Trees and Shrubs for English Gardens Part 28

"When first formed, stiff loam to a depth of 3 feet was spread all over the garden, and into this large quant.i.ties of decayed leaves were mixed; in this soil the plants have thriven well. A water main runs through the garden, so that copious supplies of water can be given in dry weather with little trouble.

"Altogether some forty-one species and varieties of Bamboos are cultivated. These are composed of seventeen _Arundinarias_, nine _Bambusas_, and fifteen _Phyllostachys_. The majority belong to China and j.a.pan, one, however, belonging to North America, and one to India.

The Indian species, _Arundinaria (Thamnocalamus) Falconeri_, which does so well in the south-west counties and in Ireland, is the most difficult to manage, and is killed to the ground every winter, while _A. falcata_ and _A. n.o.bilis_, which are two of the most common species in the famous Cornish gardens, refuse to thrive.

"The arrangement of the plants has undergone considerable modification since the first planting, owing to natural development and the introduction of more species. This has resulted in the removal of many duplicates which have been used with large Rhododendrons as an undergrowth to the wood adjoining the entrances, thus considerably enhancing the beauty of the place.

"The period of the year at which the garden is at its best extends from the early weeks of July until the Cold east winds in February and March, for, although severe frost has little effect on the leaves of many, cold winds from east or north quickly turn them brown. That Bamboos should continue in good condition and practically be at their best through the worst of the winter months is a strong recommendation in their favour, and by leaving, as is done at Kew, the tall dead stems and leaves of _Miscanthus_ and the plumes of the Pampas Gra.s.s, touches of colour are given to relieve the greenery, and add greatly to the general effect.

"Of groups and single specimens the following are some of the most conspicuous:--

"ARUNDINARIA.--_A. Simoni_, a fine irregular ma.s.s, 16 feet high and 50 feet across. _A. nitida_, several fine clumps, 11 feet high and 12 feet across. _A. j.a.ponica_, several large clumps, 11 feet high and 20 feet across. _A. Hindsii var. graminea_, 9 feet high by 12 feet in diameter.

"BAMBUSA.--_B. palmata_, 7 feet high and 15 feet across; this is very distinct and handsome, and should be in every collection.

"PHYLLOSTACHYS.--_P. aurea_, 12 feet high by 16 feet through. _P.

Henonis_, 15 feet high by 12 feet. _P. Castillonis_, 12 feet high by 10 feet. _P. nigra_, 15 feet high; several fine ma.s.ses. _P.

viridi-glaucescens_, 15 feet high and 6 feet through at the base, the top spreading to 20 feet. There is also a fine specimen of this in another part of the garden.

"Besides these there are many other fine ma.s.ses.

"Among plants other than Bamboos found in the garden the Yuccas are possibly next in importance. One group is on a bank on the north side having a slope to the south. It is thus exposed to full sun and the plants are happy. In both summer and winter the group forms a delightful picture. The groundwork is composed of the elegant glaucous-leaved _Y.

angustifolia_, while here and there a plant of _Y. filamentosa_ has crept in. Height is given to the group by dot plants of _Y. gloriosa_ and _Y. recurvifolia_, while a plant of _Cotoneaster thymifolia_ growing between the roots in front adds a little in the way of variety.

The whole picture is set in an irregular framing of Bamboos and other plants, some of the most conspicuous of which are _Miscanthus sinensis_ in front, _Arundinaria j.a.ponica_, _A. Hindsii var. graminea_, _Phyllostachys aurea_ and _P. Castillonis_, and Pampas Gra.s.s at the back and sides.

"A collection of hardy species of Smilax is allowed to ramble at will over the tree roots which form the bays, each species having its own particular place. The species cultivated are _S. aspera_ and its varieties, _S. maculata_ and _S. mauritanica_, _S. Bona-nox var.

hastata_, _S. hispida_, _S. rotundifolia_, and _S. tamnoides_.

"In addition to the plants named, others given places in the garden are Kniphofias, Funkias, _Eremuri_, _Physalis_ (grown for winter effect), _Ruscus_, _Asparagus_, &c., the whole forming an interesting collection, and one which must be seen to be fully appreciated.

"The Kew collection is composed of _Arundinaria anceps_, _A.

auricoma_, _A. chrysantha_, _A. Falconeri_, _A. Fortunei_, _A. F.

compacta_, _A. Hindsii_, _A. H. graminea_, _A. humilis_, _A.

j.a.ponica_, _A. macrosperma_, _A. m. tecta_, _A. nitida_, _A. pumila_, _A. Simoni_, _A. S. variegata_, and _A. Veitchii_. _Bambusa agrestis_, _B. angustifolia_, _B. disticha_, _B. marmorea_, _B. Nagas.h.i.+ma_, _B.

palmata_, _B. pygmaea_, _B. quadrangularis_, and _B. tessellata_.

