LATE-FLOWERING SHRUBS. 
It is the middle of August, and the influence of heat 
and drought is perceptible in our gardens and fields by 
the “ burned-up ” lawns, flagging-plants and dusty 
leaves. But those who have deep, ricli suil and lots of 
water, can keep their lawns and plants as gay and 
fresh as if it yet were May or June. Most of our 
shrubs have finished blooming long ago, others, as the 
Carolina Allspice ( Calycanthns ), have not ceased to 
bloom; some, as the Kcrrias, Rliodotypes, Daphne C'nco- 
rum, and Chinese Wistaria, have begun a second bloom¬ 
ing, to continue more or less for weeks to come; not a 
few, as the Mountain Ash, are more ornamental in 
fruit than in flower; indeed, what can now be hand¬ 
somer than the great bunches of red-cheeked “keys” 
of the ill-scented Tree-of-IIeaven (Atlanta*)'! These 
fruits are more conspicuous and showy than its flowers 
ever were. 
And how beautiful, again, we can make the stronger- 
growing shrubs that blossomed in the spring appear by 
imitating Nature and allowing the Climbing Hemp- 
weed ( Mikania) display its handsome purplish-white 
wreaths upon and over them, and the Ground Nut 
(Apios) grow up among their stems and branches, and 
there unfold its little clusters of violet-scented, choco¬ 
late-colored flowers. 
But coming directly to the shrubs of the season, we 
have the Chinese Tamarisk, with its airy spray of rosy 
flowers; indeed, it is as ornamental a shrub, if not more 
so, hardier at any rate, than the French Tamarisk of 
early summer. And what a valuable addition it must 
be to the shrubs of our Southern shores, where it blos¬ 
soms with the Oleander. Althaeas need no recommenda¬ 
tion, they are well-known enough and appreciated 
already. For late-blooming, no shrubs surpass them in 
profusion. Hydrangea puniculata, more airy, graceful, 
less showy, and over a week earlier than the massive 
variety Crandiflora, is at its best, and the last-named 
opening out. Some people deprecate the Grandiflora 
as a coarse, vulgar, unbecoming flower, but there is 
ample room for two opinions, and mine is, that it is one 
of the best shrubs of the garden. It is no coarser than 
the old gardon Hydrangea, it does not change from 
white to purple sooner than the large Trillium, or other 
much vaunted flowers. Feed it well, thin it well, and 
give it lots of water. There are three wild Hydranges 
from the South, namely, arboi\scens, radial a and 
quercil'olia, that are in bloom now, worth growing for 
variety’s sake in large places, but not choice enough for 
small gardens. The Sorrel-Tree ( oxydendrum ) is still 
in bloom, and its panicled racemes of white flowers are 
i- quite pretty. In sheltered places it is quite hardy; in 
bleak exposures it is not. Its leaves assume a bright 
crimson tint in fall. Several of the Sumachs, the Stag¬ 
horn, for instance, are quite showy in fruit, and 
Osbeck’s Japanese Sumach is hardly in bloom yet. It 
has enormous panicles of dull, white flowers; and its 
leaves turn yellow in fall. The common White Alder 
(Cletlira) is, and has been in blossom for some time; it 
is white, profuse and fragrant, but, like the Cardinal 
Flower, the people do not seem to fully appreciate it, be¬ 
cause it grows wild in all our swampy grounds. The 
Alleghany species ( acuminata ) is later blooming and has 
larger racemes, also of white and fragrant flowers. 
They like moist ground. The Angelica Tree ( Aralia ), 
is thorny, and with such ample sub-tropical appearing 
foliage, is a handsome plant at any time, but far more 
so at this time, or a little earli-r, when crowned by 
such a mass of panicled umbels of greenish-white 
flowers. 
One of the most beautiful trees in the Boston Public 
Garden, to day, is Sophora Japonica ; every branclilet is 
tipped with a large panicle of dull white pea-flowers. 
Its leaves and young wood are of a very deep green 
color, and insect enemies seem to pass it by. It is 
strange how little this tree is grown. 
Among shrubby St. John's-worts ( Hypericum ), Kal- 
mianum and prolificum are at their best, and aureum, 
a lesser species, is brighter and better than either of the 
others. H. patulum is a lovely species, but not reliably 
hardy. 
But when we come among the Spiraeas we become 
much puzzled with difference in names and sameness 
in plants; most of them seem varieties or hybrids of our 
Hardback and Meadow Sweet. We have now in blos¬ 
som, silicifolia rosea. Linnceana, sjieciosa, exemia, Bil- 
larilieri, Bella and Regeliana. But in brightness and 
fullness we have nothing to equal a moist meadow near 
the seashore, where, the other day, I found Hardback 
and Meadow-Sweet in great profusion, and the 
ground carpeted all about them with Red Milk¬ 
wort (Polygala). 
The Chaste Tree (Vitex), and the cut-leaved Chaste 
Tree, are a mass of lavender-blue flowers. Lespedeza 
penduliflora is opening its purple flowers, but it is not 
always hardy. The tree Lespedeza bicolor, quite hardy, 
is going out of bloom. Buddleoe recurva, purplish-blue, 
not showy, is past its best; but Lindleyana, more 
slender, but with as showy blossoms, is in full 
bloom. 
In its native wilds depending in sheets from over the 
branches of the trees skirting our Southern bottom¬ 
lands, how beautiful are the clustered trumpets of the 
Trumpet Vine; and not less so in cultivation on trees 
or trellises. At t^ris time, too, our Wild Virgin’6 Bower 
(Clematis Virginiana) drapes our rocky banks, spreads 
over bushes, and ascends the branches of low-growing 
trees and displays its whitish airy flowers. In gardens 
quiteahost are nowin bloom, say Jackman’s Clematises, 
among the blues and purples; the sweet-scented (Flam- 
mula) Virgin’s Bower, white; the Himalayan (graveo- 
lens), yellow; and the scarlet Clematis (coccmea), from 
Texas. And these, as well as many other vines, can so 
be used among the shrubs, on screens or fences, or on 
trellises, so as to form happy auxiliaries, which, to¬ 
gether with Gladioluses, Speciosum. and Tiger Lilies, 
White Day Lilies, Coreopsis, small-bloomed Sunflowers, 
and other plants, should render our gardens gay enough 
without much trouble or expense. W. Fajlconeb. 
Harvard Botanic m. Gardens, I 
Cambridge, Mass, f 
