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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