CHAPTER X

FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS

The majority of English gardeners are slow to recognise the value of the various flowering shrubs as an aid to the carrying out of design. Our gardens, as a whole, are far too sombre, a result of planting extensively with dark, close growing evergreens, which keep out the light, and reduce our pleasure grounds to the verge of monotony. Evergreens are well enough in their way, and in certain instances form valuable screens to unsightly corners at all times of the year. But their use has been overdone, and by their presence they are crowding out a host of beautiful subjects, graceful and varied in their mode of growth, and productive, also, of that most needed element in our often saddening atmosphere—colour. Small gardens, especially, can ill afford to be overplanted with laurel and privet, a form of encroachment to which they are particularly liable. The majority of evergreens are greedy feeders, and their hungry roots travel in all directions, impoverishing the soil in the beds and borders, which, owing to lack of space, have to be formed in their near vicinity. The prejudice which exists against deciduous trees is in reality quite unfounded, as anyone must realise who has taken the trouble to examine the structural beauty of trees which shed their leaves. The exquisite tints of autumn, the gradual revealing of hidden beauties in bark and stem as the summer mantle is discarded, are sights we look for in vain in evergreens. Summer and winter they hardly vary, and gardens in which stiffly growing hollies, dusty yews, and straggling laurels monopolise nearly all the space, are usually lacking in interest just when they should be full of charm. If some of the old shrubberies filled with worn out, decaying evergreens could be rooted up, letting in the air and sunshine, how much better would it be. Their place might be taken by a varied collection of graceful, deciduous trees and shrubs, which during their flowering period would afford constant interest and pleasure. Of course a garden from which evergreens were entirely banished, would be bare and cheerless to a degree during the winter months. Besides, the more tender plants would undoubtedly suffer, owing to the sudden inlet of cold winds, from which they had previously been protected. As shelter trees and wind breaks, evergreens are of the utmost utility, and their value in this direction cannot be over-estimated. Judiciously planted and used in moderation they are always pleasing, it is only by constant repetition, and the formation of dense, gloomy thickets, that the designer wearies us by their presence.

Granted, however, that evergreens have a certain value, there is no reason why we should not aim at greater variety than is at present the case. In addition to the ever present laurels, there are whole families of Rhododendrons, Barberries, Olearia, Kalmia, certain of the Heaths, Daphne in sheltered situations, Cotoneaster, and many others. These are all beautiful at their flowering period, and at other times, by their diversity of form and habit, will make a welcome change to the existing conditions. I have felt it desirable to draw attention to the need for further recognition of the flowering shrubs, both deciduous and evergreen; they present so much variety and charm, and are, moreover, adapted to such a variety of situations, that it seems unreasonable to exclude them from our gardens. Another point in their favour is the supply of decorative bloom which is obtainable from such free flowering subjects as the various Quinces, Brooms, Weigela, Syringa, and others. Whole branches of bud and blossom look exquisite when lightly arranged in jars and vases, the Japanese methods being worthy of imitation, so that in both garden and house endless possibilities are presented to the modern gardener. In order to recall a few of the best varieties, nearly all of which are hardy, I give a list of those which have proved deserving of a place.

_Azalea._—These beautiful flowers should be grown much more extensively. Not only during their flowering period, but in the full glory of their autumn foliage, they are supremely lovely. An endless number of varieties are available, the hardy Ghent Azaleas with a fine range of colour being perhaps best for general purposes. _A. mollis_, a dwarf Japanese variety, is useful for grouping in front of the larger kinds. Those living in the south, or having gardens with sunny, sheltered dells, may also plant _A. Indica_, which is a sub-evergreen. Let no one be deterred from growing these beautiful shrubs under the impression that they require peat; in ordinary garden soil they thrive wonderfully, if protected from cold winds.

_Magnolia._—Beautiful flowering shrubs from China and Japan. _M. conspicua_ bears a profusion of snowy blossoms early in May. A dwarf growing variety with starry white flowers, _M. stellata_, should be grown in sheltered corners. At Kew the effect of bold groups of Azaleas and Magnolias in the open may be seen during the spring and early summer months.

[Illustration: A GARDEN HOUSE]

_Rhododendrons_ form gardens in themselves, such is the variety of habit and colouring which they display. Nevertheless they are often overplanted, and when out of flower the banks of evergreen foliage become monotonous. A better plan is to choose a few really good hybrid varieties and group them carefully according to colour and period of flowering, interspersing with shrubs of different growth to prevent monotony. Almost every shade from white to deep crimson is to be found in these showy flowers. Limestone soils are very prejudicial to their welfare, but otherwise they succeed in a diversity of situations. Numbers of hybrid kinds are catalogued, and it is an easy matter to choose a dozen or so really desirable varieties.

