A METHOD OF WINTER GARDENING. 



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and flourished during five winters, which have sufficed to kill 

 down to the root the common as well as the variegated Euonymus 

 japonicus, so that I think you may rely upon its hardiness, south 

 of the Thames at least. It is Elceagnus japonicus variegattis ; 

 it has lovely olive-green leaves, edged and blotched with a rich 

 cream colour, and the wood part of the shoots is thickly clothed 

 with rich chocolate-brown hairs or scales ; altogether, I think it 

 a delightful plant to have just one or two specimens of. There 

 is no suggestion of disease in its variegation, a fault which, to 

 my mind, utterly ruins so many variegated plants. Time would 

 fail me to tell of Rhododendrons, Andromedas and Kalmias, Bays 

 and Laurustinus, the Chinese Juniper, Thujopsis borcalis, and 

 many others, all of which do excellently for pot culture, and may 

 be had at very little cost. 



Hitherto I have only incidentally remarked that small speci- 

 mens, especially baby Aucubas and small Berberis Aquifolium in 

 tiny pots, do well for the front row ; but there are a few excel- 

 lent things that do permanently for front places. Amongst these 

 the two best plants by far I know of (and both are propagated 

 with the greatest ease, the first from layerings, the second from 

 spores) are Erica herbacea earned, with its soft mossy cushions 

 smothered with bright pink flowers in February and March, and 

 the Shield Fern (Polystichum aculeatum), with its long graceful 

 leaves swaying with every wind ; of these you cannot have too 

 many. One or two of the white variety of E. herbacea are very 

 useful for variety, and the flowers are charming in mid-winter. 

 Gaultheria Shallon makes a good pot plant for midway between 

 the front and second rows ; so, too, do the varieties of Menziesia 

 polifolia, or Irish Heath ; but the white one is the only one whose 

 flowers I care for, and they are charming, but I am not sure that 

 the plant is always frost-proof. The common Hart's Tongue Fern 

 (Scolopendriumvulgare) I use a great deal of for quite the front, 

 but it is not altogether satisfactory, as an early wet frost is apt to 

 take the colour in blotches out of its glorious broad green leaves. 

 Arabis albida, Iberis corifolia, and such like, serve for a 

 pleasant change, and Christmas Roses in pots are ever welcome. 

 I do not mention Snowdrops, Crocuses, Daffodils, &c, as they 

 belong more to the subject of spring than of winter gardening. 



And now a word or two as to culture, &c. The plants, 

 having been procured, are potted into the smallest-sized pots 



