IN THE GARDENS AT WOODBANKS. 



485 



weigelias and snowballs, and a multitude of other June 

 blooms, the remark, to say the least, was rather unusual. 

 By us it was accepted as a sincere compliment to the 

 pains we have taken in effectively growing the kinds of 

 evergreens hardy as far north as Niagara Falls. 



In the spring of 1889, we began planting coniferous 

 trees on these grounds in the face of a widely popular 

 notion that few kinds of evergreens outside of the old 

 stand-bys, like Norway spruce, black and white pines and 

 a tew junipers, were suitable for cultivation so far north. 

 Our order to the nurserymen was confined to the hardier 

 genera, such a.; pines, spruces, arbor-vitaes, junipers, etc. 



From among these were selected 250 trees in upwards 

 of 50 distinct species and varieties. They were planted 

 carefully in tasteful groups or as isolated specimens, in 

 well-drained, loamy soil. From the results, we are more 

 firmly convinced than ever that hardy conifers are en- 

 titled to a place in all gardens. Sufficient variety is af- 

 forded by the genera named to give remarkable diversity 

 of effect in a collection of some extent. 



Glancing, as we write, over our collection of 58 distinct 

 sorts of coniferous evergreens, we are impressed by the 

 delicacy of appearance caused by the fineness of their 

 foliage, which imparts an effect of softness like 



that of the finer ferns to their outline. But with deli- 

 cacy of outline there is evident an average stateliness, 

 dignity, and neatness of form that is without equal 

 among trees. 



Look at the staid and symmetrical white spruce, the 

 column-like Irish juniper, the erect yew, and the charm- 

 ing white pine, alongside of which many choice decid- 

 uous growths look coarse and flabby. Then we have re- 

 markable variety in the habits of this class; for while the 

 tapering form prevails among certain spruces, and the firs, 

 arbor-vitass and pines, yet in strong contrast with these 

 there is the pyramidal form, of which the Irish juniper is 



f 



I 



a type, the distinctly conical form represented by the 

 conical spruce, the globular form, as seen in the arbor- 

 vit£e, the low, rounded forms of some spruces, the pros- 

 trate or spreading forms of Alpine and other junipers that 

 are not above a foot high, yet spread over eight square 

 feet. To these must be added the distinctly pendulous 

 form as found in the pendent spruce and some types of 

 the hemlock. Exquisite tints and contrasts are shown 

 in the foliage of our different evergreens — bluish tints in 

 Veitch's spruce, the blue-lined foliage of Alcock's, and 

 ths Colorado blue spruce are brightly contrasted with 

 the golden green of Nordmann's fir, the golden arbor- 



