188 GARDENS OF ENGLAND 



overtopped this it was allowed to grow unchecked, 

 and is now a bushy-headed tree about fifteen feet 

 in height. When this plant is trained against a 

 wall annual pruning is advised, and is, indeed, neces- 

 sary, in order that the shoots may be kept near the 

 surface ; but that pruning is not requisite in order 

 to procure flowers is proved by the fact that the 

 two shrubs' referred to, though never touched 

 by the knife, have bloomed profusely for many 

 years. The flowers of the Chimonanthus will en- 

 dure a few degrees of frost without damage, for 

 the foliage of a large bush of the scented 

 verbena {Aloysia citriodora), growing hard by 

 one of these shrubs, was badly damaged by the 

 frost, while the flowers of the winter-sweet were 

 uninjured. The perfume of the blossoms of this 

 plant is exquisite, and a few blooms brought 

 indoors will scent a whole room. Where it is not 

 wished to cut the sprays, the individual flowers 

 may be removed from the shoots and placed 

 in a shallow saucer filled with damp sand, when 

 they will exhale their fragrance for days. The 

 tree witch-hazel {Hamamelis arborea) is another 

 winter flower, and is very attractive when its leafless 

 branches are covered with the quaint petals and 

 look like rolls of bright yellow ribbon, while when 



