Trees and Shrubs for English Gardens Part 10

The best use of trees and shrubs with coloured or variegated foliage is not very easy to determine, though it may be possible to give a few useful suggestions. The usual way of planting them here and there among mixed ma.s.ses of evergreen and deciduous growths is perhaps the worst way of all. All good planting must be done with much thought and care, and these plants of coloured foliage, that are necessarily more conspicuous than others, want the most careful placing of any.

One excellent use of evergreen trees and shrubs with golden colouring, such as the Gold Hollies, Cypresses, Yews, and Privets is to make them into a cheerful bit of outdoor winter garden. The Gold-leaved Privet is a delightful thing in early winter, and though Wild Privet, untouched by the knife, is a deciduous shrub, the clipped Privets of our gardens usually hold their leaves throughout the winter. With these the variegated j.a.pan Honeysuckle might be freely used, much of its yellow veining turning to a bright red in winter. _Ca.s.sinia fulvida_ is another good winter shrub with its tiny gold-backed leaves. The pretty bushes of this neat New Zealander are apt to grow somewhat straggling, but the crowded little branches are the very thing that is wanted through the winter as cut greenery to go with winter flowers, whether hardy or from under gla.s.s. If these are cut a foot long the bush is kept in shape, and a valuable supply of stuff for house decoration is provided.

A half or even quarter acre of well-arranged planting of these gold-variegated shrubs has a surprisingly cheery effect in winter, making a kind of sunlight of its own when skies are grey, and a comfortable shelter when winds are keen.

In summer, too, it will be beautiful if the s.p.a.ces between the shrubs are cleverly planted, for preference, with plants of white or pale-yellow flowers, such as White Foxglove, _Oenothera lamarckiana_, white and pale-yellow _Hibiscus ficifolius_, _Liliums auratum_, _giganteum_, _speciosum_, and _longifolium_; White Everlasting Pea trained loosely through any near branches; _Nicotiana affinis_ and _N.

sylvestris_; and close to the path hardy Ferns of pale-green frondage, such as the Lady Fern; with clumps of plants of golden foliage like the Gold Valerian and Gold Nettle. A shrub of variegated foliage, planted without special attention, and coming suddenly in a grouping of others of an average green colour is made unduly conspicuous. It should be led up to by neighbours whose colouring gradually a.s.similates with its own.

The sudden effect of colouring is all very well in the nurseryman's show borders, where the object is to attract attention to showy individuals, but in our gardens we want the effect of well-arranged pictures rather than that of shop windows.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _TAURIAN TAMARISK (Tamarix tetrandra), IN FLOWER._]

A variegated plant to be of real value in the garden must have clear, bright, and abundant red and yellow or white markings, not dotted or merely margined with colour. So many worthless shrubs with poor variegation have been named and offered for sale that it is unwise to buy them from a catalogue. We may repeat the advice already given, which is to see them first.

Trees and shrubs with coloured foliage are of several kinds. Most common of all are those which have leaves blotched or edged with golden or creamy yellow and white, such as the variegated Hollies and Elaeagnuses.

Then there are those which are only coloured at a certain season, like _Neillia opulifolia aurea_. This has leaves of a beautiful self yellow colour when they unfold in spring, but become green as the summer advances; or the variegated Plane (_Plata.n.u.s acerifolia Suttneri_), which is only variegated in late summer and autumn.

Finally, there are those, like the Purple Hazel or Purple Beech, which have leaves of one colour and remain almost of the same shade whilst they are on the tree.

On the whole the plants that retain their colour till late summer and autumn, or acquire it then, are most valuable, because very few trees and shrubs are then in flower.

Variegated trees and shrubs must not be planted too plentifully, and studiously avoid all spotty effects. Many a garden would be improved by bringing the variegated shrubs it contains together so as to produce a few broad ma.s.ses of colour. Some of these shrubs, like Spath's Cornel, or the Golden Elder, may, in large gardens especially, be planted alone in large beds or groups. The large trees, like the Purple Beech, can stand by themselves.

The following list contains about one hundred of the finest of variegated trees and shrubs:--

TREES

Acer Negundo variegatum, creamy white.

,, Negundo aureum, golden entirely.

,, platanoides Schwedleri, soft red in spring.

,, Pseudo-plata.n.u.s flavo-marginatum, the "Corstorphine" Sycamore, one of the largest of variegated trees.

Alnus glutinosa aurea, wholly yellow.

Betula alba purpurea, wholly purple.

