146 PRACTICAL LANDSCAPE GARDENING 



Ligustrum Regelianum is an excellent hedge plant where it is de- 

 sired to have a more picturesque enclosure. This plant is most at- 

 tractive as a boundary to a wild garden, the lights and shadows 

 being highly contrasted, giving a pleasmg variety to this formal fea- 

 ture more in tune with naturalistic surrounding. The variety 

 Ligustrum amurense is much the best variety to use south of 

 Washington; it rarely loses its leaves during the Winter and, in 

 the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia it is evergreen. 



The Hemlock Spruce {Tsuga canadensis) (Fig. 122) hedge has 

 been little used of late years, probably on account of its costliness, 

 certainly not because it lacks beauty of outline or texture. The 

 color is excellent is a background and, after growing to the re- 

 quired height, it is much more formidable in appearance than the 

 deciduous hedges. For quick effect the Arborvitae (Thuya occident- 

 alis) is most valuable. It is practicable to secure specimens of 

 this variety of any height up to seven feet, which is an advantage 

 for instances where it is desired to have an immediate effect. 

 The color is not so good for a background as plants of a darker 

 shade of green but, nevertheless, is recommended as a hedge 

 plant of merit. 



The general character of the garden will be improved by using 

 piers at the corners and entrance. It adds dignity to the scenes 

 and defines the outline more clearly. In large gardens, where a 

 long line of hedge is somewhat monotonous and at times irregular 

 in alignment, it is well to construct piers at regular intervals, for 

 variety, and to maintain a more regular line than is otherwise 

 possible. 



RETAINING WALLS 



If it is foimd advisable to construct the garden on more than one 

 le^•el, much thought should be given to the selection of material 

 and the design of the necessary steps and retaining walls. 



How much more effective is a treatment of retaining walls (Fig. 

 121) than the slope, so generally adopted for each succeeding level ! 

 Such slopes are difficult to mow and, in a dry Summer, the turf burns 

 out badly. 



The use of stone as retaining walls between garden levels is not 

 so generally adopted as it should be. The dry stone wall is especi- 

 ally worthy of greater use. The foimdations of garden walls should 

 always extend at least two feet six inches below grade and batter 



