218 



MANUAL OF GARDENING 



The use of "foliage^^ trees and shrubs. 



There is always a temptation to use too freely of the trees 

 and shrubs that are characterized by abnormal or striking 

 foliage. The subject is discussed in its artistic bearings on 

 pages 40 and 41. 



As a rule, the yellow-leaved, spotted-leaved, variegated, and 

 other abnormal '^foliage" plants are less hardy and less reliable 

 than the green-leaved or natural" forms. They usually re- 

 quire more care, if they are kept in vigorous and seemly condi- 

 tion. Some marked exceptions to this are noted in the lists of 

 trees and shrubs. 



There are some plants of striking foliage, however, that are 

 perfectly reliable, but they are usually not of the 'horticultu- 

 ral variety" class, their characteristics being normal to the spe- 

 cies. Some of the silver or white-leaved poplars, for example, 

 produce the most striking contrasts of foliage, particularly if set 

 near darker trees, and for this reason they are much desired 

 by many planters. Bolle's poplar (Populus Bolleana of the nur- 

 series) is one of the best of these trees. Its habit is something 

 like that of the Lombardy. The upper surface of the deeply 

 lobed leaves is dark dull green, while the under surface is almost 

 snowy white. Such emphatic trees as this should generally 

 be partially obscured by planting them amongst other trees, so 

 that they appear to mix with the other foliage; or else they 

 should be seen at some distance. Other varieties of the com- 

 mon white poplar or abele are occasionally useful, although 

 most of them sprout badly and may become a nuisance. But 

 the planting of these immodest trees is so likely to be overdone 

 that one scarcely dare recommend them, although, when skill- 

 fully used, they may be made to produce most excellent ef- 

 fects. If any reader has a particular fondness for trees of this 

 class (or any others with woolly-white foliage) and if he has 

 only an ordinary city lot or farm-yard to ornament, let him 



