The Arrangement Of Flowers

Vase of Peonies

A vase on a table holds a bouquet of red and pink peonies of the paeonia sinensis variety. They are already almost over: one of them is drooping, another has lost its petals. One flower lies on the table.

Manet unquestionably painted the finest bouquets of his period, and the peony is his favourite flower: he painted no less than fifteen pictures of it, three of which are in the Louvre. His peonies are always of the paeonia sinensis variety. This was introduced from China in the first years of the nineteenth century and had its greatest success from the beginning of the Second Empire onwards; it was one of the manifestations of the revival of Far Eastern influence in the second half of the nineteenth century.

The peony was one of the favourite plants of the Chinese and Japanese. The arborescent variety (paeonia suffriticosa), which grows to six feet in height and has magnificent pink flowers, has been cultivated in China since time immemorial, and by the tenth

century there were already thirty-nine varieties of it. The Chinese name means 'the most beautiful.' In China speculation centered round these peonies, as it did later, in the West, on tulips. For a long time they were known in the West from paintings or embroideries imported from the Orient, but the plant itself was closely protected in the gardens of the Imperial Palace and in those of the mandarins. In 1787 Dr Duncan, a surgeon then working for the East India Company, managed to procure a specimen, which he brought back to Kew Gardens. The plant fetched a high price in the West.

Other varieties of the paeonia had been known in the West for a long time: Pliny calls it the oldest of plants. It received its name from Paeon, the doctor who used its roots to dress the wound given to Pluto by Hercules. Paeon became the god of healing and was indentified with Apollo; so it was that a hymn in praise of Apollo was called a paean. The Greeks said that peonies must only be picked at night, for the green woodpecker pecked out the eyes of the rash man who might try to do so by day; also they should be uprooted by a hungry dog attracted by the smell of roast meat, for the groaning of the plant was fatal to anyone who heard it. All these legends come perhaps from the phosphorescence of the seed, which gave it a supernatural appearance.

The male or wild peony (paeonia mascula or corallina) seems to be a native of the North of Europe. The common garden (or female) peony (paeonia officinalis), which, as its name implies, is used in pharmacy, came from Crete and the Mediterranean coasts and was introduced into Europe in the sixteenth century. Several varieties of peony were currently used by the flower painters of the seventeenth century: along with the rose, the tulip and the iris, the peony is one of the chief ornaments of the bouquets of that period.

A Gallery Of Flowers

Flowers, Animals and Insects

At the foot of an oak stump, on which are to be seen butterflies and two birds, one of them in its nest, there are various plants and flowers growing: ox-eye daisies (chrysanthemum leucanthemum), poppies (player rhoeas), cornflowers (centaurea cyanus), the archangel or dead nettle (lamium album), the bramble (rubus), an umbelliferous plant of the wild carrot type, a centaury, a myosotis, an ear of corn and various mushrooms. A whole fauna is crawling about, two snakes, some snails and a vole or field mouse.

Most of the seventeenth-century artists painted civilised flowers: picked in the gardens or fields and arranged artistically in vases, these contributed with their ephemeral grace to the agreeableness of the house. But a small group of painters dehumanised flowers — tried to capture them as an element in the world of life. Already Ambrosius Bosschaert's flowers, and even more so those of Roeland Savery, had brought with them from the gardens where they were picked a whole small  world, active and buzzing. Other painters, later, looked at the flower before the hand of man had severed it from its ties with nature. Among these were the Dutchman Marseus van Schrieck (1619/2o-1678), Abraham Mignon, a German who became Dutch, and later Peter Snyers (1681-1752).

Marseus van Schrieck was a man of strange ways, with a passion for the infinitely small. When he lived in Rome, the Nordic colony nicknamed him Die Snuffelaer (The Ferret), on account of his researches on insects; and when he returned to Holland he lived in a country house near Amsterdam, where he bred insects and reptiles.

Less is known about Abraham Mignon: only that he was baptised at Frankfurt am Main, was a pupil of Jacob Marrel in that town, then had lessons from Jan Davidsz de Heem at Utrecht, and worked there and afterwards at Wetzlar. The picture in the Brussels Museum is perhaps his masterpiece. In it a whole small world creeps and teems, a world where there is birth, living, killing and dying, while modestly the flower spreads its ephemeral innocence in the midst of these unchained instincts and itself helps to transmit the life-principles of some of these small beasts the insects. The monographic realism of the first still-life painters is continued by this artist, but in their pictures living creatures and objects are instinctively brought together within the great organic unity of the cosmos.

