OF SHRUBS AND THEIR PLACING 7 



East is a loose arrogant splendour ; the flowers are vast, 

 satiny in texture and sheen, sometimes torn and fringed 

 at the edges, sometimes double, sometimes single — but 

 always of the most imperious yet well-bred loveliness, in 

 every pure shade of colour, from the white snows of Fuji 

 at dawn, through faintest shades of pearl and pale rose to 

 the growing ardours of coral, salmon, scarlet, vermilion, 

 sanguine; and so on, into the deep tones of crimson, claret, 

 and a maroon that deepens almost to black. All these 

 marvels of gorgeousness did I mark down and collect 

 when I was in Japan, and now, through June, the rows of 

 Japanese Tree-Paeonies make my garden a blaze of be- 

 wildering colour. 



About the culture of the Tree-Paeony, too, much vain 

 nonsense has been talked, and many people are deterred 

 from the culture of a most magnificent happiness by 

 purely visionary terrors. Paeonia Moutan is absolutely 

 hardy, in the first place, hardy beyond cavil, absolutely 

 resistent to our climate. The only safeguard which can 

 help the plant, and which is really by no means essential, 

 is that it should not be put (in dangerous districts) in such 

 a position as to encourage premature growth which may 

 be nipped by a late frost. But as a matter of fact, in my 

 damp perilous corner of West Yorkshire, where late frosts 

 are almost a certainty, I have never had any difficulty or 

 any sort of disaster with all my hundreds of Tree-Paeonies, 

 planted as they are in every sort of situation and aspect. 

 The only advice I should give would be to plant them in 

 cool and shady places. Not only does this keep back 

 young growth (Paeonia Moutan is a very early starter), 

 but it also brings out the full brilliancy of the flowers, 

 which against a cool background shine with a dazzling 

 refulgence which they can barely attain in the full glare 

 of the sun, against the uncompromising background of a 

 wall. Too often, too often is a sunny wall made the 



