Choice of Flowering Shrubs

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23181, 29 October 1938, Page 10 (Supplement)

Choice of Flowering Shrubs

Many Delightful Varieties Available

•TOO often the hopie gardener waits , until the planting season before giving a thought to what will be ordered for'the garden. Obviously the thne to 'decide -on' orders is while the plants are in "bloom, even though this may rieap waiting six months or more before delivery. In no instance is this more true than in the case of flowering trees and shrubs. These of necessity are planted for permanency, and cannot be readily exchanged or moved to another place when once established. Now is the time to make notes of all those beautiful flowering shrubs which are to be seen around the district, which might be planted next autumn and winter if they will fit in with the existing scheme of the garden. Cherries, assisted by the spell of fine weather, are making a glorious show. Varieties afe now so numerous as to be almost confusing, and this is an added reason for making a selection while the trees in flower. Some of tho old favourites among the Japanese varieties still bold their own. For a spreading tree

with pale pink flowers, it would be difficult to imagine anything more beautiful than Prunus serruiata Fugenzo, the new name for the. tree which will be more familiar to readers as P. serruiata J. H. Veitch. Then there is the rather more erect and deeper coloured P. serruiata Kanzan, which used to be known £is Hizakura. Kather later in bloom is Shirofugen, which makes a fine companion for its close relative, Okumiyako. Of the newer Japanese cherries, Ama-No-Gawa is one of the most striking. It has the erect habit of a Lombardy poplar, and, in consequence, can be grown very successfully in quite small gardens. The semi-double, pale pink flowers are very freely produced. Of the pure white cherries, one of the showiest is still Prunus Avium flore pFeno, but even more suitable for a small garden is the double <white Morello cherry, Prunus Hhexii flore pleno, as it is less vigorous in growth.. Among the single whites. Prunus serruiata Taihaku is outstanding, with flowers of immense size, contrasting mag-

n i fit-en 11 y with the young, coppery-red foliage. Those oil tho look-out for something a little out of the ordinary should consider the merits of the Judas tree, Cercis silifjuastrum. This makes a handsome specimen, with attractive, roundish leaves and close clusters of purplishred flowers in spring. It certainly likes a sunny position, and revels in warmth. The Judas tree is 110 less beautiful in autumn, when the foliage assumes beautiful tints of copper and red before falling. Catalpa bignonioides, the Indian bean, can be grown in two quite distinct ways. Either by pruning hard every year, in which case it will produce a wealth of strong yoyng growths with very large leaves, but 110 flowers; or allowed to grow naturally with little or 110 pruning. In this case the leaves will be smaller, but panicles of showy flowers will be produced. Tho blooms nre white, marked with yellow and purple spots, and are very handsome. If flowers are to be produced, the wood must be thoroughly ripened; this accounts for the fact that after a very hot summer tho catalpas usually flower very well the following season.