_Phyllostachys aurea_, _P. bambusoides_, _P. boryana_, _P.

Castillonis_, _P. flexuosa_, _P. fulva_, _P. Henonis_, _P. Marliacea_, _P. mitis_, _P. nigra_, _P. n. punctata_, _P. Quilioi_, _P.

ruscifolia_, _P. sulphurea_, and _P. viridi-glaucescens_."

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE HEATHS

Few groups of small flowering shrubs are so charming in the garden as the hardy Heaths. Their usually neat growth, profusion of flowers, and length of time they are in beauty--sometimes three or four months--make them of great garden value. Not more than twelve species can be grown in the open air, but, with one or two exceptions, all are beautiful, as the following complete list suggests: _Erica arborea_, _E. australis_, _E.

carnea_, _E. ciliaris_, _E. cinerea_, _E. lusitanica_ (or _codonodes_), _E. Mackaii_, _E. mediterranea_, _E. multiflora_, _E. scoparia_, _E.

stricta_, _E. Tetralix_, and _E. vagans_.

When the whole group is grown, one or more species may be had in flower every month in the year, except, perhaps, November. A hybrid between _E.

mediterranea_ and _E. carnea_ (sold under the name of _mediterranea hybrida_) has been seen much of late, and is a very welcome little shrub, flowers appearing in some years even in November. Every year some expand before Christmas, and during January it is the brightest plant in the outdoor garden. _E. carnea_ and the white variety follow it; then in a cl.u.s.ter come _E. australis_, _E. arborea_, _E. lusitanica_ (_codonodes_), _E. mediterranea_ and its several varieties, which fill up the months from March to May, and from June onwards we have _E.

cinerea_, _E. ciliaris_, _E. Mackaii_, _E. scoparia_ (the least worthy of the Heaths), _E. stricta_, and _E. Tetralix_. The two allied species, _E. vagans_ and _E. multiflora_, carry on the Heath season until October.

The Heaths are happiest in a peaty soil. The great Heath nurseries are all on soil of that nature, but it is not essential. A loamy medium can, by adding leaf-mould and, if necessary, sand, be made to suit all the Heaths, and some, such as _E. cinerea_ and _E. mediterranea_, are quite at home on a calcareous soil. Choose positions for them well exposed to the sun, with, if possible, a cool, moist bottom. The ways of planting vary, of course, according to the character of the species and varieties selected. The rather free-growing and taller Heaths, like _lusitanica_ and _arborea_, may be planted in informal groups on sloping banks, or more spa.r.s.ely with a dwarfer species like _E. carnea_ as the groundwork.

_E. lusitanica_ and _E. arborea_, being somewhat tender, are only seen at their best in the south and west, but beautiful effects have been got by planting them in irregular and scattered groups on gra.s.sy slopes. The natural grouping of Gorse and Broom suggests a way of using the many beautiful Heaths.

_E. mediterranea_ and its varieties, a beautiful group, and much hardier than the two species just mentioned, have flowers of shades of purple and white. Delightful effects are possible when they are planted in bold, informal groups, especially on sloping banks or ground, their flowers appearing over a period of ten or twelve weeks. Dwarf Heaths, like _E. carnea_, _c. alba_, _cinerea_, &c., may be used as edgings to beds of heathy plants. I am indebted to Mr. Bean for the following excellent notes about the Heaths, and the reason this group has a chapter to itself is to encourage a greater use of shrubs, strangely neglected in English gardens. The beauty of Heath in bloom appeals to poet and painter. Moorlands surfaced with colour, hill upon hill of softened shades fading away in the distance, are pleasant memories--pictures beautiful enough, we should have thought, to tempt the planter of the English garden to reproduce in a small way in the homelands. I hope this chapter will do something to make the beautiful wild Heaths and their varieties welcome in rough, peaty grounds and banks, and the many other places where they would be as happy as on their native moors and hillsides.

THE TALLER OR TREE-LIKE HEATHS

_Erica arborea._--This is the most remarkable of all the hardy Heaths; it grows to quite a small tree. In the Isle of Wight, and doubtless elsewhere, it has been known to grow 30 feet high, with a trunk 39 inches in circ.u.mference. It is found wild in considerable abundance along the Mediterranean coast region between Genoa and Ma.r.s.eilles, the wood being used in the manufacture of the so-called Briar pipes, Briar being a corruption of the French word Bruyere. All the Heaths flower with great freedom but none more so than _E. arborea_ and its near ally, _E. lusitanica_. The flowers are almost globular and nearly white; they are quite small individually, but produced so abundantly that the plants are smothered with them from March to May. My experience of this species is that it is hardier and thrives altogether better in the London district than _E. lusitanica_, a species for which it is often grown. It ripens seed every year almost, and can thus be readily increased in a natural way. The young wood is densely covered with short dark hairs and the leaves are closely packed in whorls of three.