Weeds And Diseases Of Garden

Problem-Scab

Scab (Cladosporium cucumerinum, Streptomyces scabies) is a disease of vegetable crops. Cucumbers, beets, cabbages, carrots, aubergines, spinach, onions, parsnips, potatoes and turnips are all susceptible.

Scab infections are well named because the spots on most plants look like scabs, whether they are on the roots or the above-ground parts of the plant. On leaves of members of the squash family, the spots are angular and don't look scabby, but the disease spreads quickly to make scabby-looking spots on cucumbers or rotting areas at the stem ends of melons.

Solution-Prevent problems

Resistant cultivars of many vegetables are commonly available, and it is worth choosing them when possible. For potatoes, check planting stock carefully and discard any potatoes with scabby spots.

The scab that infects crops other than cucurbits is encouraged by alkaline soil. If possible, keep soils at a pH of 5.5 or so, particularly in areas where you are growing potatoes. Apply 13-25mm (1 inch) of compost before planting, too, because it contains organisms that prey on those that cause scab. Finally, practise rotations of at least four years to avoid problems

Problem- mealybugs and scale insects

Solution - Spray outdoors

When mealybugs and scale insects attack outdoor plants, you may have to spray. Dormant oil does an excellent job of killing both types of insects, but remember to use it only in areas where plants become dormant during the winter months and spray before blossoms open in the spring.

Fine horticultural oils are also effective against these insects and have the advantage of being light enough not to injure actively growing plant tissues. In frost-free areas, these oils are a better choice for control as long as you spray before the summer heat sets in. You are usually safe if you stop spraying in early summer.

Insect And Animal Pests In Garden

Problem-Leaf hoppers

Leaf hoppers are small, wedge-shaped insects that prey on numerous plant species. They are particularly troublesome to fruit trees and potatoes but eat lots of other vegetables as well as a wide range of ornamental and grasses.

Both adults and nymphs suck plant juices from plant stems and the undersides of leaves. They release a somewhat toxic substance into the plants as they feed and also spread many viral diseases Rather than noticing the leaf hoppers themselves, you might first notice that plant leaves are puckered or mottled.

Solution 1 Spray dormant oil

Adults of many leaf hopper species overwinter on perennial plants, and this is particularly true of the species that attack fruit trees. Fortunately, there is an easy way to control these insects. In late winter, long before the buds finish swelling, spray dormant oil on the tree, covering it well. Not only will it kill leafhoppers, it will control many other insects and diseases on the tree. You can find dormant oil at any garden supply store or mail-order garden company.

Solution 2 Coddle beneficial insects

Many beneficial organisms attack leaf hoppers. In addition to ladybugs, lacewings and parasitic wasps, which prey on many small insects, parasitic flies, damsel bugs, minute pirate bugs, and spiders all prey on leaf hoppers. Plant mixed groups of flowering plants to attract these species. But more than that, avoid using any pesticide sprays, even those that are supposedly fairly benign. A garden without poisons builds larger populations of beneficial organisms than one where they have to fight for survival.

The Plant Performance

Problem-The plants are slow to flower

Long before you decide that a plant simply wiil not bloom for you, you might describe as being slow to flower. For example, you may have purchased a bare-root plant a mail-order supplier. According to the information you can find from in books and on the Internet, you expect it to come into flower in the second or, at the least, the third year. But t doesn't. You probably bought the plant because you liked the flower or explore the possible causes for the delay in blooming. The solutions below and in the other related problem areas may give you the clue you need to speed up things.

Solution 1 Use Epsom salts

When perennial plants are slow to bloom it is often because magnesium is deficient. Fortunately, there is a fast, inexpensive, and easy way to supply this element. Use Epsom salts, the same kind you'd use to ease your aching feet in a footbath.

Make a liquid root drench by dissolving 28g (oz) of Epsom salts in a cup of boiling water and stirring thoroughly. When the mixture is cool, add enough water to make 3.7 litres (1 gallon) of solution. Use this mixture to water the plant. Repeat in a month if the plant still hasn't flowered, but after that, wait until the following year and begin the treatment early in the season.

Use boiling water and stir well to thoroughly dissolve the Epsom salts. Add more boiling water if you don't succeed the first time.