Castanea sativa aureo-marginata, the variegated Sweet Chestnut, perhaps the best of all large trees, with parti-coloured leaves. The leaves burn on some soils.

Catalpa bignonioides aurea, wholly golden, and most effective in summer and autumn.

f.a.gus sylvatica purpurea. Of the Purple Beeches there are now numerous forms, such as atropurpurea, cuprea, purpurea, pendula (weeping), and "Swat Magret" (the darkest of all). Pyramidalis purpurea is very beautiful.

,, sylvatica variegata, white.

,, sylvatica tricolor, various shades of red and purple; beautifully coloured, but not vigorous.

,, sylvatica var. Zlatia, entirely pale golden green in spring, but for a short time only.

,, sylvatica, Paul's gold-margined, is a pretty variegated tree.

Fraxinus americana aucubaefolia, richly mottled with yellow.

Ilex Aquifolium. The variegated Hollies, both silver and golden, are now very numerous; among the best are argentea marginata, argentea pendula (Perry's Silver Weeping), Golden Queen, Silver Queen, Handsworth Silver, Golden King, flavescens, latifolia aureo-marginata, Watereriana, aureo-medio picta, aureo-pendula.

Laburnum vulgare foliis aureis, all yellow.

Plata.n.u.s acerifolia Suttneri, very pure white with scarcely any green on late growth.

Populus deltoidea (canadensis) aurea, yellow.

Prunus cerasifera atropurpurea (P. p.i.s.sardi), lovely claret red when young, becoming dull purple in summer.

Pyrus Malus neidwetzkya.n.u.s. In this Apple not only the leaves, but the wood and fruit are purplish red.

,, Aria chrysophylla, yellow.

Quercus Cerris variegata, the white variegated Turkey Oak.

,, pedunculata Concordia, a lovely clear yellow, and seldom burns.

,, pedunculata purpurea, wholly red purple.

,, rubra, crimson.

Robinia Pseudacacia aurea, yellow.

Ulmus campestris, "Louis Van Houtte," the best Golden Elm.

,, campestris viminalis variegata, a charming white-variegated, small-leaved Elm.

,, montana fastigiata aurea (U. Wredei aurea) should not be omitted.

A beautiful Elm for small gardens.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _ASHES_]

CONIFERS

Abies concolor violacea, glaucous blue.

Cedrus atlantica glauca, glaucous blue.

Cupressus lawsoniana; numerous varieties, of which gracilis pendula aurea, lutea (very hardy), Silver Queen, and albo-variegata may be mentioned.

,, nootkatensis lutea, yellow-tipped twigs.

,, obtusa aurea (Thujopsis borealis aurea), yellow.

,, obtusa nana aurea, dwarf yellow.

,, pisifera plumosa aurea, yellow.

,, macrocarpa lutea, the best yellow Conifer in mild districts.

Juniperus chinensis aurea, gold-tipped.

Picea orientalis argenteo-spica, young shoots pale yellow.

,, pungens glauca, the best "blue" Conifer.

Pinus sylvestris aurea, golden in winter, green in spring and summer.

Retinospora (_see_ Cupressus).

Taxus baccata aurea, "Golden Yew," _elegantissima_ and Golden Irish. I was very pleased with the beautiful colouring of natural golden hybrid forms in Messrs. Fisher, Son, & Sibray's nursery at Handsworth. T. adpressa, Barroni, a. variegata, small-growing, leaves edged with silver, and suffused with yellow as winter approaches.

,, baccata fastigiata aurea, "Golden Irish Yew."

,, baccata semper-aurea, golden more or less throughout the winter.

,, Dovastoni aureo-variegata.

Thujopsis (_see_ Cupressus, p. 97).

Thuya (Biota) orientalis aurea, yellow in summer.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _THE LOMBARDY POPLAR._]

SHRUBS OR SMALL TREES

Acer palmatum atropurpureum, purple. There are many forms of this j.a.panese Maple--cut-leaved, purple, and golden--but this is the hardiest.

Aralia chinensis albo-variegata. This is one of the most promising new variegated shrubs. It is sold as Dimorphanthus mandschuricus var.

variegatus.

Atriplex Halimus, silvery grey entirely.

Aucuba j.a.ponica, many forms, yellow or creamy white.

Berberis vulgaris foliis purpureis, one of the best purple shrubs.

Buxus sempervirens aurea, "Golden Box."

Corylus maxima atropurpurea, a dark-purple, very effective variety of the Cob-nut.

Cornus Mas aurea elegantissima, yellow (of slow growth and not very hardy).

,, Mas variegata, white.

,, siberica elegantissima.