Shrubbery, Plantation, and Wood 77 



borders is worse than thrown away, and the shrubs 

 would even do better if left alone. 



If no annual digging is to be done, nobody will 

 grudge a thorough preparation of the ground at first. 

 Then the planting should be so done as to defeat the 

 digger, and this could best be done by covering the 

 whole surface with groups of free-growing hardy plants 

 and of dwarf Evergreens. Happily, there is quite 

 enough of these to be had suitable for every soil. 

 Light, moist, peaty or sa ndy soi ls, where such things 

 as the^iweet-scented Daphne Cneorum would spread 

 forth its neat bushes, would be better than a stiff soil ; 

 but for every soil good plants might be found. The 

 dwarf Evergreen Sun Roses (Helianthemurn), Ever- 

 green Candytuft (Iberis), Purple Rock Cress (Aubrietia), 

 Arabis, Alyssum, dwarf shrubs, little conifers like 

 the creeping Cedar and the Savin, and Lavender in 

 spreading groups and colonies would help well. All 

 these should spread out into wide grpups covering 

 the margin and helping to cut off the sti>ff line which 

 usually borders a shrubbery, and the margin should 

 be varied also as regards the height of the plants. 



In one spot we might have a wide-spreading colony 

 of the prostrate Sa.v-ia_bush with graceful evergreen 

 branchlets; in another the dwarf Cotoneasters might 

 form the front, relieved in their turn by Scotch or 

 pretty Wild Roses of dwarf stature ; and herbs, dwarf 

 evergreen or grey shrubs, and stout herbaceous plants, 

 in colonies between the trees. 



