PRUNING HARDY FLOWERING SHRUBS 269 



whilst cut the latter set fairly hard back in the spring just 

 before growth commences. Branches of these shrubs should 

 never be cut back into beyond the two-year-old wood or they 

 will not break well. It is wiser to confine pruning to one-year- 

 old shoots. Two notable exceptions to pruning are G. atnensis 

 and G. virgata. Except when young, these require little 

 or no pruning, and a much longer time elapses before they 

 reach maturity. Remember also that most of the species 

 must be renewed every few years. 



Philadelphia (Mock Orange]. A few years ago it was a 

 common belief that to prune the Mock Orange was to destroy 

 the promise of flowers. Experience has, however, proved 

 otherwise ; the method has been at fault. Shortening back of 

 the branches was practised, whereas thinning is the correct 

 treatment, especially in the case of the dwarf P. Lemoinei 

 group, which are becoming popular in all gardens, especially 

 those of small size. When the flowers of this group are over, 

 remove all old flowering wood, that is, wood upon which 

 flowers have been borne, to strong young shoots, leaving only 

 sufficient to form a shapely bush. The result will be, during 

 summer strong shoots three feet long, which will ripen well 

 in autumn, and flower profusely during the following June. 

 By merely shortening the shoots without thinning, or by 

 leaving the plants alone, bushes four years or five years old 

 have become thickets of growth to the loss of all natural grace 

 and beauty. The taller growing shrubs may also be thinned 

 after flowering. 



Syringa (Lilac). Lilacs are rarely attended to in any way. 

 They are permitted to remain undisturbed for a generation, 

 with the unhappy result that the shoots get sadly entangled 

 and poor. The soil is full of suckers, and the result of all this 

 unnecessary development is a few scattered flowers which 

 betray an exhausted soil and growth. Lilacs should be free 

 from suckers and possess well-developed heads of sturdy 

 branches. Go over the bushes several times in early summer 

 and reduce the number of shoots, leaving only those that are 

 strong and well placed. Through this removal of superfluous 

 shoots increased strength is given to the flower buds, and 

 more light and air admitted to the branches. Naturally the 

 flower branches are larger, more numerous, of better colour, 

 and richer in fragrance. 



Forsythia. It is possible to have a glorious display of this 

 yellow flower, a raining down of golden blossom, without any 

 pruning whatever, but the display is much richer when judi- 

 cious pruning is given. Prune directly the flowers are over, 



