184 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



[December, 



||t#i nl j'anilscape, 



THE HARDY AZALEA. 



From time to time some new hardy shrub, 

 after passing, in obscurity, a course of pro- 

 bation for a score of years, suddenly be- 

 comes the f asliion. Every lawn must then be 

 graced by its presence. Tree dealers through- 

 out the summer resorts of the land lift up 

 their voices in its praise, and one becomes 

 wearied and almost disgusted with an ex- 

 cessive and too exclusive exhibition of what 

 is, in a dozen ways, really excellent and 

 beautiful. The Japan Hydrangea panicu- 

 lata grandinora is an instance of a plant of 

 this sort. It is often difficult to determine 

 just why such plants become the rage. I am 

 inclined to think it is partly because they 

 are rather big and showy than exquisite 

 and enduring, splendid and massive, than 

 refined and lovely. Certainly, the Hardy 

 Azalea is refined and lovely, exquisite and 

 enduring, and yet how many appreciate its 

 many charms and practical value ? 



Let us look at this Hardy Azalea, so 

 called to distinguish it from the Chinese or 

 Half-hardy Azalea. It is, I assure you, well 

 worth looking at, when we consider that 

 more than one highly competent authority 

 has pronounced it the best hardy shrub 

 grown in the Northern States of America. 

 But its own intrinsic merits are so evident, 

 that, aside from the declaration of authori- 

 ties on the subject, it seems incomprehensi- 

 ble how such valuable charms could have 

 been neglected so long in this country, ex- 

 cept on the false plea that showy qualities 

 are worth more than exquisite and refined 

 ones. See these clusters of Hardy Azaleas 

 peeping out from the borders of a Rhododen- 

 dron group. They are not as big and showy 

 as a Hydrangea, or as splendid as a Peony ; 

 but how beautiful the purplish-green of their 

 exquisite leaf-masses, and the wonderfully 

 varied and exquisite tints of the waxen 

 petals, scarce an inch across, where white, 

 yellow, orange, and red commingle. Low, 

 and even dwarf in habit, the Hardy Azalea, 

 as generally seen, is not often over two feet 

 high, though one in Central Park is over 

 twelve feet high, we yet feel no lack in it on 

 that account, for its proportions are good, 

 and contour, foliage, and small flowers, 

 bedded in rich foliage, are alike beautifully 

 combined. 



The abundant bloom of these flowers is 

 astonishing. They literally, in some cases, 

 cover the entire bush. Nor has the Hardy 

 Azalea any weakness of constitution to de- 

 tract from its practical value as an orna- 

 mental shrub. Unlike the Rhododendron, 

 most splendid in foliage and flower of all 

 ornamental plants, the leaves of the Hardy 

 Azalea are safe from injury in winter, being 

 deciduous, and are entirely satisfactory in 

 summer, since they never burn. The flower- 

 buds of few shrubs, moreover, suffer less 

 from the effects of cold in winter and spring ; 

 so, you see, when we come to sum up the 

 excellent qualities of the Hardy Azalea, and 

 balance them with its objectionable ones, 

 we find that for hardiness, long life, aptitude 

 for safe transplanting, for exquisite beauty 

 of flower and picturesque massing of foliage, 

 the Hardy Azalea seems to do abundant 



credit to the discernment of its most enthu- 

 siastic admirers. 



The best varieties of Hardy Azaleas are 

 derived from native American species, from 

 the orange-colored Appalachian CalenduLacea, 

 and more northern n udiflora and viscosa. The 

 light yellow pontica varieties, from the Medi- 

 terranean coast, so much prized in Europe, 

 are often injured in the bud by severe Amer- 

 ican winters. 



The Hardy Azalea, frequently called the 

 Ghent Azalea, from its popularity in the 

 Netherlands, remains a choice, almost a 

 rare, plant on American lawns, partly be- 

 cause, as already mentioned, it has not the 

 strikingly showy qualities that go to the 

 making of a fashionable plant, but princi- 

 pally because it is difficult to propagate, 

 even by grafting or layers ; and one of the 

 most difficult feats the skillful propagator 

 can undertake is to grow Hardy Azaleas 

 from either cuttings or seed. 



In order to present properly the full effect 

 of the charms of the Hardy Azalea, irregular 

 groups should be made with tall specimens, 

 marking but distinguished points here and 

 there, and clustering smaller ones on the 

 outskirts. A few hardy Ferns, mingled with 

 the outlines of Azaleas, add greatly to the 

 beauty and variety of the arrangement, the 

 boundaries of which should be entirely wav- 

 ing and irregular. S. Parsons, Jr. 



EVERGREEN HEDGES UNDER TREES, 



can be made to do well under large decidu- 

 ous trees. 



