Tune 11, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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COMING EVENTS 
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Royal Society at 4.30 P.M.; South Essex Show, Leyton. 
Second Sunday after Trinity. 
lork Gala (three days). Royal Botanic Society's Summer Show. 
FLOWERING SHRUBS. 
ERHAPS the most charming of all spring-flower¬ 
ing shrubs is the well-known Spanish Broom 
(Spartium junceum). Its long fringed branches 
of graceful arching habit when covered, as they 
are this year, in late May and early June, are 
lovely. Upon hanks it has an exceedingly good 
appearance, and thrives in almost any soil, 
flowering profusely. It is an admirable rock 
plant, its elegant habit giving it a peculiar 
fitness for such position, and in the front of shrubberies is 
excellent. Genista procumbens, as its name implies, is of 
dwarf, prostrate, yet compact growth, and in May is laden 
with its golden yellow flowers, which on slopes, or rockwork, 
or other position where perfect drainage is secured it is quite 
a gem, and certainly ought to find a place in every garden, 
especially in those where the soil is light, or at least well 
drained, as it certainly dislikes wet. 
Genista praecox is, next to the Genista first named, the 
finest of all hardy spring shrubs, flowering as it does every 
year in the greatest profusion, its slender shoots drooping 
gracefully under its load of pale yellow or sulphur flowers, 
and is best seen to advantage on a sloping bank, where we 
have it in association with the preceding, and is very effective 
along with Yellow and White Broom towering up at the back, 
loaded as they are with their golden and silvery white 
blossoms respectively. Like all the Brooms it likes a light 
soil and well drained. In wet soils it does not thrive, but 
a sunny position on rockwork will be found to suit it 
admirably; indeed it must be considered one of the best rock 
shrubs, as even when not in flower it is very graceful in 
appearance. 
Genista hispanica, or Spanish Genista, is a pretty, dwarf, 
very compact growing bush, not more than a foot high, quite 
charming in the front of shrubberies ; it is amass of golden 
flowers in late May or early June, and in prominent positions 
is highly ornamental, as out of bloom it has a very elegant 
appearance. Well-drained soil is necessary to succeed with 
it, it being impatient of a wet soil. 
Berberis stenophylla is another charming plant for a 
sloping bank or other position where the soil is well drained 
and the situation sunny. The deep golden, almost orange, 
blossoms on the slender arching branches have a lovely effect, 
and it blooms splendidly when once it becomes established, 
following close after B. Darwini, being a hybrid between that 
and B. dulcis. It deserves to be more commonly met with 
in gardens than we find it at present. In wet soils it does 
not do well, but we have seen it thriving admirably as a wall 
plant where the soil was wet and the climate cold. A well- 
drained soil and sheltered position is, however, best suited 
to it. 
Coronilla Emerus, or Scorpion Senna, is another very free- 
flowering shrub. Its elegant growth and profusion of yellow 
blossoms render it very desirable for shrubberies, attaining 
to a height of about 4 feet, and during May is a conspicuous 
object. Like all those previously named it requires a light 
No. 259.— Vol. X., Third Series. 
well-drained soil, and then it thrives well. In heavy wet 
soils its growths from not ripening well are liable to be cut 
by severe frosts. 
Daphne Fioniana is a pretty evergreen of dwarf habit, 
and is well worth a place in every garden, not only as a free- 
flowering plant with lilac-purple "flowers, but for its delicious 
fragrance. It does well in light soil, and though generally 
considered to require peat, it thrives here in light soil over- 
lying gravel of the oolite formation, in which it grows freely 
and flowers abundantly. It also does well planted at the foot 
of rockwork. 
Cytisus albus, or White Portugal Broom, is also very 
fine, having whipcord-like growths arching beautifully under 
its load of pure white flowers, and is in light well-drained 
soils quite hardy, being particularly fine for sunny slopes and 
rockwork. It does not succeed well in a wet heavy soil. 
The Cream-coloured Broom (Cytisus pallidus) is also very 
fine, flowering during late May or early June, and is equally 
eligible for rockwork or the front of borders in well-drained 
soil. The two last associate well with the plants previously 
mentioned on sloping banks, having a contour in tasty 
arrangement very different from the stiff formality presented 
by banks of pegged Laurel or clothed with Mahonia, being 
more natural and pleasing. 
Spiraea ulmifolia bears large corymbs of pure white 
flowers, and is very effective just now in early June, and not 
being more than a yard high is suitable for front rows in 
shrubbery borders. It succeeds in almost any soil, but does 
best in a good rich loam, moist, but well drained, or one 
through which the water can percolate freely. S. Van Houttei 
also has white flowers in corymbs, and being of moderate 
growth and very free-flowering is suitable for the front of 
shrubbery borders. S. Thunbergi produces its flowers along 
the slender shoots, and when well flowered is very graceful 
and suitable for positions that preclude larger-growing kinds, 
being generally about 2 to 3 feet high. S. Nobleana has 
pink flowers in corymbs, and is also of moderate growth, 
flowering in early summer. But the most graceful of all the 
spring-flowering Spiraeas is S. prunifolia fl.-pl., its slender 
growth pendant with its profusion of pure white double 
flowers rendering it quite charming in second or third rows 
in borders. In good soil it attains to a height of about 5 feet, 
flowering in April. S. Reevesi fl.-pl. flowers a little later, 
and is very beautiful, and does not exceed 3 feet in height. 
S. opulaefolia lutea may be mentioned as being very effective 
from its bright yellow foliage when first put forth, which 
brighten up a shrubbery immensely. 
Exochorda (Spiraea) grandiflora is a very fine shrub 
indeed, its pure white flowers being produced in long spikes 
or racemes along the branches, and in a good specimen is 
very beautiful. It is not very hardy—at least in damp soils 
it makes late growths, which are liable to be cut by frosts in 
winter. In our soil—viz., light loam over gravel—it does 
capitally, and certainly is deserving of place in every 
shrubbery. It flowers early in June onwards. During April 
Pyrus spectabilis floribunda was very beautiful by its 
profusion of showy blossoms of a rosy pink, and the plants 
being worked low they are no more than a yard high, and in 
shrubbery borders there is no more beautiful early-flowering 
tree. 
Weigelas are beautiful late-spring or early summer flower¬ 
ing shrubs that are not grown so extensively as they deserve to 
be. They have a beautiful effect when clothed with their 
white, rose, pink, and red almost Pentstemon-like flowers, 
which are borne profusely on ripened wood. Very rich soil 
and shaded positions should be avoided, or the growth will 
be too luxuriant; hard, sturdy, or almost stubby growths 
being invariably the most floriferous, and these can only be 
produced under the full influence of sun and air, and with 
the roots of the plants established in firm and moderately 
fertile soil. 
In late May the best plant of the shrubbery was the new 
No. 1915. —Vol. LXXII., Old Series. 