Solution 2 Increase light levels

Shade slows growth and flowering in many plants. The obvious remedy — to get rid of the shade — is usually easier said than done. You can sometimes remove an unattractive tree or prune others (see page 48), but these solutions aren't always practicable, desirable, or, if the tree is in someone else's yard, possible.

The solution in these cases is to move the plant. If the sun can't come to it, it must go to the sun. Choose the new spot carefully; look at it at all times of day and during the entire growing season. If it's sunny in spring but shady in summer, for example, moving the plant to that spot may not be effective. Once you know that you have found the right place, move the plant in the spring in the colder areas and in the autumn in warmer places.

If the plant seems too large to move, try a nurseryman's trick. With a sharp spade, slice into the soil all around the plant. Begin in the spring if possible, and repeat this action every month thereafter. By the following spring or fall, the plant will have formed enough fibrous roots within the spaded circle so that it can withstand the move.

Solution 3 Increase temperatures

A warm-weather plant may be too cool to flower well. If this is the case, there are several possible remedies.

Begin by increasing soil temperatures. Lay a black plastic mulch over the entire root area, making certain that it doesn't cover the plant's crown. Hold it in place with ground staples — homemade or store-bought — because you can't cover the plastic a light-reflecting mulch.

Next, increase air temperatures around the plant. If possible, set up stakes around it and wrap a piece of construction-grade polyethylene around the stakes. Tape the polyethylene in place, leaving the top of the structure open so that plants don't die from roasting. Once the plant is in bloom, you can remove the plastic altogether if the weather is warmer, or, if not, cut some slits into the sides of the polyethylene to vent it

The Lawn Problem Solver For Gardener's

Lawn problem

solution - Reseed your lawn

If you decide that your lawn is going brown because the grasses in it are inappropriate to your climate, you can either lay new turf or reseed the area. Both techniques require that you kill the existing grasses as a first step, and correct the soil with fertilizers, topsoil and compost. Laying turf is relatively straightforward; you lay it down as you set bricks in a wall, so that the seam lines are not adjacent to each other. Reseeding is a more practical option in many cases because the choice of grasses is larger, the time commitment less and the cost lower. Follow the illustrations on this page to reseed your lawn.

1 After removing the turf layer from the area you want to reseed, spread compost, topsoil, and other necessary additives over it.

2 Work the compost and additives into the top few centimeters (inches) of the soil with a rake or by using a rotivator at a shallow setting.

3 Calculate the recommended amount of seed to use over the area, weigh it out and scatter it by hand, as evenly as possible.            

4 Rake shallowly to barely cover the light-loving              seed. If it's hot and/or dry, lightly cover with straw to keep in moisture.

5 Water immediately, to a depth of 8-cm (3-inches), as well as every evening after that until the grass is well-established.

The lawn goes brown

Solution - Fertilize carefully

Far too many people fertilize their lawns too often. In addition to simply wasting time, money, and fertilizer — because as much as half of it will wash away without affecting the grass at all — excess nutrients can also lead to insect pests and diseases.

The type of fertilizer you use is just as important as the quantity. Bagged soluble fertilizers that you are likely to find at the garden centre are especially prone to being leached out of the soil. Other problems are common, too.

The soil is likely to become compacted because the nutrients are at the surface, and roots don't need to grow down into the soil to find them. This mean that growing roots won't aerate the soil and that the grass will be more susceptible to moisture-stress because the roots will all be near the soil surface where it is dry.

Fertilizers such as compost, liquid seaweed, and fish emulsion act differently in that a portion of them isn't immediately available • to plants. Instead, soil micro-organisms and animals have to break them down and transform them into forms that plants can use. This doesn't happen with bagged soluble fertilizers, so many beneficial micro-organisms die because they have no food. Troublesome micro-organisms such as those that cause various grass diseases can take over the niches left behind by the beneficial organisms, too.

Time fertilizing according to your climate. In cooler areas, add compost in the late summer or early autumn. If the lawn is quite weak, repeat this in the early spring. In warmer climates, the best time to feed a lawn is early spring. You can repeat this in late summer, but don't feed in the autumn.

This simple tool allows you to fertilize a large area quickly. Once you learn how to tilt it, you can also be precise in your application.

Solution - Water wisely

Grasses are healthiest when they receive just enough, but not too much, water. So before you water, use the finger test. Stick a finger down into the soil about 8cm (3 inches). The bulk of the roots are growing at or above this depth. Wait to water until the soil is no longer moist.

