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Trees Shrubs And How To Treat Them

Some good plants for growing beneath them--Selection of hardy

shrubs--Enriching the soil--Climbers.

Forest-trees in a small garden are somewhat out of place, but as they are

often found in such positions, I will deal with them here. It is to be

remembered that though they give most grateful shade, not only do they rob

everything beneath them of sunshine, but also =take so much out of the

soil=, that, unless constant renewals are made, very little can be grown

in their immediate vicinity; the class of plants that will do best beneath

their branches also find the soil they are growing in best renewed by the

leaves which fall therefrom. For the sake of tidiness, these of course are

swept away, but they should be kept for two or three years, and then

brought back, converted into =leaf-mould=; if this is not done, the

quality of the soil will steadily deteriorate, instead of getting richer,

as it does in woods; and this is one reason why so many wild plants fail

to thrive when brought into cultivation; manure is no substitute, but

often distasteful to them.

=SOMETHING BESIDES IVY.= Trees must be divided into two broad sections,

=deciduous and ever-green=. Very few plants will do well under the latter,

but as regards the first, =ivy= is not by any means the only thing that

will grow, though it is often a good plan to use it as a foundation, and

work in plants here and there afterwards. There is no need to choose the

large kind; those elegant varieties with long pointed leaves are =more

ornamental and just as easy to grow=. Their roots must be restricted when

other plants are near, or they will soon take up all the room. =Ferns=

will do very well under trees, if they are plentifully watered during the

dry season. Here also a few of the choicest kinds should be grown, for

though some of them may not do so well as in a shady open spot, most of

them will give a fairly good account of themselves. Always plant them with

the rhizome above ground, not forgetting that when each fern has its full

complement of fronds, it will take up a considerably larger space than it

does at the time it is set out.

If the Osmunda regalis is tried--=the royal fern=--it is necessary to

get a good established turf of it; strong clumps cost about 1s. 6d. each;

plenty of water must be given it in the summer. I have seen it in splendid

form under a tree in a very small garden.

Perhaps the =St. John's worts= come next to ivy and ferns in their

usefulness for planting under trees, as they are =always decorative, being

ever-green=. In the spring, the foliage is a most lovely soft apple-green,

and in summer when the golden cups filled with anthers issue forth from

the axils of the leaves, the effect is beautiful. Hypericum calycinum is

the Latin term for these plants, and though they will do on the dryest

bank and in the poorest soil, being very tough and wiry, if they are grown

in good loam and manure is occasionally given them, they will repay with

far finer flowers, which will be produced for a longer season.

=A good breadth of woodruff= makes a very pretty picture for several

weeks, and has a delightful scent; here and there bulbs can be planted

amongst it, neither being harmed by this plan. The aubrietias =flower

with unfailing regularity= under trees, even when the aspect is north, and

no gleam of sunshine reaches them; their greyish-green rosettes resist

drought splendidly, and though these plants do not give us so much blossom

in unfavourable positions, still they make a very pretty show.

Aubrietias can be easily propagated by division; every morsel grows.

=BANKS UNDER TREES.= The white arabis also does well under similar

conditions; both are useful for draping perpendicular surfaces, such as

the steep side of a bank or hedge. A raised border, with facing of bricks,

is rather a nice way of growing plants under trees, and the work of

tending them is pleasant, less stooping being required.

The =mossy saxifrage= droops over the edges, and mingles well with the

arabis, but it must be more carefully watered, as it is apt to die out;

pieces should constantly be taken off, and dibbled in so as to fill up any

gaps. The =periwinkles= meander charmingly over the roughest stones, and

in the most dreary spots; their glossy ever-green leaves, and fresh bright

little flowerets =always looking cheerful= whatever the weather. They

creep quickly, rooting every few inches as they grow; on the perpendicular

face of the rock, succulent plants like =echeverias= can sometimes be made

to grow (those little green rosettes, having each leaf tipped with red,

which can be bought so readily in May for about twopence each).

=Many things will do for a time=, that want renewing each year, even if

hardy. Cowslips, primroses, polyanthus, wallflowers, all will make a fair

show if planted out just before flowering, but, unless a few hours' sun

daily shines on them, they will not retain enough vitality to produce

seed, and being biennial soon die out, leaving not a trace behind.

