FLORA 
AND SYLVA. 
Vol. III. No. 26.] 
MAY, 190S 
[Monthly. 
THE WOODLAND GARDEN. 
I HAVE lately seen woods of singular tree 
beauty in several country places, woods 
with all the natural advantages of soil, 
air, and country, and well-placed near 
the house — a charm which does not 
always occur. In these places there was 
all the dignity and grace of tree-life that 
could be desired — the trees planted with 
loving care by past owners ; but very 
often such woodland is neglected until 
ugly plants take possession, such as 
Nettles, Dog's Mercury, and, most hate- 
ful of all, the common Elder and Privet. 
In such woods covert is rightly sought 
for game, shelter, and other ends, and 
there is no reason why it should not 
take a beautiful form and be free of the 
enemies just named . There are no situa- 
tions about a country house that offer 
such opportunity for beauty as these 
woodland s , where we can mas s and enj oy 
many of the most beautiful of native and 
other shrubs, for which there is not al- 
ways room in the garden. They would 
be far better in the woodland garden 
than in the usual mixed shrubbery; and 
good wholesome undergrowth does not 
interfere with the trees but rather helps 
them, whereas the growth of weeds and 
grass, often allowed to rankle over the 
ground, is hurtful in many ways. It is 
the nature of some of the finest natural 
woods to have an undergrowth of ever- 
green shrubs, as for instance in the 
Californian forests with their beautiful 
undergrowth of evergreens, the trees 
rising with clean stems far above them. 
The first essential in such clearings 
would be to get rid of the covert enemies 
by light grubbing, and plant in bold 
free masses things that will fight the 
weeds. I know nothing that clears the 
ground below it more thoroughly than 
the Red Dogwood, its foliage is so close. 
A cheap shrub, it gives bright winter- 
effect in marshy or wet places beside 
streams and ponds, but it will also grow 
apart from water. 
Our native evergreens, e.g. Holly, 
Box, and Yew — how much more beauti- 
ful and effective groups they make than 
the weedy trees which usually have pos- 
session. The common evergreen Bar- 
berry from North America is a beauti- 
ful covert shrub, with its foliage all 
through the winter and its fragrant and 
effective blooms in spring, but it should 
be held together in natural masses, and 
close enough to keep the ground clear. 
The too common way of having a lot of 
coarse Laurels and clipping them down 