_E. lusitanica_ (syn. _codonodes_).--Many will not recognise the name _lusitanica_ as applied to the well-known _E. codonodes_, but _lusitanica_ is really an older designation. This Heath, as its name implies, comes from Portugal; it is also a native of Spain, and is often confounded with _E. arborea_. Briefly, they differ in the following respects: The flowers of _E. lusitanica_ are longer and more bell-shaped than the globular ones of _E. arborea_; the foliage of _E. lusitanica_ is a rather pale green, and has a rather more plumose look, the individual leaf being longer and more slender; the young wood, although downy, is not so hairy as in _E. arborea_. The remarkable abundance of flowers, a feature of _E. arborea_, is quite as apparent in this species, their colouring is a faintly pink-tinged white. From Messrs. R.

Veitch and Sons, of Exeter, who are taking a special interest in these tree Heaths Kew has lately received a form intermediate between _E.

arborea_ and _E. lusitanica_--probably it is a hybrid. _E. lusitanica_ does not apparently grow so large as _E. arborea_, but it is recorded to have reached 12 feet in height in Suss.e.x. Farther west, in Dorsets.h.i.+re, it grows luxuriantly, and is certainly one of the loveliest of evergreens that can be grown even in that favoured county. Seeds afford the best means of propagation.

_E. australis._--One of the most beautiful and rare of all the Heaths, but unfortunately it is not so hardy as the majority. In the southern and western counties, however, it will thrive admirably, withstanding 20 degrees of frost without serious injury, provided the winter is not unusually protracted. It is curious that in spite of its beauty it is little known even in Cornwall, Devon, and similar localities, where it would doubtless thrive to perfection. It has been grown at Kew for the last six years, and although the winters during that period have not been very severe, it has stood out all the time, and it flowers regularly and profusely every spring. It can be increased by cuttings put in at the end of July or the beginning of August. _E. australis_ is a native of Spain and Portugal; it flowers in April and May, and lasts eight weeks in beauty. The flowers are rich, bright, rosy red, brighter, indeed, than those of any other Heath; they are fragrant, pitcher-shaped, and about a quarter-inch long. The species has been confounded with _E. mediterranea_, which often does duty for it, but it is distinguished by having the flowers produced generally four or eight together in terminal cl.u.s.ters. (Those of _E. mediterranea_ appear in the leaf axils.) Those who have gardens in well-sheltered or mild localities should grow this beautiful Heath. The difficulty at present is to get hold of the right thing; I am glad to know, however, that some trade firms are taking it up. It is said to grow 6 to 8 feet high, but I have not seen plants half as high.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _ONE OF THE BEST OF ALL HEATHS (Erica carnea)._]

_E. mediterranea._--Of all the taller Heaths this is the one, I think, that deserves to be most freely planted in districts no warmer than the London one. The three preceding species, so beautiful when seen at their best, are more comfortable in the southern and western counties. Of st.u.r.dier const.i.tution, _E. mediterranea_ may be planted in large quant.i.ties with a view to producing broad effects. At Kew a group 70 feet across, planted three or four years ago, already makes a striking ma.s.s of purple each spring. The habit of remaining for a long time in full beauty, which is so marked a characteristic of the Heaths, is possessed to the full extent by this species. It is beautiful from March to May, and is all the more appreciated because the majority of the trees and shrubs that bloom at this season have yellow, pink, or white flowers. In the typical _E. mediterranea_ the flowers are bright rosy red, but there is a charming white-flowered variety (_alba_), another with bluish foliage (_glauca_), and a dwarf one (_nana_). The flowers appear near the ends of the shoots in the axils of the leaves, and are pitcher-shaped. The name _mediterranea_ is misleading, for according to Moggridge, the Mediterranean botanist, it is not a native of that region at all; it is rather of Biscayan origin, and is found in Western France and Spain.

On the boggy heaths of Galway and Mayo a form of this species is found; it is known as _E. mediterranea var. hibernica_, and grows 2 to 5 feet high. The typical _E. mediterranea_ was represented in the Syon gardens seventy years ago by a specimen 10 feet high. Do any such n.o.ble examples remain in this country now? _E. mediterranea hybrida_ has been already alluded to.