Of Evergreens for hedges there are few 

 better than the old Arbor Vita?, Hemlock 

 Spruce, and Norway Spruce. Scotch Pine, 

 White Pine, and others, are sometimes used, 

 and, indeed, any Pine or coniferous tree 

 makes a fair hedge, as they all bear pruning 

 well. The Holly makes a remarkably good 

 hedge ; but in our country the difficulty of 

 raising the plant is against its cheapness, 

 and, consequently, extensive use. Many 

 die after transplanting in our country ; but 

 if all the leaves are taken off when trans- 

 planted, and they are treated as ordinary 

 deciduous trees, they seldom die on removal. 

 It may be said of all trees and shrubs, as of 

 Evergreens under trees, that they love cool, 

 rich soil, where water comes to them often 

 and easily drains away. This is the great 

 success of Rhododendron and Hardy Azalea 

 culture. They will do well in almost any 

 soil, or in any aspect, if the soil be made 

 deep, so that the water will go down easily 

 below the roots, and then easily drain away. 

 To this end, if the soil be thrown out two 

 feet deep, and a foot deep of brush-wood 

 placed at the bottom of the trench before 

 the soil is thrown in again, it will make a 

 cheap under-drain, which will encourage the 

 water to go down through the upper surface 

 easily. Peat is often iised for Rhododen- 

 drons, but chiefly because it is cool and moist, 

 while still admitting of the free passage of 

 air. 



The subject of growing Evergreen hedges 

 under the shade of deciduous trees is, no 

 doubt, of interest to those of our readers 

 who are annoyed by unsightly gaps in their 

 hedges, often just where it is desirable to 

 have them appear best, and the following 

 observations of the Gardener's Monthly may 

 suggest a welcome remedy : 



"We have seen cases where the Ever- 

 greens forming the hedge did not seem to 

 mind the trees in the least, and yet it is 

 clear that, in a large number of cases, the 

 hedges do suffer from large trees over them. 

 But it is not the shade which injures, for 

 Evergreens rather like shade ; but the trou- 

 ble is from the drying out of the moisture 

 by the strong roots of the deciduous trees, 

 and, to some extent, by the poverty of the 

 soil, caused by the numerous fibrous roots 

 of the large trees eating up all the food. 

 The Evergreens in the hedge often do not 

 die at once, but their vital powers are in- 

 jured during summer, and then cold winds, 

 or even moderate frost, make easy victims 

 of them. 



Now, it sometimes happens that the large 

 trees do not always take all the moisture, or 

 all the food, and then the Evergreens will 

 not suffer. When we feel sure these condi- 

 tions will be permanent, we may plant ever- 

 green hedges under large forest trees ; but, 

 as a rule, it is not to be commended. Some 

 deciduous plant had better be employed. 



But there are times when it may be very 

 desirable to have an evergreen hedge under 

 trees. In this case dig a deep trench — a 

 trench say two feet deep — between the 

 hedge and the trees, cutting off the roots of 

 the trees. Do this about every third year, 

 filling in the earth, of course, after the roots 

 of the strong tree have been cut off, and add 

 a little well-rotted manure once in a while. 

 With this extra trouble an evergreen hedge 



SHRUBS -WITH ORNAMENTAL BERRIES, 



In answer to inquiries for a list of shrubs 

 and small trees which produce ornamental 

 fruit after flowering, and after the leaves 

 have fallen in autumn, the Country Gentle- 

 man names : 



Prinos verticillatus, or Black Alder, which 

 grows wild in muck swamps, and bears a 

 profusion of scarlet berries, which continue 

 through a large portion of winter. It grows 

 well, and jiroduces its masses of berries 

 when removed upland. 



Celastrus scanrtcns, Bittersweet, is a climber, 

 and with its clusters of orange-scarlet fruit 

 may be made a graceful display in winter. 



Berberis vulgaris, the Barberry, is orna- 

 mental as a shrub when in flower, and also 

 with its beautiful racemes of berries, the 

 purple variety being the most ornamental. 



Euonymus atropurpweus, Burning Bush. 



Viburnum Oxycoccus, the Bush Cranberry. 



Symphoricarptis racemosus, the Snowberry. 



Jurwperus Virginiana, the Red Cedar, some 

 trees of which bear a profusion of blue and 

 purple berries, which have a singularly 

 beautiful effect in winter, in connection with 

 the dark-green foliage of the trees. 



Sorb us Americana and aucuparia, the 

 Mountain Ash, with their several varieties. 



Sheplierdia argentea, the Buffalo Berry, 

 bears dense masses of orange-scarlet ber- 

 ries, and, being dioecious, it is necessary to 

 have staminate and pistillate plants growing 

 together. It is a shrub of straggling growth, 

 but by pinching back and training, it may be 

 brought into a symmetrical shape. 



Crataegus pyracantha, the Evergreen Thorn, 

 is a low-growing evergreen shrub, which, late 

 in autumn and early in winter, affords a fine 

 display of dense clusters of red berries. Be- 

 ing slightly tender, it should be planted in 

 the shelter of evergreen trees. 



