638 Ornamental Gardening. 
under no circumstances should large fast-growing trees be 
planted, as they soon kill or starve everything else. Two or 
three good trees in such a garden would be quite enough, for 
the rest evergreen and flowering deciduous shrubs would suffice. 
Tender subjects should be avoided altogether, as blanks caused 
by frosts would be too conspicuous. Even the Common Laurel 
might well be dispensed with, especially in heavy soils, for 
there is the risk of its being cut down to the ground every fifth 
or sixth year; and the Portugal Laurel is equally effective as 
an evergreen and much hardier. 
As a guide in choosing plants for a small garden we here 
append short lists! of perfectly hardy subjects. It will be 
understood that these lists do not include a quarter of the avail- 
able species, but only a few of the best and those most extensively 
grown. We have already warned planters against the use of 
large or fast-growiny trees in small gardens, for however pretty 
they may be for a few years, they will eventually outgrow the 
place, obstruct the view, and spoil all undershrubs and plants. 
A few small trees may be sparingly planted, especially some of 
the coniferous shrubby trees that will bear pruning with im- 
punity, for example, Cupressus Lawsoniana and C. Nutkaensis, 
Cedrus Deodara, Pinus Cembra and P. muricata, Libocedrus 
decurrens, Thuja gigantea (Lobbii), and English Yew, amongst 
evergreens; and Laburnum, Almond, Judas Tree, Scarlet and 
Pink Thorns, Aésculus Pavia, Eleagnus angustifolius, Liquid- 
ambar styraciflua, and Catalpa syringefolia—small trees with 
deciduous foliage and, for the greater part, with handsome 
flowers. The most desirable shrubs for a small garden are 
those which are permanently ornamental, that is to say, ever- 
greens either with or without conspicuous flowers. Deciduous 
flowering shrubs should be used for filling up, and where 
neither screen nor shelter is needed in the winter. For hedges 
and screens, Portugal Laurel, Arbor Vite (Thuja occidentalis), 
and English Yew are as good as anything. Holly is very 
handsome, but of much too slow growth for general purposes. 
The following are some of the best evergreen shrubs :— 
1. With conspicuous Flowers.—Berberis Darwinii, orange ; 
B. aquifolia, yellow ; Laurustinus, white; varieties of Rhodo- 
dendron Ponticum, maximum, and Catawbiense, various ; 
Magnolia glauca, creamy white, etc. 
1 A few pages forward some remarks will be found on shrubs, etc., suitable for 
sea-side plunting. 
