2i8 GARDENS PAST AND PRESENT 



depressing. The dead calm of arrested life in the 

 dark months contrives, too often, to hold us in 

 its grip, even though the deciduous trees, to a 

 watchful eye, are never wholly asleep, but full of 

 hope. We may not realise that it is, in fact, owing 

 to the more, and not the less, complete suspension 

 of vital force during the resting time, that conifers 

 and other evergreen trees and shrubs are able to 

 hold their leaves when the others let them drop. 

 At any rate it is forgotten as we gladly turn to 

 the living green of pine and juniper, yew and box, 

 and to the exotic shrubs by which our native ever- 

 greens have been so largely supplemented, and 

 rejoice in their shelter and warmth. 



Amongst them all none seems more precious and 

 full of the joy of living than our time-honoured 

 English holly. Health and vigour and alertness 

 are stamped upon it at all seasons; " dead calm " 

 cannot be thought of in its presence, and the cheery 

 glint of its polished leaves and the red glow of 

 its berries put new spirit into the dullest day. 



This diversity of character in evergreens is a very 

 important point, not to be lost sight of when plant- 

 ing. In comparison with deciduous trees there is 

 a tendency to stern and rigid melancholy which 

 seems to belong to most of them. We do not feel 

 it when the slanting rays of the setting sun light 

 up the red stems of the Scotch firs, nor when the 

 murmur of the west wind croons softly in the 

 spruce boughs above our heads on a warm autumn 

 day. We may even turn away from the dazzling 

 colours of flower borders to the cool grey-green 

 of juniper with a sense of relief, or thankfully take 



