Pot-pourri from a Surrey garden

Where screening is necessary, the first object must, of course, be quick-growing shrubs, and these three — the common Ehododendron, the Laurel, and the Portugal Laurel — are, we must admit, the most satisfactory. They must be planted in bold masses, not mixed, and thinned out in a few years by taking out alternate plants. Where this screening is not wanted, choicer shrubs should be planted, with knowledge, according to their growth, their requirements of aspect, their size, their colour, their time of flowering, their hardiness or delicacy, and so on ; all to be learnt from 168 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN the 'English Flower Garden.' A good deal of what I have said on the planting of herbaceous borders applies here — namely, the necessity of grouping colour in masses, and not speckling the kinds about at random. The amateur must not be disappointed at finding that a good shrubbery, however well planted, will not make much effect under five or six years. This kind of planting is very much better understood by the landscape gardeners sent out by nurserymen now than it was some years ago. If, instead of a new house, we buy a place that has been planted for some twenty or thirty years, the amount that has to be thinned out is incredible. People in Eng- land are so afraid of thinning out ; if they would only try it with greater boldness, they would soon realise how very quickly the gaps are filled up again by the improved strength of the plants. Short of destroying protection from winds, I should say it is hardly possible to do any harm if, where two plants are crowded together, the Laurel is always sacrificed. But remember that severe clearing of shrubs must be done in the summer, as when delicate shrubs that have always been surrounded by strong growers are exposed late in the year, they are apt to be killed if the winter is severe. Wherever Hollies or Yews have been crowded, they look very ugly, after clearing, for a year or so ; but if well cut back, they soon recover, and make better plants than young ones would do in many years. It is quite superfluous for me to give a catalogue of desirable shrubs, for there is an admirable list of all the hardy flowering trees and shrubs in the introductory part of the later editions of the eternally- mentioned ' English Flower Garden.' Their cultivation and propagation are all given in the body of the work. Where edging is necessary to keep the soil separate from the gravel road, I should advise, instead of the grass, flat SEPTEMBER 169 pieces of stone, where it is possible to get them, or bricks put in edgeways, or drain-tiles, tiles, or flints. There are all sorts of low-growing things which may be planted behind this edge, according to situation and aspect, such as Periwinkles, St. John's Wort, London Pride, and other Saxifrages, Heuchera, Tiarella cordifolia, and the hybrid Megaseas (large-leafed Saxifrage) in many varieties. However many or few of these varieties are chosen, each sort must be planted together in groups, never dotted about. Beside the more picturesque effect produced by masses, there is a practical necessity for this : the stronger-growing plants crowd out the weaker. Some want replanting or dividing every year, others thrive best left alone.