THE SHRUBBERY
HOW TO SECURE IT
The planting of shrubbery about the home is so important that it may well take precedence of the flower garden proper or even the grading of the lawn itself. Indeed, if one owns the site of a home and the building is yet in the future, no better expenditure2 of one's spare time and dollars can be inaugurated than such initial planting as shall insure the presence of blooming shrubs3 about the home at the time of its completion so that all may be beautiful and perfect together, rather than that two or three years must elapse before one can begin to enjoy the results.
Hardy4 shrubs vary very greatly in the precociousness5 of their bloom, certain forms giving298 quite noticeable results the second season, while others need two or three years' growth even to indicate what their ultimate beauty will be.
The location, too, will have much to do with results. For a low planting about the foundation of the house, in front of porches or to top low terraces many plants may be employed which would be unsatisfactory in places at a distance where a general effect is desired more than an intimate relation. For masking a building, hiding an undesirable6 view and the like, tall-growing shrubs and flowering trees are usually preferred and these being of more or less slow growth require time to develop.
In all shrubbery planting it will be found that a number of plants of one sort is far more effective than one or two plants each of many distinct kinds. The mistake is often made of planting only shrubs which bloom together, producing a medley7 of more or less inharmonious colors and form for a few weeks in spring leaving the shrubbery bare and uninteresting for the remainder of the year. This is a mistake I have often made299 in my own garden, but one which I usually rectify8 by planting in other shrubs which will come forward when the first have ceased to bloom.
For a number of years a very beautiful hedge of Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora has separated the lawn from the flower garden; only one objection could be urged against it—its flowerless condition throughout most of the summer. To overcome this objection, scarlet9 salvias were alternated between the plants and an edging of scarlet and white phlox made a mass of color from mid-June until well into October. This, of course, was not legitimate10 shrubbery planting, so recourse was made to alternating Hydrangea arborescens with the paniculata. These coming into bloom late in June gave a very satisfactory arrangement, but this year Deutzia-Pride of Rochester, which also blooms in June, was introduced and I am anticipating much pleasure from the addition.
A hedge of Spir?a Van Hutti extending from the house to the road is very beautiful in early May, but inconspicuous and uninteresting the300 remainder of the summer. If it had been in a situation demanding a heavier planting I should have alternated the plants, setting them behind the spir?as, with forsythias—whose golden yellow blooms make bright the garden in earliest spring—and between the forsythias introduced the deutzias.
There are few more satisfactory and graceful11 plants for use in front of a porch than this Spir?a Van Hutti; its gracefully12 curved branches, though growing to a good length, curve away gracefully from the building, bending with their weight of snowy bloom almost to the ground and the growth is very strong and rapid, but never coarse. It is the very best early blooming shrub1 to date.
Very lovely effects may be secured by alternating the spir?a with the Weigela Eve Rathke, and keeping this down to a somewhat prostrate13 habit; this will give a perfect sheet of bloom from early May until the last of June and a less-pronounced show of flowers throughout the remainder of summer from the weigela.
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There is a strong tendency when purchasing shrubbery to select a little of everything—one plant of each, perhaps. I do this myself—not without excuse perhaps on my part, for we people who write for the benefit of others have to get our knowledge by, often costly14, experience, and not by the mere15 reading of nursery catalogues. It is sometimes a most excellent thing to gratify this inclination16 providing one has a piece of land which can be devoted17 to experimental purposes and where one can shift things about until one has gained just the right combination and exposure for each plant. A strip of ground twelve or fifteen feet wide and as long as available will give room for a very successful planting of small trees and shrubs and hardy perennials18 may be introduced to fill in until the shrubs have reached an effective size. Ulmarias, hardy phlox, oriental poppies, rudbeckias and the like will be found very useful and tall clumps19 of lilies should always be interspersed20 in all permanent plantings.
It will often be found that some shrub which one has admired at close range is entirely21 ineffective302 in the shrubbery border; take, for instance, the Tartarian honeysuckle—a pretty enough thing close at hand but ineffectual and insignificant22 at any distance.
For a long shrubbery border of twelve or fifteen feet wide no better selection of shrubs can be made than these seven perfectly23 reliable and hardy shrubs—Forsythia, April; Spir?a Van Hutti, May; Deutzia Pride of Rochester, June; Hydrangea arborescens, July, August; Hydrangea paniculata, September; Althea, October and November. These are—with perhaps the exception of the althea, which is sometimes uncertain—absolutely hardy and reliable plants which increase in size and beauty from year to year and insure a constant succession of bloom throughout the summer and fall so that by their use the shrubbery border need never be without flowers.
In planting a border of these mixed shrubs attention to arrangement will have much to do with success. Of course it will occur to the most inexperienced that the taller shrubs should be in the303 rear, but it is not necessary or desirable that they should be planted in a rigid24, unbroken line. Better that the line be somewhat waved, dipping forward occasionally a step or two. Then it will, of course, occur that the lowest forms will be in front, but this line, too, maybe broken occasionally with advantage, allowing the second row to step forward enough to prevent too much formality of outline.
