40 
DWARF EVERGREENS FIT FOR PLANTING ON LAWNS. 
spot. Either or all of the positions indicated in the commencement of this paper, 
may be advantageously chosen. 
In planting out small specimens of Heaths, Rhododendrons, or their congeners, 
it is not to be assumed that they will at once establish themselves in a common 
garden earth, if it happen to be of a loamy or clayey nature. All plants are more 
easily injured while in a young state than they are after having reached a certain 
age ; and will also often succeed well in some soils at the former period, which they 
would not grow vigorously in during their subsequent progress. This may be 
readily accounted for. If young specimens of some species be placed in a wet and 
nutritive soil, they will advance too rapidly to have their shoots matured, and thus 
become liable to injury from cold. It is so with the class at present before us ; 
which should have a small pit, about two feet in diameter, and half that depth, 
excavated where they are intended to be planted, and the space filled with a pre- 
pared earth, of which heath soil and sand should constitute rather more than half. 
A twofold benefit will be derived from such an arrangement ; for not only will 
danger be guarded against, but the plants will grow slowly at first, and be more 
likely to form symmetrical compact bushes. 
By providing a proper compost for the plants at the time of transplantation, 
further attention of that kind will be dispensed with ; as the roots will gradually 
strike into the natural soil, and soon become accustomed to the additional supply 
of nutriment and fluid it contains. If the surrounding land be notoriously bad, 
liable to saturation, and ill adapted for all sorts of plants, a much greater excava- 
tion and introduction of compost must be made ; but in no other case will it be 
necessary or desirable. The general opinion that all Heaths need a large propor- 
tion of moor soil, has very slight foundation in fact ; and, for the hardy ones, it is 
still less indispensable. 
After planting out the specimens, turf should be laid beneath them, close around 
the stems, and the shoots may be encouraged to spread themselves horizontally ; 
since nothing can be more beautiful than the branches of a plant, laden with 
blossoms, lying prostrate on a nicely mown lawn, and so blending with it as to 
form, as it were, a part of the turf itself. A few of the Andromedas, and 
Gaultheria shallon , will bear to be slightly primed in order to keep them dwarf 
and dense. The Heaths and Rhododendrons cannot be safely interfered with. 
With a judicious selection of Heaths, which bloom through the autumnal and 
winter seasons, of Rhododendrons, Kalmias, and Lyonias, which flower most 
liberally in spring, and Andromedas and Gaultheria shallon , which blossom all the 
summer, the gaiety of a garden may be very greatly enhanced. But what renders 
these species most valuable, is the contrast their deep green verdure presents to the 
dull, dingy green of a lawn during winter, and especially the brilliant flowers of 
the Heaths at the same period, and those of other kinds in the spring. For the 
sake of variety, the common Savin ( Juniperus Sabina) is an exceedingly interest- 
ing plant for a lawn, and some large masses of it at Chatsworth look remarkably 
well in the winter season. 