_Cytisus._—Broom. The Common Broom (_C. Scoparius_) is by no means to be excluded from our gardens, where its cheerful presence in the semi-wild parts is very welcome. Among cultivated varieties the beautiful white form _C. albus_ is very graceful, with its long dark green sprays covered with snowy flowers. _C. Andreanus_ is similar in form to the common variety, but the yellow flowers are richly marked with blotches of reddish chestnut.

_Prunus._—This is a large family containing the flowering Plums, Almonds, Peaches, and Cherries. Almost all are beautiful, with their soft masses of rosy pink and white flowers borne on branching twigs and sprays. The Japanese Cherry (_P. pseudo-Cerasus_), which the Japs will tramp for miles to see in all its beauty, has many good double varieties, one of the best being _Cerasus Watereri_. _P. Padus_, the Bird Cherry, should, in its double form, certainly be included among the garden trees. Then there is the Double Chinese Plum (_P. japonica_), with delicate pink and white flowers borne on slender shoots. _P. Lauro-Ceraus_, the Cherry Laurel, a fine evergreen, which requires plenty of space, and should not be crowded in among more delicate growers. The common Almond (_P. amygdalus_) is well-known, especially in town gardens, its beautiful pink flowers being produced early in the season. In spite of its general use in our gardens we could ill spare the Portugal Laurel (_P. lusitanica_), it is a noble evergreen, and worthy in many cases of better treatment. A beautiful little dwarf shrub is _P. triloba fl. pl._, with large blush flowers, changing with age to pure white. It is worth almost any consideration to secure a small representative collection of this family for our gardens. _P. pissardi._

_Pyrus (Cydonia) Japonica._—A well-known shrub, producing a profusion of vivid scarlet blossoms over an extended period. The fruit, which appears in autumn, is of considerable size. A variety _alba_, with white flowers, should also be grown.

_Philadelphus._—Mock Orange. Well-known old-fashioned shrubs, the syringa of the cottage gardens. They deserve an open, sunny position, when they will form really handsome bushes, covered with a wealth of sweetly scented blossoms. _P. coronarius_ is the common variety, and in the same section we have _aureus_ with golden leaves; _primulæflorus_ with double white flowers; and _nanus_, a dwarf form, which, however, is a shy bloomer. _P. grandiflorus_ has much finer flowers than _coronarius_, and is but slightly scented, an advantage when the branches are used for indoor decoration, the common form being almost too powerful in a room. _P. microphyllus_ is an excellent dwarf variety, forming a compact bush about 3 feet high.

_Viburnum._—Guelder Rose. The beautiful snowball-like flowers of this shrub are extremely ornamental, and it deserves a worthy place in the garden. _Sterile_, the cultivated form of the native _V. opulus_, grows to a good height, and may be planted well back in the mixed shrubbery. _V. plicatum_ is somewhat different in habit, producing continuous sprays of large, white blossoms.

_Stuartia._—A deciduous shrub bearing flowers something like the _Camellia_. _S. pseudo-Camellia_ has creamy-white blossoms with yellow stamens. _S. virginica_ forms a handsome bush, the flowers the same colour as the foregoing, with the addition of blood red stamens.

_Ribes._—Flowering Currant. Too well-known to need description. In addition to the common variety _R. sanguinea_, the Buffalo Currant (_R. aureum_), with yellow flowers, and the double form _flore-pleno_, which blooms later than the type, should also be grown.

_Syringa._—Lilac. Grouped in bold masses, the Lilac family is a charming one in the garden. A sheltered corner devoted to a representative collection, or a good hedge formed of several varieties, is the way in which they should be grown. A straggling bush, hemmed in by coarse evergreens, is a poor way of displaying so charming a flower. The following are worthy of notice: _S. chinensis_, with rich violet flowers; _S. japonica_, with large creamy-coloured flowers; and _S. persica_, the Persian Lilac, a much smaller kind, which looks well planted in the foreground of large groups. The flowers are pale mauve. The white variety, _Marie Lagrange_, is very handsome.

_Choisya Ternata._—Mexican Orange-flower. Not quite hardy, but worth a sheltered position, on account of its shining evergreen foliage and abundance of pure white flowers. It is a good plant for warm seaside districts.

