zqMI^^^J, 
WHAT IS A SHEUBBEKT ? 
WHAT IS A SHRUBBERY ? 
By Mk. EERIjS'GTOK, C.M.H.S., Gardener to Sir P. Egerton, Bart., M.P., Ocltou Park, Cheshire. 
f\F all the ajipendages to a garden, the ordinary shrubbery of the olden time, has always appeared to 
P 
y me the most misatisfactoiy. I speak of those long, unbroken, belt- formed borders, composed of various 
shrubs of the most coniJicting characters, iiitermingled in a regular pell-mell manner. Such, certamly, 
are not so common as in former days ; but enough is left of them, in various parts of the kingdom, to 
shame British gardening, which ought to take a much higher position in this respect. If such are, in- 
deed, conducive to the beauty of the landscape, or really ornamental in themselves, it is matter of 
surprise that our great painters have not availed themselves of this indefinite thing in thenr composi- 
tions ; but there, we may look for it, I fancy, in vain. 
"^^Tien such a shrubbery has attained some age, we generally find the lower part of most of the de- 
ciduous shi-nbs become lean and naked ; in fact, many of them more like taU pea-stakes than hand- 
some bushes ; wliilst the debatable ground beneath, having long since been deserted by the belhgereut 
twigs, the last keen rivahy (wliich, in the order of things, must finally end in the utter extermiuation 
of some of the party) is kept up with singular confusion, by the half- starved exti-emities. To be 
sure, a sprinkling of evergreens still left, serve to give some animation to this lining rubbish-yard, 
but they are sm'e to exhibit unmistakeable symptoms of the conflict they have endm-ed; and, unless 
composed of Hollies, or other tree-like evergreens, they too must, ere long, become denuded stumps, 
and serve only to augment the faggot pile. 
The late lamented Mr. Loudon was not far wide in his ideas concerning what he termed the " garden- 
esque ;" and I really do not see why this principle of high di-ess should not be aj)pUed to deciduous shi-ubs, 
in their disposal about the pleasure-ground. The genuine landscape gardener would, of coiu'se, become 
alai-med, with the idea of bare patches of soil, and destruction of breadth, which a dotting system is 
kno-^Ti to give rise to : and herein hes, indeed, a slight difficulty, not, however, of a really insuperable 
character. It occm's to me, that most of oiu" deciduous flowering shi-ubs might be cidtivated with much 
better effect on the massing system, or singly ; and that the evergreens in general, and timber trees, or 
trees of half height, would class together as to general effect. By this aiTangement, the main featm-es 
of the pleasm'e-gronnds, as far as breadth was concerned, might be, for the most part, composed of the 
latter class ; where, amidst dense evergreens, there might tower up at intervals such things as the 
Sorbus family, the taller Thorns, the Tm'key Oak, some of the JMespilus family, the Ailantus, Sumachs, 
or, indeed, any of the more moderate-growing fancy Arboretum trees. Subordinate to these, and 
nearer the margins, the best flowering deciduous slu'ubs might occui' singly or in small masses ; and, to 
relieve their lean appearance in winter, single specimens of huge evergreens might be interspersed 
thi'oughout them ; not by a dotting system, for most of these materials might, where the grounds are 
tolerably extensive, be congregated around, or off the margins of the large masses. As single ever- 
greens, those of the endui'ing land should be freely used, and also those possessing much character or 
expression. Here should be seen the sombre and massive Yew ; the dignified-looking Hemlock sjirnce 
with its weeping plumes ; the noble HoUy, soaring majestically with its rampant leader, the lower 
boughs still fi'esh and sweeping the turf ; the stm'dy and robust-looking Portugal Lam'el ; and last, 
not least, the graceful Deodar. Such might, occasionally, advancing and receding, as single trees, serve 
to break the outline of the larger features, and to relieve any meagreness arising from the use of de- 
ciduous flowering shrubs — the chief point in these remarks. 
Where grounds are very extensive, leafy masses of Rhododendrons, squatting down to the tm-f, by 
pegging, or otherwise, would form a connecting link between the sward and the shrubs ; even as the 
latter, assisted by trees of medium growth, lead up to om- majestic timber trees ; thus linkin g-, as it 
were, the well-defined portions of the landscape into one harmonious whole. 
Some of these shrubs might be placed singly, some in groups of, perhaps, thi-ee or four ; obser-sdng, 
as to the latter mode, to plant them far enough apart, in order that they do not starve each other into 
leanness thi-ough root competition. Many of those which are known to sucker well, might, with ad- 
vantage, be cut do-«Ti, after being established a season ; they would then thi-ow up abundance of shoots, 
which, with a httlc age, would become a mass, reaching down to the sward. This woidd, I conceive, 
be a most desii-able plan, as the interior would be concealed, and mowing, or other operations within, 
would be done away. 
In these suggestions I have been taldng the case of thepi-incipal walks, or di-ives, fi-om the mansion, 
and their detoui-s, and supposing a place of considerable extent, where a great breadth of margin pre- 
sents itself for such operations ; the main business being as to the planting, that, whilst we em-ich the 
groimds as much as possible in porut of detail, breadth would be supported, and a dotting system avoided. ( 
'J(^^ ^^R 
I 
