eee aS 
EVANS & RE hay ees NURSERIES 

When the soil is heavy and the drainage leaves something to be desired, 
keeping the top of the soil in good mechanical condition is a great help, in 
fact imperative, as no plants will succeed if the surface of the ground is al- 
lowed to become either dry or baked, or kept in a soggy condition. If the 
soil surface is kept cool and loose, either by a mulch or by proper cultivation, 
much can be accomplished, though surface rooting plants such as Camellias, — 
Begonias, Fuchsias, Terrestrial Orchids, etc., should be given a good mulch 
of thoroughly rotted cow manure, leaf mold or peat, and the ground left un- 
disturbed. , | 
PLACEMENT 
It is our conviction, after nearly 50 years experience in gardening in 
California, that many fine trees, shrubs, and vines are injured, in fact killed 
by being set too deep in the ground, and this is particularly dangerous in 
heavy soil. 
Plants should never be planted so deep that the junction of the branches 
with the main trunk is below the ground. Gardeners frequently do not make 
sufficient allowance for the plants settling in the loose earth in which they are 
planted. It is a very necessary precaution in setting out a plant where the 
soil has been filled in below, to set the plant a little high to allow for its set- 
tling, as the earth underneath it settles;—positively nothing is more important. 
When a basin is made around plants, the basin should always’be started a 
few inches away from the trunk, so that water does not stand for any length 
of time against the trunk. This is most important in the case of citrus trees in 
heavy soil. 
PROTECTION FROM SUN AND WIND 
Lovers of choice plants unless they have natural shade in their garden, 
such as is afforded by the branches of trees, will find a lath house almost in- 
dispensable, as many fine things such as Cymbidium Orchids, Bromeliads, 
Begonias, etc., can only be grown successfully if given shelter from the hot 
sun. The best results will, of course, be attained by growing the plants in 
the ground in such a house, which can be made beautiful by hanging baskets 
of various kinds overhead. The soil should be well drained and reasonably 
light, with the addition of plenty of leaf mold. Such a house will be consider- 
ably cooler in summer and a little warmer in winter; space will be valuable 
and should be strictly confined to the accommodation of plants of outstanding 
merit and beauty. 
ESPALIER PLANTS 
We believe that more flowering and foliage shrubs should be grown 
against walls in espalier fashion. It is not only an economy of space, but 
many sun and heat loving plants such as Hibiscus, etc., will flower with un- . 
usual profusion if trained back against a warm south or west wall. Many 
plants which are inclined to become rather shapeless with age, can be kept 
in good form when grown against walls, and in addition, a wall or building 
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