=A great many bulbs do admirably under deciduous trees=, especially those

which blossom before the new leaves on the branches above them have

reached any appreciable size.

=Scillas= bloom in the same place year after year; snowdrops also do

fairly well, and lilies of the valley ring out a few of their dainty

bells every spring (a rich vegetable soil suits them best). =Tulips= only

do well when planted afresh every autumn; but, as they are so cheap, that

is not a great matter. The megaseas, mentioned in another chapter, give

forth many of their fine leaves, but they refuse to turn colour, owing to

the want of sun. Fox-gloves, also, grow and flower, seeming to enjoy their

position.

=If the aspect of the space to be filled is a cold one=, such things as

geraniums will only give a few poor flowers, and then succumb. Even

pansies wilt and gradually fade away under trees, for their soft, weak

stems and leaves soon get drawn up for want of light, though they will do

well enough on an open border, facing north.

=Hard-wooded plants= will be generally found to do best; indeed, some of

the shrub tribe succeed very well, particularly barberry, pernettyas,

the early daphnes, whortleberries, gaultheria shallon and

cotoneaster.

While on the subject of =shrubs=, it may be as well to mention several

attractive kinds which may be planted in place of the =eternal box= and

Portugal laurel; of course, these two have almost every good quality; they

will do in any soil, are ever-green, and resist smoke, dust and dirt well;

but, in places where poor soil and a soot-laden atmosphere are absent,

=substitutes might occasionally be found for those shrubs=, which will

have the added charm of novelty. One of the nicest for small gardens is

cotoneaster microphylla; this is a joy to look at, all through the

winter months, when it is at its best; the branches grow in an uncommon

manner, and are of somewhat prostrate habit; they are thickly clothed with

dark, small leaves the whole way up the stem, and shining amongst them are

the pretty crimson, almost transparent berries. It is quite distinct from

the ordinary berry-bearing shrubs, as there is =nothing stiff about its

gracefully-curving sprays=, which look well cut and wedged in the

Japanese fashion. Shrubs of this variety may be had as low as sixpence,

but it is better policy to get a larger one, costing about eighteen pence,

as they will sooner be of a presentable size; they are shrubs, too, that

do not altogether show their capabilities when at a very youthful stage.

=A GOOD ALL ROUND PLANT.= Berberis aquifolium is another shrub which has

a great deal to recommend it; it is ever-green, and will do in almost any

position; it bears lovely yellow flowers in spring, purple powdered

berries in August, and the foliage turns a rich red in October. Always

ornate, it is one of the easiest shrubs to grow, and =just the thing for a

small garden=.

=The myrtle=, though liable to be killed in a very hard frost, can often

be grown to a great size in a sheltered garden; I have seen bushes eight

yards round, in an exposed position near the river Thames, which must have

been braving the storms for many a year past. They should not be planted

out till March or April, though November is the month for most other

shrubs. The old pyrus japonica =makes a good bush=, though most often

grow on a wall; its bright flowers, carmine-scarlet in colour with yellow

anthers in the centre, appear early in April, a week or two later than the

climbers, which of course are protected. When grown in bush form, it =is

sometimes pruned out of all recognition=; this is especially the case in

public gardens, and is quite an affliction to any one who knows how lovely

it can be! The knife should be restrained, allowing the pyrus to take

its own shape as much as possible; it is often sold under the name of

cydonia japonica, as that is really its rightful title.

=One or two of the araucarias make very good shrubs for a small garden=;

they should not be grown in cold, wind-swept places, as their branches

soon turn brown if exposed to continued frost and furious blasts. There is

a magnificent specimen in the nurseries of Messrs. Veitch, Kingston Hill,

Surrey, planted about 1865; its ornamental appearance is greatly due to

the number of young branches springing out from the main trunk and almost

completely covering it; they nestle under the larger branches, and produce

a very picturesque effect. Small plants of this variety may be had for

three or four shillings.

Messrs. Veitch have a splendid selection of shrubs, all in the best of

health; their hollies are well grown, and include all the good sorts; a

variety that bears fruit when quite young is ilex glabrum, of which they

have a large stock; these trees are such slow growers, that it is

advisable to get one that will look attractive almost at once.

