12 MY SHRUBS 
AE. californica flowers during May, and makes a shrub of great 
distinction. This should ripen its fruit. 
Akebia quinata—a Japanese climber with a Japanese name— 
flourishes in the south and takes kindly to some English gardens ; 
but here the growth is feeble and the fragrant, chocolate-coloured 
flowers are few. A. labata seems to be a sturdier plant of more 
promise. Moreover, it blooms amonth later—to its own advantage. 
Alberta magna is a handsome evergreen from Natal, with scarlet 
trumpet flowers, like a honey-suckle. It enjoys the summer in a 
sunny spot out-of-doors, but must retire to the cold house in October. 
Merely remarking that Albizzia would be welcome but probably 
useless, and smiling upon Aloysia citriodora, named after Maria 
Louisa, mother of Ferdinand VII of Spain; dismissing the 
Amelanchiers also as beautiful folk of no pressing importance, we 
may admire the dwarf almond, Amygdalyus nana, from 'Tartary, 
which, a yard high and well furnished, makes a dainty shrub. 
For two hundred and fifty years this little Russian has been 
known in our gardens, and is still far too rare. It sets its 
bitter fruits well when prosperous. Almonds are always desirable, 
and I remember a plain nigh Toulon, where the flowering trees 
spread over leagues of tawny earth. One looked down upon 
their rosy cloud from a mountain-side with much emotion. 
Ampherephis albescens is an evergreen with pale clusters of 
aster-like flowers, while Andrachne colchica has yet to declare itself 
with me; but this plant from the Caucasus possesses virtues, and 
is quite hardy. It came from a German arboretum, and promises 
to be a graceful shrub though the inflorescence is trifling. 
That little Laplander, Andromeda tetragona, persists in a shaded, 
peaty corner, but cannot settle down to any great display. It 