_Cotoneaster._—Rockspray. Hardy and easily grown rock-shrubs. _C. buxifolia_ forms a good-sized bush, the flowers white, and produced abundantly. _C. microphylla_ is useful for walls or sloping banks in the rock garden, where there is a bare space which needs covering. The Cotoneasters are evergreen, and in winter are rendered bright and showy by clusters of scarlet or crimson berries.

_Forsythia._—Golden Bell. Dwarf growing subjects, of exceedingly graceful habit. _F. suspensa_ is the best known, and the long trailing branches, covered with golden blossoms, look especially well hanging over a bank or low wall. _F. viridissima_ is more compact than the foregoing, and likes a position fully exposed to the sun.

_Deutzia._—The hardy outdoor kinds are _crenata_ and _flore-pleno_, both with white flowers, those of the latter being faintly tinged with pink. The slender stems and clustering racemes of flowers render this a delightful shrub.

_Kalmia._—Mountain Laurel. Charming evergreen shrubs from North America. The waxy flowers are produced in clusters, the colour being a delicate rose. _K. latifolia_ is the best, and will thrive in garden soil in which there is a slight admixture of peat. On limestone soils they are seldom a success.

_Berberis._—Barberry. The best of the group is _B. Darwinii_, an evergreen variety with showy orange flowers. _B. vulgaris_, the Common Barberry, is more beautiful in fruit than in flower, a charming companion being _B. Thunbergii_, with bright scarlet berries, and foliage turning to a rich tint in autumn. The _Mahonias_ are also included under this head, of which the common variety, _M. aquifolium_, should be in every collection. Its copper-coloured leaves, bright yellow flowers and purple berries, afford a good contrast to other plants in the shrubbery.

_Weigela._—Bush Honeysuckle. Charming groups of these shrubs may be formed on the edges of lawns and other suitable places. There are many varieties, nearly all beautiful, their autumn foliage being particularly well coloured. _W. rosea_ is the form generally met with, but it is hardly so deserving as _W. grandiflora_, or _anabilis_, as it is often known. There is a fine golden-leaved kind, _W. Looymansi aurea_, which may be grown if space can be found.

_Rhus._—Sumach. More quaint, perhaps, than beautiful, but worth planting, if only for their truly gorgeous foliage during the fall of the leaf. The Venetian Sumach (_R. cotinus_) is one of the best.

_Tamarix._—Tamarisk. Excellent shrubs for seaside gardens. The flowers of _T. gallica_ are white, tinged with pink, and the small spikes look exceedingly well among the feathery leaves.

_Spiræa_.—Shrubby Meadow Sweet. A large family numbering many delightful varieties. It is useless crowding these Spiræas among a tangle of rampant evergreens, as their graceful beauty is lost and they are soon destroyed. Well-defined clumps on lawn margins show them at their best. _S. ariæfolia_, the Spray Bush, is very lovely with its panicles of white flowers. _S. japonica_, with clusters of pink flowers borne on slender stems, is another good kind; and the improved variety, Anthony Waterer, with blossoms of a rich crimson hue, is most striking. The Plume Meadow Sweet (_S. Lindleyana_) is a large and handsome kind, which requires a fairly warm position, when its beautiful foliage is particularly attractive.

_Hydrangea Paniculata Grandiflora._—Plumed Hydrangea. During the autumn this is one of the handsomest plants in the shrubbery. Under good culture it produces enormous clusters of white flowers, the whole bush being often covered with a profusion of bloom.

_Kerria Japonica._—There are few cottage gardens without a bush of old-fashioned Jew’s Mallow. The long shoots are wreathed with small golden blossoms. There is a variegated form of the single variety, which is dwarfer than the commonly grown _flore-plena_.

There is hardly a plant in the above list which is not really beautiful, and fully deserving a place in the garden. But space cannot be found for even half of them, still less for many more which I have not mentioned, if the old-fashioned shrubbery is to still monopolise all the available ground. By all means let us have a few evergreens to clothe our gardens during their winter nakedness, but in spring and summer the beautiful flowering trees and shrubs should be there to brighten with their blossomed sprays the corners where now sombre, dusty foliage forms the only relief. If many desirable names have been omitted, it is because space cannot possibly be found for all, or perhaps that they lack the hardiness which is one of the first points which must be considered when introducing new varieties. In warm, sheltered spots, such as occur in Devon and Cornwall, there is no end to the really beautiful trees and shrubs which may be grown. Here fuchsias and members of the magnolia family will thrive and bloom freely, but in less favoured localities we must content ourselves with more hardy subjects, of which there are numbers from which to make a choice.