_E. stricta._--Although not so strikingly beautiful as the Heaths previously mentioned, _E. stricta_ is the hardiest of all the taller species. In inclement districts, where a tall Heath is desired, it may be recommended; it grows from 5 to 6 feet high, and is of erect and st.u.r.dy growth, with leaves borne in whorls four to six together; they are deep green, and a large ma.s.s of plants with their erect plumose branches produces a somewhat unusual effect. _E. stricta_, like so many Heaths, has a long flowering season; it begins to bloom in June, is at its best in July, but three months later flowers may still be gathered.

The flowers are pale purple, and produced in terminal cl.u.s.ters. It has been in cultivation since 1765, and is a native of South-Western Europe; it is occasionally labelled _E. ramulosa_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _A GROUPING OF HEATHS (Erica mediterranea and vars. alba and hybrida)._]

_E. scoparia._--This species has proved to be the tallest Heath near London, for it has during the last few years grown as high as 9 feet.

This gives it a certain distinction, but when regarded as a flower-bearing plant it is, I think, the least worthy of the tribe.

The flowers are crowded in the leaf axils in great profusion, but are small and greenish white; the growth of the plant is somewhat straggling and uneven, but it has one merit--viz., it is quite hardy. I have seen its stems split by hard frost on more than one occasion during the last twelve years, but no permanent injury has resulted. It flowers in June, and is a native of the mountainous country to the north of the Mediterranean, especially about Mentone.

THE DWARFER HEATHS

The dwarf Heaths can be used quite differently from the more tree-like species that have just been described: as a carpeting beneath spa.r.s.ely-planted shrubs, for furnis.h.i.+ng sloping banks, or for growing on the small terraces of the Rock Garden they are equally useful. And of all these dwarf Heaths more can be said in favour of _E. carnea_ than of any other species. It is not only absolutely hardy, but it flowers with astonis.h.i.+ng freedom at a time of year when flowers are particularly cherished. Its flowering, of course, somewhat depends upon the weather, but frequently one may see its bright rosy bells almost as soon as January comes in. By the end of February the entire plant is a ma.s.s of beautiful colour, and for two or three months longer they retain their freshness no matter what weather may occur. So free-flowering is this Heath that its flowers literally cover it. _E. carnea_ is one of those plants (and there are many of them) which, although perfectly well known and quite common, are still not used in gardens so freely as they ought to be. The majority of our early-flowering plants bear flowers that are either white or yellow, so that the rosy-red colouring of this Erica makes a welcome change. However freely it might be planted it would never become wearisome or out of place, for its tints, though bright and warm, are not harsh. Statements have been recently published to the effect that _E. carnea_ is a British plant. This idea appears to have originated with Bentham, the botanist, who regarded _E. carnea_ and _E. mediterranea_ as the same species. Following out this idea, he included the plant which has already been alluded to as a form of _E.

mediterranea_, which is found in Western Ireland, in his Flora of Britain as a form of _E. carnea_. Possibly he was right from the standpoint of the botanist, but the plant grown in gardens and nurseries as _E. carnea_ is quite distinct from _E. mediterranea_. It is usually not more than 6 to 8 inches high, and is a native of the mountains of Central Europe.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _WHITE SCOTCH HEATHER (Erica cinerea alba)._]

_E. cinerea_ (Scotch Heather).--Over almost the whole of these islands, from the Highlands of Scotland to the moors of Devon and Cornwall, this Heath occurs more or less abundantly. During the late summer and early autumn--it flowers from July onwards--it covers miles of Exmoor with bright-purple colouring, being usually a.s.sociated with one of the dwarf autumn-flowering Gorses (_Ulex Gallii_). In gardens it has produced several forms, the two most brilliantly coloured being _atrosanguinea_ and _atropurpurea_, but all the forms of this Heath are beautiful in colour, ranging from white to crimson. _E. carnea_ loves the cool pure mountain air, and on hot and sandy soil in the Thames Valley is short-lived. At the same time it thrives admirably in gardens where a moist, cool bottom can be provided and where the air is pure. Altogether it makes an admirable succession to _E. carnea_.

_E. ciliaris_ (Dorset Heath).--Although in smoky and foggy places, such as London, this Heath is not always satisfactory, in the purer air of the surrounding counties it is a delightful shrub. In some of the old oak-bearing country, in Suss.e.x, for instance, it succeeds to perfection.

It is a native of Britain, but is, I believe, confined to Cornwall and Dorset in England, and to Galway in Ireland. It has long, slender, prostrate stems, from which spring erect flower-bearing branches; the rich rose-purple flowers are borne in a long raceme, and they are the largest individually of those of all the native Heaths. The leaves are nearly always in threes, and, like all the younger parts of the plant, are covered with hairs and p.u.b.escence; it flowers from July onwards.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _WHITE MEDITERRANEAN HEATH (Erica mediterranea alba)._]