RHODODENDRONS. 



141 



Garrya elliptica, when in a bush form, 6 to 8 feet high, and well furnished with 

 its greenish white catkin-like flowers, is distinctly attractive in appearance, but not 

 perfectly hardy, and in the colder districts must be grown against walls. Japanese 

 privet (Ligustrum japonicum) grows vigorously, forming bushes 6 to 8 feet in 

 height and yields a profusion of handsome spikes of white, powerfully-scented flowers 

 in June. 



Common furze, or gorse (Ulex europgeus), single and double, form dense golden 

 bushes when flowering both in the spring and autumn. The well-known laurustinus 

 (Yiburnum tinus) though not quite so hardy as desirable, is yet one of the best 

 winter and spring flowering shrubs. In addition to the type, the varieties Froebelli 

 lucidum, strictum, and virgatum are Avorthy of a trial. 



Ehododendrons (Fig. 70) are the grandest of hardy evergreen shrubs. Where 

 they become well established little or no attention is required, beyond picking off 

 the old seed pods and cutting away other commoner shrubs that interfere with 

 their progress. It is a mistake to think they must be wholly grown in peaty soil, 

 as, although this suits them, the plants, if started in a mixture of peat, leaf soil, 

 loam and sand, eventually root freely into the ordinary surrounding soil if it be 

 free from lime or chalk. A cool, moist, rather than a hot and dry, position is the 

 more favourable, but digging deeply amongst them is injurious. The varieties are 

 very numerous, also constantly increasing, and judicious selections of any required 

 number can be obtained from the leading nurserymen. The following are, however, 

 of proved excellence, and grouped under their respective colours. 



Varieties of Ehododendrons. 



White and Blush changing to White.— Album 

 grandiflorum, fine white; A. elegans, good shape; 

 A. triumphans, large bold flower ; Delicatum, 

 white, brown blotch ; Exquisite, white, buff 

 spots ; Ingram, blush white, chocolate sjjot ; Mi's. 

 J. Glutton, one of the best whites ; Madame 

 Carvalho, remarkably fine, green spots; Mi-s. 

 Tom Agnew, blush white, lemon blotch ; Perfec- 

 tion (Standish), blush white, fine form; Purity, 

 blush white, faint yellow eye, fine ; The Queen, 

 lilac blush to nearly white ; Duchess of Cambridge, 

 white, yellow spot. The three following whites 

 are distinctly marked and spotted: — Countess of 

 Normanton, white, dark maroon spot, large flower, 

 good ; Jean Steam, white, pui'ple spot ; Lady 

 Gmness, white, maroon spot, a very fine variety. 



Purple and MLiuve.— King of the Pui-ples, very 

 fine ; Nero, purple, dark blotch, very good ; Old 

 Port, purple, good habit ; Purpureum elegans, 

 very compact and fine; Schiller, bluish purple, 

 dark spot ; Sir Thomas Sebright, purple, bronze 

 blotch ; Everestianum, mauve, fringed edge, full 

 and attractive ; Fastuosum flore-pleno, mauve, 

 semi-double; Surprise, mauve, with an intense 

 blotch. 



Plum and Lake.— Joseph Whitworth, lake, very 

 much spotted, noble flower and truss ; Cruentum, 

 lake; Fervum, plum; and W. H. Punchard, 

 plum, orange centre, quite distinct. 



Salmon Pink.— Lady Frances Crossley ; Mrs. H. S. 

 Holford, very distinct and good ; and Mrs. John 

 Penn. 