If your lawn is disease-free, water in the evening. But move to a morning watering schedule if any diseases, particularly those caused by fungi, are present. When you water thoroughly. Keep the sprinkler going until the top 8cm (3 inches) of soil are moist. Set out a rain gauge where the sprinkler water will fall into it, and use this to check that the grasses are getting at least 2.5cm (1 inch) of water a week, whether from rain or irrigation. When conditions are quite warm and rains have lasted for only a short time, you may need to increase watering quantities to keep the top. 8cm (3 inches) of soil moist.

Remember to sprinkle early in the morning, before the sun is high, if your grass shows any disease. Otherwise, ifs fine to sprinkle in the evening.

The Soil Problem Solver For Gardener's

Problem

AIkaline Soil

INDICATOR PLANTS FOR ALKALINE SOILS

Some plants that grow well in cooler, wetter areas of the country prefer alkaline conditions, too. The following plants fall into this category. Remember that they can grow well on a range of soils, so don't assume that your soil is alkaline just because it hosts Queen Anne's lace and chickweed. Test to be certain.

Chenopodium bonus-henricus (good King Henry, goosefoot)

 Cichorium intybus (chicory)

Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass)

Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace, wild carrot)

Euphorbia maculata (spotted spurge)

Filipendula ulmatia (meadowsweet)

Ste//aria media (chickweed)

RIGHT Chenopodium bonus-henricus (good King Henry) BELOW Filipendula ulmaria (meadowsweet)

Solution - Water for a quick fix

If you have a plant that is suffering from alkaline conditions in mid- to late season, you can give it a quick fix when you water. Simply replace one watering a week with common white vinegar, which contains 5 percent acetic acid. Remember to apply enough to penetrate the soil, down to the area where the roots are actively growing and taking in moisture and nutrients. Monitor the soil with a home test to be sure you aren't making it too acid, and stop when the pH reaches a level between 6.8 and 6.5.

Vinegar is fairly inexpensive when you are making pickles, but if you have more than a plant or two that needs this treatment, it could prove expensive. Check with your local pharmacist and explain what you plan to do. He or she may be able to give you a 10 percent solution at a much lower price. Dilute it by half to make it 5 percent acetic acid; percentages higher than this can injure plant roots and disrupt soil life.

The Pleasures of Gardening

problem

The garden is shady

 solution 1 Grow flowering plants

If your shade is dappled from shadows cast by deciduous trees, you can plant a colorful spring garden of sun-loving plants. The earliest bulbs, such as snowdrops, crocus, early daffodils and bluebells, all grow well under almost any deciduous tree. Bulbs that bloom in mid-spring, such as many daffodils, corydalis, and windflowers (Anemone Handal grow best under trees that come into leaf late. Early-blooming perennials, such as astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii), American columbine (Aquilegia canadensis),

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) and primroses (Primula spp.), will also thrive under trees that come into leaf late in the spring. Many of these spring-flowering plants become lovely focal points later in the season thanks to their foliag. You will find that spring flowers, such as bluebells, daffodils and crocus, grow well under the cover of almost any deciduous tree.

solution 2 Prune nearby trees

If low-hanging tree branches are casting shade on your garden, the answer is to carry out some careful pruning.

In late winter or very early spring, remove the bottom branches from the offending trees. If you cut just beyond the collar it ensures that the wound will heal quickly. Remove only a few branches from each tree, taking care that the growth is balanced around the trunk and that you leave enough branches to keep it healthy.

You may want to hire a professional for this job with greater expertise and the tools required.

1 Remove any small and spindly branches growing from the main trunk, using a sharp pair of pruning shears. Take care not to damage the bark on the tree trunk.

2 Remove the bulk of any large branches using a bow saw. Cut the branch from underneath, 8-15cm (3-6) inches from the point where it joins the tree trunk.

3 Next, saw from above, 8cm (3 inches) farther from the trunk. As you saw, the branch will split to the first cut without tearing the uncut branch.

solution 3 Brighten dark areas with whites and pastels

Dark corners can seem to disappear, making the garden seem smaller than it is. If you want to brighten them up and make them a part of the visual landscape, you'll have to create some illusions with colorful plants.

White and pastel flowers, as well as plants with grey leaves, can make these areas more prominent. Choose a tall background plant, such as foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora) or kirengeshoma (Kirengeshoma palmata) for a site with damp soil and fairy lanterns (Disporum flavum) for a dry one. Using the Shade-Loving Plants lists, opposite, as well as other resources, fill in the area with a selection of white and pale-blooming plants that will brighten it up.

