of lawn. The bed faces south ; while behind 



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