HOUSE AND GARDEN 
I 22 
Rose of Sharon or shrubby althea is one of the old-time favorites. It 
blooms with the hydrangeas, in August and September 
One of the most effective, however, of the large shrubs in 
summer is the Bladder Senna or Colutea. There are several 
vigorous varieties, all having acacia-like foliage, whose compact 
growth makes them specially valuable for group combinations, 
while their yellowish-red flowers, shaped like pea blossoms, appear¬ 
ing in June and July, and followed by reddish, bladder-like pods, 
make these shrubs conspicuous and ornamental. 
No lawn or garden is complete without a lilac bush. Syringa Persica 
is one of the most reliable varieties 
October, 1909 
A vigorous shrub of from four to ten feet high is the wild 
hydrangea, growing from New York south to Florida, and west 
to Iowa, and although it is useful to screen unsightly buildings 
and may be planted in masses for shelter-beds, it is neither so 
showy nor such a favorite as the hardy garden species, Hydrangea 
paniculata var. grandiflora, which we owe to Japanese floriculture. 
The flowers of the cultivated hydrangeas, and their varieties are 
numerous and showy, have a beautiful scale of color, ranging 
from pale-green and cream-white to rose-pink and red. They 
bloom in August, reach perfection in October, and remain on 
the branches until literally 
whipped off by the storms 
of winter. The wild hydran¬ 
gea blooms in June and July, 
while the Philadelphuses blos¬ 
som in May and June, so 
that the various shrubs be¬ 
longing to the hydrangea 
family have a long flowering 
season. Hydrangeas should 
find a place in every garden, 
as they are easily cultivated 
and strikingly ornamental, and 
none more so than H. Hor- 
lensis, with its pale rose-col¬ 
ored flowers suffused with a 
deeper shade of pink. 
Two tree-like shrubs, beau¬ 
tiful and unique in mid¬ 
summer, are the Stuartia, with 
orange-like clusters of creamy- 
white flowers, and the sorrel 
tree ( Andromeda arbor e a) 
whose swaying tassels of fra¬ 
grant blossoms are most at¬ 
tractive at this time. 
Where low-growing shrubs 
are required for the outskirts 
of groups, no shrub is more 
desirable than the Clethra 
alnijolia, or sweet pepper 
bush, with its white, sweet- 
scented flower spikes appear¬ 
ing in mid-summer. While 
I can do no more here than 
give but a hint of the many 
beautiful blooming shrubs to 
be utilized in planting a pic¬ 
ture, I must not omit to 
mention the tamarisk (Ta- 
ntarix Ahicana), whose great 
vigor and characteristic feath¬ 
ery habit make it valuable in 
groups where variety of form and beauty are required. There 
are other charming varieties and Tamarix Indica is often planted 
with the Rose of Sharon ( Hibiscus Syriacus) or shrubby althea, 
on the outskirts of lawns to mark informally the corners, or 
used as tall shrubs in groups; they both bloom in August and 
September, and there are many altheas of the mallow family 
known as Hibiscus that are ornamental and full of lovely color. 
1 hen there are about nine species of native wild roses and 
several acclimated ones, and these, together with innumerable 
varieties, amounting to hundreds, give them a preeminent position 
in any list of fast-growing decorative shrubs. They may be 
planted to bloom alone, grouped, trellised, twined, espaliered, 
pleached or left to grow at their own sweet will over unsightly 
rocks or walls. A hedge of roses is as beautiful as one of privet. 
Spireci prunifolia, sometimes called 
Bridal Wreath, is a splendid 
Spring-blooming shrub 