White and creamy yellow flowers and foliage brighten dark corners that may be overshadowed by trees.

The Gardener's Problem Solver

Problem
The garden is too large

Solution 1. Add Mulch

 Mulches are one of the best ways to decrease the time you spend on weeding, but they also have the benefit of adding a great deal to your garden's appearance. The right mulch can make an ordinary planting look dramatic and will almost always make beds and borders look tidy and well cared for.

In beds and borders, mulches are almost mandatory unless, of course, you can• hire an army of gardeners to pluck every weed that takes root. You can choose from a wide range of mulches, from oatstraw for berry bushes to smooth, blue pea stone for a formal entryway. The trick is to match the mulch to the application and lay it down so that it stays in place and doesn't require more topping off than is absolutely necessary.

Straw mulches look good only in hardworking vegetable, herb, small fruit, or cutting gardens. They are not appropriate in ornamental borders and beds, unless you're dressing the plants for winter, when straw makes an ideal mulch for plants such as roses because it insulates while still allowing air movement around the plant's crown, lowering the chances of crown rot and other fungal infections.

Bark chips, cedar mulch or cocoa shells, on the other hand, can look good almost anywhere, so use them between enclosed raised beds in a vegetable garden, in a perennial border or around trees and shrubs. To get the most from a loose mulch like chips or shells, enclose it with an edging strip that extends a couple of centimeters (inches) above the mulch. Use brick on end for a handsome look, but if this is impractical simply install the plastic edging strips you can find in any hardware store.

Whenever you are mulching long-lived perennial plants, use a layer of fabric under the mulch. If possible, lay this down before you plant. Cut Xs into it to dig your planting holes, transplant, and cover the cloth with another mulching material. If you are mulching established plants, piece the landscape cloth around each plant and add the second mulch as usual. See page 54 for a list of common mulch materials.

EASY-CARE PLANTS

If you have got a large yard to maintain, the last thing you need is a collection of picky, difficult plants that require a great deal of care. Instead, grow plants that don't ask as much from you. Remember that all plants, even those we call low maintenance, require a little care. Ask neighbours and nursery people for recommendations of plants that thrive with little care in your area and use the list below to get some ideas.

All The Basics About Gardening

Houseplants for Medium Light

MOST ROOMS HAVE an area of medium light, out of direct sunlight but not in shade. It is usually a few metres from-a window, or closer if you have sheer curtains or blinds. All the plants here tolerate medium light, but will benefit from a short spell in full light.

PAINTED DROP TONGUE

Aglaonemas, noted for their subtle leaf patterns, include this bushy form with large, dark green foliage splashed grey- green. A fine specimen houseplant.

DRACAENA

Masses of dark green leaves top the stems of these robust plants, making them look like shaving brushes. Cut mature plants back hard in spring to promote regrowth.

DRACAENA Dracaena cincta 'Bicolor'

This is one of several variegated forms of Dracaena cincta, with cream-edged leaves. Perfect for a semi-shady corner or hallway, or as an architectural feature plant.

EYELASH BEGONIA

An eye-catching houseplant that forms a compact mound of shield-like, lime-green leaves, marked and edged bronze, each with a curious fringe of "eyelash". hairs.

Post-Planting Care Of Plants

Houseplants with Winter or Spring Flowers

WINTER NEED NOT deprive you of the pleasure of flowers. Although it can be a dull season in the garden, many different houseplants will bloom at this time, including some of the most spectacular plants for the home, and some trusted favourites. Mass-produced plants forced on to flower need special care if they are to have a long life.

FLORISTS' CYCLAMEN

The gracefully swept back flowers of these hybrids rise above firm, beautifully marbled, silver and green leaves. Hybrids come in many colors and enjoy cool conditions.

CAPE HEATH

A dwarf shrub from South Africa, with tiny, rich cerise flowers. Repot after it has flowered. It will not survive the winter if planted outside in cooler climates.

POINSETTIA

Strongly associated with winter, these Mexican plants are always popular. Redbracted varieties are commonly seen; this compact white form is a welcome change.

HYACINTH

Use several in a pot or bowl to display the dense heads of richly fragrant pink flowers. Other hybrids are available. After flowering, plant out in a warm spot.   

