April, 1909 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



147 



head, turning bright yellow in the fall. The 

 purple Norway maple (var. Schwedleri), 

 sugar maple (^4. saccharum), and the syca- 

 more maple (^4. pseudo-platanus), are all 

 suitable for planting as specimens. Weir's 

 cut-leaf maple (Acer sdccharinum, var. 

 Wierii) is a beautiful, quick-growing tree 

 with finely cut foliage and weeping habit of 

 growth, well adapted for planting in front of 

 other maples, but it is liable to damage from 

 storms. 



There are a great many varieties of oaks 

 and the general impression is that they grow 

 slowly, whereas in fact they make quite rapid 

 growth. They die slowly. They are all 

 suitable for single, specimen planting on 

 lawns, for grouping, and for shade trees. 

 The pin oak (Quercus palustrus) prefers 

 moist soil and is perhaps the most beautiful 

 with small shiny leaves; the scarlet oak 

 (Q. coccinea) does well on dry soil, turn- 

 ing scarlet in fall; the white oak (Q. alba) 

 is the most dignified, with a broad, 

 spreading head becoming violet in the fall. 

 The English oak (Q. Robur), with its large 

 leaves, and the chestnut oak (Q. Prinns), 

 which does well on medium dry soils, are 

 worth planting in groups or singly. 



Because of its rapid growth and tall, erect 

 habit, the Lombardy poplar is particularly 

 valuable for screening buildings and high 

 fences. Groups of these are valuable in pro- 

 ducing stately effects adjacent to tall build- 

 ings; they may also be planted for avenues 

 when quick results are sought. 



The catalpas are handsome trees with 

 large leaves; they produce showy white 

 flowers in thyrses in June and July, and grow 

 rapidly even in " poor soils. The button- 

 wood (Platanus occidentalis) is a quick grow- 

 ing tree with large-lobed leaves and very 

 hardy; it is especially well adapted for street 

 planting and for the seashore. It is easily 

 recognized by its scaling bark. The elms, 

 lindens, horse chestnuts, beeches, ashes, and 

 birches — thoroughly familiar trees to all of 

 us — are suitable for either grouping or 

 single-specimen planting. 



The fern-leafed beech makes a beautiful 

 lawn specimen, always having a "trim" 

 effect. The purple-leafed beech (Fagus 

 sylvatica, var. purpurea) should be planted 

 when a little color is desired. The sweet 

 gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is a charming 

 tree with glossy green foliage, becoming 

 golden yellow in fall, and is best used as a 

 specimen. 



Before planting cut back long or bruised roots, mak- 

 ing a clean surface. This induces new roots to form 



Willows, though by no means the hand- 

 somest or most desirable of trees, are never- 

 theless of great value for planting on the 

 banks of ponds and water courses. They fit 

 in better and give quicker results than any- 

 thing else. If there is a particularly ugly 

 building within view and a possibility of 

 hiding it, just plant white willows (as tall as 

 can be got) closely together and they will do 

 the work in quick time. Willows can be 

 moved easily at any age. 



DWARF ORNAMENTAL EVERGREENS 



For grouping at entrances, near dwelling- 

 houses, and for massing in formal planting, 

 dwarf evergreens are favorites, because 

 they are always cheerful and in evidence. 

 From among the Japanese cypresses or 

 retinisporas alone plenty of material in variety 

 of coloring, habit, and other peculiarities 

 can be secured to make a very handsome 

 group. The taller kind may be massed in the 

 centre with Retinispora obtusa, var. nana 

 aurea — the dwarf golden one — in front, as an 

 edging. The central plants need not be put in 

 with a view to regularity, but the group 

 will seem larger if the standard varieties are 

 placed to the back. The Irish juniper 

 (Juniperus communis, var. Hibernica) and 

 the golden afborvitae (Thuya Geo. Peabody) 

 are bright looking and useful either as single 

 specimens or in groups. Both the American 

 arborvitae (Thuya occidentalis) and the 

 var. pyramidalis are well adapted for screen- 

 ing purposes, and the former for hedges also. 

 The junipers, prostrata and Sabina, are 

 excellent for rough banks, rocks, and as 

 ornamental ground covers. 



The common dwarf box (Bu'xus semper- 

 virens, var. suffruticosa) is the best dwarf 

 evergreen edging. Set plants fifteen inches 

 or more in height. Mark a line to be followed 

 and make a trench, placing the plants in 

 one by one with one hand, using the other to 

 cover the roots with soil. 



Rhododendrons, especially the native 

 hardy (R. maximum), are invaluable. Plant 

 in groups or in irregular masses in a con- 

 tinuous border in front of deciduous trees. 

 They delight in- partial shade and moist soil. 

 When planting leafmold, well rotted manure, 

 or peat must be liberally mixed with the 

 soil if they are to do well. The hybrid 

 rhododendrons are not quite hardy, but 

 they are so beautiful while in flower that 

 their extra cost and the trouble in protecting 

 them with a covering of branches or boards 

 in winter are amply repaid. 



FLOWERING SHRUBS FOR IMMEDIATE EFFECT 



A very great deal can be done toward 

 beautifying the surroundings of the home 

 in one season by planting deciduous flower- 

 ing shrubs. When immediate effect is 

 desired, it is better to plant them in large 

 masses of one kind in a group, or a continuous 

 border may be made by planting large 

 quantities in masses, similarly, but having 

 them all united into one continuous whole. 



There is plenty of room for the exercise 

 of individual fancy in the selection of flower- 

 ing shrubs, and there are so many available 

 that it is impossible to more than barely 



Never plant in infertile soil, but remember to 

 mix manure with the soil away from the roots of 

 trees. Put the feeding material below 



indicate what might be used. The spireas 

 and deutzias are by far the best, and their 

 profusion of white flowers generally appears 

 before the leaves. The pearl bush (Exochorda 

 grandiflora) is later and has large white 

 flowers about the size of those of a pear 

 blossom. Although the colors of some of the 

 weigelas may hurt the eyes of some color- 

 sensitive people, these shrubs will ever remain 

 favorites because they will flower under the 

 shade of trees more profusely than any other 

 shrub. 



For large masses of white flowers in full 

 summer we have the snowballs, of which 

 the Japanese (V. plicatum) is the more 

 refined. The golden bell is among the 

 earliest to open its blossoms, lightening the 

 garden with flashes of yellow. The flower- 

 ing dogwood, used in connection with shrub- 

 bery, is as valuable as when planted as a 

 single specimen tree. 



For later flowering, the sweet pepper bush, 

 the winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus), the 

 new mallow hybrids Hypericum Moseri- 

 anum, Kerria (the branches of which remain 

 bright green all winter) , and the mock oranges 

 (Philadelphus), can be relied upon for all 

 situations. The purple-leaved, flowering 

 plum (Primus Pissardi) is valuable for the 

 contrasting color of its foliage, but its accen- 

 tuated color is not always welcome in the 

 shrubbery border. 



Lilacs, of which there are a host of named 

 varieties nowadays, are better planted 

 individually than worked into the general 

 border. 



ARRANGEMENTS FOR EFFECT 



Shall trees and shrubs be planted singly, 

 in rows, or in groups ? Three or more trees 

 or plants placed in a more or less close rela- 

 tion one to the other make a "group." This 

 method of planting is especially desirable 

 when immediate effect is an important con- 

 sideration. If planted to stand apart as 

 single specimens, young trees and more 

 especially deciduous trees will not make much 



