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THE SKATING POND, ASURlbGE PARK, GREAT BERK 11 A MS TED. 



EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS. 



AMONGST the many evergreen trees and shrubs are noble groups, the Hollies and so 

 forth; but the following list will reveal the wealth of kinds at command of the planter: 



Andromeda.. — At one time this constituted a large group 

 of evergreen shrubs, but the majority are now classed 

 under the heading of Pieris, such as floribunda, formosa, 

 japonica, and nitida. There r ore on'y one species is here 

 considered — A. poliiolia — a little shrub about I't. high, 

 clothed with narrow greyish leaves, and producing its little 

 pinkish bell-shaped flowers during the summer months. 

 It is a very interesting species, not troublesome to grow 

 in a peaty soil, and is one of those shrubs that may be 

 planted amongst boggy plants, such as the Trilliums and 

 things that appreciate moisture. A. polifolia is not too 

 often seen in gardens, but it is too leafy and pleasing to 

 ignore. Angus ifolia and major are varieties. 



Aralia. — Many members of this genus are tender, and two 

 or three of the hardy kinds are deciduous, .there being 

 indeed but one evergreen to be mentioned hqre. 



A. ChinensiS. — A sturdy plant, with lobed leaves of a stout 

 leathery nature, very popular for decorations indoors, but 

 at the same time it forms a handsome shrub for the open 

 ground in the South of England. Seeds are frequently 

 sent to this country in quantity from the South of France, 

 from which plants can be readily raised. This plant is 

 also known as Aralia Sieboldi. 



A. Sieboldi. — See A. chinensis. 



ArbutUS. — An ornamental group of evergreen shrubs or 

 small trees, of which the best known is A. Unedo, the 

 Strawberry Tree, which forms one of the notable features 

 of the celebrated Lakes of Killarney. This is raised 'rom 

 seed, and the other kinds are usually grafted on to it. 



A. Andraehne. — This is a native of the Levant, and forms 

 a stout-growing tree, clothed with shining narrow Laurel- 

 like leaves, and spikes of greenish while waxy flowers 



borne in the spring. The old bark peels off", leaving 

 the smooth, reddish trunk, which is conspicuous. 



A. Menziesi, known also as A. procera, is more upright 

 growing than the last, while its white sweet-scented 

 flowers are borne in the autumn. The large shining leaves 

 are handsome, being of a peculiar metallic green. 



A. Unedo. — The spikes of whitish waxlike blossoms of 

 this Arbutus are produced in the autumn, when few 

 shrubs and fewer trees are in bloom. Besides the typical 

 kind there is a variety, Croomi, with reddish flowers. The 

 name of Strawberry Tree is derived from the fruits, which 

 ripen in about a year from the time of the flowers. It is 

 not thoroughly hardy, being injured during winter. 



The Arbutu r . belong to the Heath family, and of the 

 four species there are several varieties. A. Unedo has for 

 its forms integrilolia, microphylla, quercifolia, and rubra, 

 the garden name of which is Croomi. 



AuCUba. — A useful class of neat-growing shrubs, valuable 

 from the fact that they will succeed better in shady spots 

 and in smoky districts than the majority of evergreens. 

 The common form, A. japonica, has green leaves blotched 

 irregularly with cream, but there are several varieties, 

 differing in the marking of the foliage, while in others 

 the leaves are quite green. The Aucuba bears the male 

 and female flowers on different plants, hence in order to 

 obtain the bright scarlet berries that make such a goodly 

 show the two sexes must be planted in close proximity. 

 All of them strike root from cuttings put in a shady spot. 



Berberis. — There are two distinct sections of these, firstly, 

 what is known as the Ash Barberries, which were formerly 

 called Mahonia ; and, secondly, the evergreen forms of the 

 ordinary Barberry. 