The Right Place To Plant A Tree

TREES WITH AUTUMN-TO-WINTER FRUIT

STRANVAESIA

Although it is often grown as a large evergreen shrub, this can be trained con a single stem to form a small tree. White flowers are produced in early summer, and the clusters of bright red berries that appear in autumn last all through the winter months.

 ROWAN sorbus forrestii

Each leaf of this small, rounded tree is composed of numerous leaflets — blue-green in color. Flattened heads of white flowers are carried in late spring, and the large bunches of small white berries that emerge in the autumn persist all through winter.

KASHMIR ROWAN

Erect when young, this openly branched tree has divided leaves that become gold or russet in autumn. Blush-pink flowers open in early summer, and the clusters of marble-sized white berries decorate the branches from autumn onwards.

ROWAN sorbus ‘joseph Rock

One of the most popular of all rowans, 'Joseph Rock' has the characteristic vase-shaped crown that spreads with age. Its rich green, regularly divided leaves color brilliantly in autumn, when the yellow berries, carried in drooping bunches, ripen.

JAPANESE ROWAN

This is a handsome rowan with ascending, eventually spreading, branches. It has white flowers in spring, and regularly divided leaves that color richly in autumn. Large bunches of red berries are borne from autumn onwards. 'Embley' is a superb cultivar.

ROWAN sorbus scalaris

The glossy green leaves of this wide-spreading tree grow in neat rosettes, and turn red and purple in autumn. Flattened white flower heads appear in late spring, and its large, densely packed bunches of red berries persist from autumn into winter.

Garden Plants And Flowers

Trees for Alkaline Soils

TREE-DRAINING, and warming faster than most other soils in spring, alkaline soils suit a wide range of ornamental trees, some of them very popular and reliable flowering trees. Many hail from regions enjoying warm summers and so appreciate sun and warmth to help ripen their wood and promote flowering.

JUDAS TREE

Occasionally multi-stemmed, this more often single-stemmed, spreading tree has heart-shaped blue-green leaves. Rosy lilac pea-flowers emerge in spring and are followed by flattened red seed pods. Bodnant' is a form with deep purple flowers.

ORIENTAL THORN

This slow-growing ornamental thorn tree will eventually develop a dense, rounded crown clothed in deeply lobed, dark green leaves. Clusters of pretty white blossoms emerge in late spring, and its large, downy red fruits are produced in autumn.

PINK SIRIS, SILK TREE

As a young tree, Pink Sins is more broad than tall, with spreading branches and finely divided, fern-like leaves. Its clusters of fluffy, pink-stamened flowers are produced in late summer and autumn. A. julibrissin 'Rosea' is a more hardy selection.

Select The Right Outdoor And Indoor Plant

Conifers for Heavy Clay Soil

ALARGE NUMBER OF CONIFERS will grow in heavy clay soil, providing it is not always waterlogged. They encompass an extremely wide selection of sizes and shapes, and have foliage of great variety, both in color and texture. These are hardy, easy to grow, and evergreen unless specified deciduous.

DAWN REDWOOD

 The feathery leaves of this magnificent deciduous conifer turn tawny pink in autumn. An ancient and vigorous tree, it is narrowly conical to columnar.

MOUNTAIN PINE

This dwarf mountain pine in time forms a compact mound of dark green needles. Ideal for a large rock garden, or a big pot, but it is slow-growing.

MACEDONIAN PINE

Worth growing where space is available, this impressive pine has densely crowded grey-green needles and pendent, curved and cylindrical, resin-flecked cones.

WEYMOUTH PINE

A well-known conical pine, this broadens with age. Open branches bear slender grey-green needles and pendulous cones. Will not tolerate air pollution.

Elegans Compacta'

This is a dense, billowy, bushy form of the Japanese Red Cedar. The fresh green foliage is soft to touch, and turns a rich reddish bronze color in winter.

BOSNIAN PINE

A handsome tree of dense, conical habit, this pine broadens as it ages. Its special features include rich green needles, white hairy buds, and cobalt-blue cones.  

    

 

The Surest Way To Select The Right Outdoor And Indoor Plants

SHRUBS WITH PURPLE, RED, OR BRONZE LEAVES

HEBE Hebe 'Amy'

The glossy, dark coppery purple leaves of this small, rounded evergreen shrub turn green in time. Rich violet-purple flowers are borne in short spikes in summer.

PITTOSPORUM

The dark shoots of this dome-shaped dwarf evergreen shrub are crowded with shining, crinkly-edged leaves of a deep reddish purple. These emerge green. 

