THE SUBTROPICAL GARDEN. 



641 



CHAPTER XLIII. 



THE SUBTROPICAL GARDEN. 



The subtropical garden, when well done, 

 forms a pleasing feature, and as it is not 

 difficult to furnish if a few green-houses and 

 frames are available, it should have a place in 

 large gardens. The situation and aspect re- 

 quire to be carefully considered, sunlight and 



warmth, protection from strong winds, and 

 provision of sheltered nooks, dells, or glades 

 being important considerations. Where these 

 favoured conditions can be provided, the choice 

 of plants becomes an easy task, as a greater 

 variety of the more tender plants may be 

 brought into use. 



The ground devoted to a subtropical garden 

 should be thoroughly drained, but if this cannot 

 be done, it will be wise to trench the beds and 

 borders 2 to 3 feet deep, and as the work of 



Fig. 769.— Subtropical Garden at Heckfield Place, AVinchfield, Hants 



trenching proceeds, throw a few barrow-loads 

 of brick rubble or clinkers into the bottom 

 of the trench. The subtropical garden should 

 be arranged in a tasteful manner, with due 

 regard to the health and protection of the 

 more tender plants employed. 



Shelter is one of the most essential points in 

 the culture of all tender large-foliaged plants 

 in the open air; and in the case of Aroids and 

 tree-Ferns shade and moisture are also neces- 

 sary. Many plants, such as Palms, Musas, 

 large-leaved Caladiums, and other tropical 

 large-leaved plants, will make vigorous healthy 

 growth if placed outside on the lawn during 

 the summer. Exposure to a high wind will, 

 however, ruin the growth of several years; it 

 is therefore best, if the position is not well 

 sheltered, to trust entirely to such plants as 

 Canna, Ricinus, Wigandia, Ficus, Nicotiana, 

 vol. i. 



Catalpa, Paulownia, Ailantus, Sumach, and 

 Arundo, which either start into growth afresh 



every spring, or 



are treated as annuals 



propagated from seeds. 



The best of all stately foliage plants for 

 terrace gardens or other elevated positions 

 fully exposed to high winds, are Agave, Yucca, 

 and such Palms as Chamcerops humilis, C. excel 'sa 

 (Fortunei), and Livistona australis. Shelter and 

 shade can be obtained either by forming nooks 

 and bays along the shrubbery borders, or by 

 lowering the surface of some outlying portion 

 of the lawn, and surrounding it with evergreen 

 shrubs and Conifers, with the addition of 

 silvery -leaved Willows, Planes, purple -leaved 

 Beech, and the rapid -growing Poplars. If 

 the beds are heavily dressed annually with 

 well -rotted manure, they can be temporarily 

 planted with spring-flowering bulbs and other 



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