HARDY WALL SHRUBS 59 



Plagianthus is not one of the most desirable wall shrubs 

 where free-blooming is a recommendation, though its 

 leaves are ornamental. The species are all a little 

 tender, but P. betulinus is hardy on a sunny wall as far 

 north as Edinburgh. It is one of the best of this genus, 

 which have all white flowers, generally small. They 

 can be raised from imported seeds. 



One of the most elegant of all wall shrubs though, 

 unfortunately, too tender for most northern gardens, is 

 Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius, a beautiful thing on the 

 wall, while the flowers if cut on the long branches are 

 very beautiful as winter decorations in the house. This 

 is owing to their " everlasting " character, for the shrub 

 belongs really, according to some, to the Helichrysums. 

 They are white, and the small leaves are very pleasing. 

 It should have a sunny wall, loamy soil, and is increased 

 by cuttings of the half-ripened shoots in summer. 



Among the Prunuses, which include botanically the 

 Almonds, Peaches, Plums, Cherries, and a few other 

 plants, there is a wealth of choice, although, of course, 

 many are even more suitable for the open than for the 

 wall. It must be remarked that P. triloba, the lovely, 

 semi-double pink-flowered species, ought always to be 

 cultivated on a wall when in the open, because of the 

 protection thus afforded to it. This may also be said of 

 P. davidiana and its pinkish form, one of the most 

 precious of the early flowering shrubs we have. Even 

 the common fruiting Peaches are so delightful when in 

 bloom that a sunny wall covered by them looks charm- 

 ing indeed. For ornamental purposes, however, a less 

 formal method of training than that adopted for the 

 sake of the fruit is to be preferred, and this is accom- 

 plished by only training the principal branches to the 

 wall and permitting the others to extend from it. After 

 the flower is over these may be cut back to a couple of 

 eyes of the leading branches on the wall. 