PURPLE‘LEAVED SAND CHERRY

The Purple-leaf Sand Cherry is a small, erect shrub with glossy leaves, red at first, maturing to deep reddish purple. Small blush-white flowers appear in spring.

PURPLE-LEAVED SLOE

This is a dense, bushy shrub or small tree, with spiny branches and bright red leaves, that change to a deep reddish purple. Small, pale pink flowers open in spring.

PURPLE-LEAVED PLUM

In spring, snow-white blossom procedes the leaves, which emerge green and then turn bronze-purple with cream or pink variegation. Bushy form of the cherry plum.

PURPLE-LEAVED ELDER

The deeply divided leaves of this vigorous shrub are green at fast, maturing to dark purple, then red in autumn. Its budded summer flowers open white. 

Basic Information About Shrub Gardening

SHRUBS TOLERANT OF SHADE

LACE-CAP HYDRANGEA

The pointed leaves of this dense, bushy shrub often color well in autumn. Violet- blue, lace-cap flowers in summer have pale marginal florets. Dislikes dry soils. 

SHRUBBY HONEYSUCKLE

Its low and wide-spreading habit makes this an excellent evergreen ground cover. Tiny, inconspicuous late spring flowers are occasionally followed by violet berries.

CASCADES MAHONIA

This evergreen, suckering shrub produces short, erect stems with handsome leaves - that turn red or purplish in winter. Spikes of yellow flowers appear in early summer.

JAPANESE SPURGE

This evergreen, suckering shrublet likes moist soils, and makes a superb ground cover for shade. Its dark green leaves back little white flower spikes in spring.     

        

CHERRY LAUREL

The branches of this low evergreen shrub are clothed with narrow, glossy, leathery leaves. Erect spikes of white flowers in late spring are followed by black fruits. 

SKIMMIA

If you plant a male variety of this dense, low evergreen nearby to effect pollination, this spring-flowering skimmia cultivar will produce an abundance of white berries.

VARIEGATED LARGE PERIWINKLE

Striking, variegated leaves are margined creamy white, and form a superb ground cover that is rampant if unchecked. Blue flowers last from spring to autumn. 

Useful Shrubs Gardening Information

MEDIUM-SIZED SHRUBS

TREE PEONY

Cup-shaped, dark crimson flowers, each with a leafy bract beneath it, are borne on long stalks in early summer, above bold, deeply cut, bright green leaves.

MOCK ORANGE

Striking, white-margined leaves are the main attraction of this dense, bushy shrub. Its richly fragrant flower clusters, in late spring and early summer, are a bonus.

PIERIS

This compact evergreen shrub has narrow, leathery leaves, which are bronze when young. Drooping tassels of white flowers appear in late winter and early spring.

VIBURNUM

Elegant, spreading, layered branches carry neat, pleated leaves and, in early summer, lace-cap flower heads that are white when they emerge, and mature to pink.

'Onondaga' Viburnum sargentii

The maple-like foliage of this vigorous shrub are bronze when young, and color richly in autumn. Its beautiful spring lace- cap flowers are white, but pink in bud.

`Superba' Syringa pubescens subsp. microphylla

Slender-stemmed and spreading, with pointed leaves, this lilac produces fragrant pink flower heads, darker in bud, from late spring right through to early autumn. 

Trees And Shrubs Gardening Information

CLIMBERS FOR SUNLESS WALLS AND FENCES

IVY

The evergreen leaves of this very popular, variegated common ivy cultivar are green and grey-green with broad, creamy white margins. It is self-clinging.

CHILEAN BELLFLOWER

Strongly twining stems support leathery evergreen leaves and, from summer into late autumn, beautiful, pendulous, tubular flowers with fleshy petals.

JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE

Evergreen or semi-evergreen, this prolific, twining climber produces loose clusters of fragrant flowers, emerging white and aging to yellow, from summer into autumn. 

SCHIZOPHRAGMA           

In time, this slow-growing, self-clinging climber will reach great heights. Flattened heads of creamy white flowers appear in • summer, among pointed green leaves.

GOLDEN HOP

A strong-growing herbaceous climber, this has hairy, twining stems and boldly lobed yellow-green leaves. Clusters of green fruits (hops) are produced in autumn. 

IVY

This is a distinct cultivar of common ivy in which the bright evergreen leaves, with pale veins, are deeply lobed and pointed. Self-clinging, it is ideal for low walls.