=Pernettyas are ornamental little shrubs=, not so much grown as they

deserve; in winter, when most things look drooping and unhappy, these

American visitors to our gardens are bright and cheerful. =The dwarf erica

carnea=, both pink and white, show their buds as early as November, and at

the turn of the year present a very pretty appearance; they look well as

edgings to rhododendron beds; their price is about sixpence each.

=Another charming winter shrub= is cornus sanguinea; its beauty lies in

the red glow of its leafless stems, which makes it visible some distance

off.

Spirea Anthony Waterer is a =fine plant in late summer=, having pink

umbels of flowers and a habit somewhat like the valerian. =The snow-berry=

is good in autumn and winter, having large white berries which hang on a

long time; it is deciduous, and likes a rich soil.

Messrs. Veitch have a splendid collection of conifers for all aspects and

positions; their small junipers are most fascinating little trees, with

flat spreading branches of the loveliest shade of green, and their

seedling firs are well balanced. They sell a great variety of lilac trees

too.

=GRAFTED LILACS.= A note on lilacs will not be amiss; if you notice that

any lilacs you may happen to have flower sparsely, and are poor in size

and colour it will be as well to examine the stems close to the soil, and

you will probably find a fine crop of suckers; all these must be cut away

as sedulously as those on your rose-trees, for =nearly all lilacs are

grafted=, very few kinds being sold on their own roots.

The forsythias are =pretty climbers or shrubs=, according to the variety

chosen, much like the yellow jasmine, with its golden stars on leafless

stems. Just as the latter, however, is going out of flower the

forsythias are coming on, and therefore give a succession of very pretty

blossoms.

Originally from China, =the wigelias= have now taken a place in many

English gardens, by reason of their fresh pink and white flowers and easy

cultivation. They bloom late in spring, and should be placed by preference

=against a dark wall=, as their flowers, being surrounded by pale-green

foliage, do not stand out sufficiently on a light one.

=THE DELICATE CEANOTHUS.= The exquisite summer-flowering ceanothus has

been mentioned before, but I notice it here again because it is one of

those =shrubs that should not be overlooked= on any account; its leaves

are somewhat like those of a heliotrope, and its flowers are bluish-mauve

in colour and borne in trusses; it blooms for many weeks and has a most

delicious scent, and should be planted out in the spring.

=A neglected but really remarkable shrub is the= rhus cotinus--=the

smoke plant.= In early August it is a striking sight, with its curious

inflorescence quite impossible to describe. At Hampton Court there are two

or three fine species.

=WINTER SHRUBBERY.= It will be observed that shrubs presenting a

decorative appearance in winter are made much of; this is because

soft-wooded plants always look miserable then, whereas with a few

berry-bearing shrubs and a nice selection of bulbs, we may have a =pretty

garden all the year round=. Once planted, however, they should not be left

entirely to take care of themselves; the soil must be enriched

occasionally, if we wish for good results, and great care taken to =train

them in the way they should go=, by pinching out shoots which would tend

to give a lop-sided effect. Such things as firs must be unobtrusively

staked till they are able to support themselves, as =symmetrical growth=

is part of their charm, and we must remember that "as the twig is bent,

the tree is inclined." =Standard rhododendrons= require to be very

carefully staked until they have a fair hold of the ground, or their big

heads are caught by the wind, and this loosens the soil to such an extent

that it is impossible for fresh roots to be made. Generally, some of the

=bush rhododendrons= should be grown amongst the standards, and if these

are dotted about with clumps of lilies the effect is very rich. Lilium

tigrinum splendens is =one of the best for this purpose=, and is most

brilliantly beautiful during August and September; they are six feet in

height, and the flowers are a rich orange red, with black spots on each

petal; they can be obtained for half-a-crown the dozen.

=A lily suitable for placing amongst azaleas=, as it is only three feet

high, is lilium speciosum album; it has glistening pure-white flowers,

and a graceful habit. The shade of the shrub is most beneficial to the

lilies, as they dislike strong sunshine, and of course they are also

protected from cold in winter. The same soil, a mixture of peat, loam and

sand, suits both.

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Previous: The Rockery

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