Where immediate25 effect is desired, and this is invariably the case, either large specimen26 shrubs should be used or, if the smaller sorts seem more available, then these should be set as close again as would be done in the planting of large specimens27 and after they have made two or three years' growth and have begun to crowd, every other plant may be lifted and used to start a new shrubbery elsewhere.
This was what was done with my hydrangea hedge, started as a border between the front lawn and a pear orchard28. The plants were first set three feet apart in a single row. When they had filled up the intervening space they were304 lifted and used for a hedge in the rear of the lawn, this time being set six feet apart, a distance which they soon closed, and for weeks in the fall were a wonderful mass of bloom. A hedge of Spir?a Van Hutti replaced the hydrangeas in the front and these will probably remain undisturbed for a number of years as, owing to the proximity29 of a magnificent maple30 tree, they do not make the strong growth they do in more favorable situations.
Although I have suggested the forsythia, spir?a, deutzia, hydrangeas and althea, etc., as the seven very best shrubs for general planting there are very many more worthy31 of adoption32. Among these the various weigelas, especially the red varieties, the syringas and the lilacs should not be overlooked. Of the latter, far too little is known, most people being content with a bush or two of the old-fashioned purple and white of their grandmothers' garden, and perhaps, as a truth, these old sorts appeal to our hearts more strongly than the newer, more showy varieties and it is in no spirit of disparagement33 that I urge305 the adoption of some of the newer sorts—not to displace, but to supplement and extend the lilac season over a period unknown to the old-time garden.
Syringa vulgaris, alba and purpurea are usually through blooming by the twentieth of May, or thereabouts, but Emodi, with its rosy-white flowers, is ushered34 in with the early days of June and Josikaea shows its first purple blooms late in the same month about the time that the creamy-white panticles of Japonica appear. The new double-flowered, named sorts come into bloom about the time of the common sorts and are well worth the extra cost they involve. Mme. Cassimire Perier and Pres. Grevy are two of the finest sorts and should be in every collection.
In buying lilacs it will pay well to purchase those on their own roots. Most of the named lilacs are grafted36 on common stock and the suckers are annoying and worthless and if allowed to grow will seriously interfere37 with the blooming of the graft35. Such shoots as come from true roots can be detached and used to increase the306 supply of plants and are, therefore, most valuable additions.
One of the most beautiful small trees for planting where a light and feathery effect is sought or against a background of evergreens38 is found in the tamarix. I know of nothing so airy and graceful as these at all times and especially when in bloom. The flowers, which are very tiny, quite cover the branches at the time of blooming in May, in mid-summer and in fall according to their season and there is a marked difference in the foliage39 which in certain species shows a decided40 blue tinge41 which is very beautiful. Unfortunately they are not always entirely hardy at the north and require a somewhat protected position. They are very useful at the seashore, being one of the few things which can stand the salt air. As they make a rapid growth one can afford to experiment with them until just the right environment is found for they are well worth trying for and planted in groups of the different sorts will give a succession of bloom all summer. They are very useful for cut-flower work, making exquisite307 bouquets42 when placed in dull green majolica or similar holders43.
Very careful preparation of the ground for shrubbery is essential as once planted they usually remain undisturbed for years; for this reason the earth should be dug very deep, underdrained, if necessary, and thoroughly44 fertilized45.
After planting the ground should be kept cultivated by hoeing or by the use of the scuffle-hoe—anything which will maintain a dust-mulch, prevent the earth drying out and caking and retain the moisture. The success of the planting depends upon this one feature more than upon any other one thing. A plant insufficiently46 supplied with moisture during the growing season is quite certain to succumb47 to the rigors48 of the succeeding winter—not, indeed, on account of the cold itself, but the condition in which it entered the winter.
The best season for the planting of all hardy shrubs is early spring, before growth starts, the next best, late fall after the foliage has dropped. Altheas and white birch trees, however, do better with spring planting.
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1
shrub
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| n.灌木，灌木丛 | |
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expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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precociousness
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| n.早熟，早成 | |
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undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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7
medley
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| n.混合 | |
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rectify
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| v.订正，矫正，改正 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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perennials
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| n.多年生植物( perennial的名词复数 ) | |
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clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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32
adoption
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| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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disparagement
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| n.轻视，轻蔑 | |
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ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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graft
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| n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接 | |
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grafted
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| 移植( graft的过去式和过去分词 )； 嫁接； 使（思想、制度等）成为（…的一部份）； 植根 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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evergreens
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| n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 ) | |
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39
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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42
bouquets
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| n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香 | |
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43
holders
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| 支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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45
Fertilized
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| v.施肥( fertilize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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insufficiently
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| adv.不够地，不能胜任地 | |
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succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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rigors
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| 严格( rigor的名词复数 )； 严酷； 严密； （由惊吓或中毒等导致的身体）僵直 | |
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