Trees and Shrubs for English Gardens Part 39

R. ALBERTI.--A native of Turkestan, where it was discovered by M. Albert Regel not many years ago. This is one of the rarest species of Rosa in cultivation. The flowers are bright yellow, the leaves small and much divided.

R. ALPINA.--This is the species from which the Boursault Roses have been derived. It is a native of the Alps and Pyrenees. The stems are 4 to 5 feet high, and have few or no spines except when young. The flowers are rosy red; the fruits red, often pear-shaped, and covered with bristles, which, when rubbed, have a turpentine-like odour.

R. ARVENSIS (or R. REPENS).--From this species the Ayrshire Roses have been obtained. It is naturally a trailing or climbing plant, having long thin shoots and white flowers. When trained over tree stumps or rough stakes and ultimately allowed to grow at will, it forms tangled ma.s.ses which are very pretty. But the double forms--even the common variety, _flore-pleno_--are to be preferred, being especially useful in semi-wild spots. The type is wild in England, and frequently to be seen in hedges and thickets.

R. CAROLINA.--For certain positions this is a useful Rose. It has erect stems and forms dense thickets, spreading rapidly by means of the numerous underground rhizomes it sends out in all directions. The flowers are purplish-rose. A later-flowering variety known as _nuttalliana_ is a stronger grower and has larger flowers. This will flower up to September. _R. lucida_ and _R. nitida_ are, like _R.

carolina_, natives of North America, and are of similar habit, but they are dwarfer and the leaves are more glossy. All these are apt to become crowded with old stems, and, besides an occasional thinning out, are much improved by dividing up every three or four years.

R. FERRUGINEA (R. RUBRIFOLIA).--This species, which comes from the Pyrenees and Alps, is remarkable for the reddish-purple colour of its leaves and young shoots. Groups of half-a-dozen or more plants give a striking colour effect. The flowers are similar to the Dog Rose, but red.

R. LaeVIGATA (R. SINICA).--Except in the south and south-west or in similarly favoured localities, this is not really hardy, but where it thrives it is a singularly beautiful Rose, perhaps unsurpa.s.sed among single Roses in the size of its pure white flowers. It is known as the Cherokee Rose, and is naturalised in some of the Southern United States.

A lovely hybrid between it and _R. indica_ has been raised and named Anemone. Its flowers are soft rose.

R. LUTEA (Austrian Briar)--Of all the Wild Yellow Roses this is the most beautiful. The yellow-flowered species do not, as a rule, thrive so well as the others in gardens--one has only to mention such species as _berberifolia_, _sulphurea_, _xanthina_ (or _Ecae_) to recall that. But _R. lutea_, in strong loam with plenty of lime added, generally thrives well. The copper-coloured varieties are more difficult to deal with in suburban districts. The flowers of the typical _R. lutea_ are of the brightest rich yellow. When in good health it produces each year long arching shoots, wreathed from end to end with blossom. This species comes from the Orient.

R. MICROPHYLLA--This interesting species is closely allied to _R.

rugosa_, and is a native of China. It has a st.u.r.dy bushy habit, few spines, and the curious habit of peeling its bark. Its foliage is very handsome, the leaflets being small and numerous. The flowers are rose coloured and very fragrant. The shrub is interesting for its fine fruits, which are of large size, very spiny, and of a yellowish colour when ripe. Although some other species surpa.s.s this in showiness, it is one of the most distinct.

R. MOSCHATA (Musk Rose).--When seen at its best, few of the rambling species are more beautiful than this. It is not, however, so hardy as some, especially when young, in which state it makes long, succulent shoots during summer and autumn, which are apt to be killed back in winter. Old plants do not suffer in the same way, or not so severely.

Its flowers are borne in great cl.u.s.ters, and are notable for their pure whiteness and conspicuous bunches of bright-yellow stamens. The best plants often of this species are in shrubberies, where, no doubt, the other shrubs afford it some protection. It is a native of the Orient and India. The name "Musk Rose" refers to a perfume which may occasionally be detected in its flowers after a shower, but is never very apparent.

_Nivea_ is a beautiful form.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _ROSA MULTIFLORA_]

R. MULTIFLORA.--This, the Polyantha Rose, the wild type of the group so named and the progenitor of many graceful Roses, is a native of j.a.pan and China. It is a shrub 8 feet or more high, forming a dense thicket of arching branches. Its flowers individually are small, but they come in large dense cl.u.s.ters and so abundantly as to transform the shrub into a ma.s.s of white. They are very fragrant. This is an admirable plant for putting at the top of a wall or steep bank which it is desirable to drape with vegetation. The Polyantha group of Roses can always be distinguished by the stipules at the base of the leaf-stalk being fringed.

R. OCHROLEUCA.--In stature, foliage, and mode of growth this is like the Scotch Rose, but its flowers are of as bright and rich a yellow as those of the Austrian Yellow (_R. lutea_). Where _R. lutea_ does not grow well, this will be an excellent subst.i.tute. A native of Siberia.

R. POMIFERA (Apple Rose).--This is, perhaps, the most striking of Roses in regard to its fruit. The hips are 1 to 1 inches long, apple or pear-shaped, of a fine bright red, and covered with bristles. It is a species that requires generous conditions at the root to be seen at its best. _R. mollis_ and _R. tomentosa_ belong to the same group, and have also fine red fruits, but they are much smaller than those of _R.

pomifera_.

R. RUGOSA (j.a.panese Rose).--No plant has come to the front more rapidly in recent years than this Rose. It was introduced from j.a.pan in 1845, but appears to have been neglected. It is one of the very hardiest of Roses, as well as one of the st.u.r.diest and most robust. The leaves are very handsome, the leaflets being of a rich green and wrinkled. The flowers in the wild type are rosy crimson, but there is also a white variety, and seedlings give quite a variety of shades. It hybridises freely with other species and garden varieties, and has in this way enriched our gardens with many good hybrids, Mme. Georges Bruant and the Coubert Double White among them. The fruits of _R. rugosa_ are orange-shaped, scarlet red, and of large size--altogether very ornamental.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _HYBRID ROSE UNA, A SHRUBBY GROUP ON GRa.s.s._

(_Bed is 70 feet in circ.u.mference and contains 15 plants._)]

R. SERICEA.--For some reason this Rose has never obtained the recognition it deserves. Perhaps its comparative rarity may account for this. It is the earliest of all Roses to flower out of doors, its first blossoms opening as a rule towards the latter end of May; the flowers are creamy white. In the cooler days of May and early June it lasts longer in bloom than many of the later flowering species do. It has one very distinctive character, in the petals being nearly always four (instead of the usual five) to each flower. Sometimes the bark of the young shoots is a bright red. A native of North India.

R. SETIGERA.--Of the North American Roses none has proved more useful in this country than the Prairie Rose. A rambler in habit, it is valuable for its vigorous growth and late flowering. The flowers are large, deep rose, and appear in July and August.

R. SPINOSISSIMA (R. PIMPINELLIFOLIA).--The Scotch Rose is one of the earliest species to bloom; it is also one of the prettiest and most distinct. The stems are dwarf and covered with bristles, the leaves small, and the flower white and cup-shaped. There are several wild varieties of it, the two most noteworthy being _altaica_ (or _grandiflora_) and _hispida_. Both these grow 6 feet or more high, and the flowers of both are larger than the typical Scotch Rose. Those of _altaica_ are creamy white; those of _hispida_ a lovely cream yellow.

The garden varieties of this Rose are numerous--some double, some single, and varying in colour from yellow to white and from pink to purple. The type is found wild in several parts of Britain.

R. WEBBIANA.--Coming from some of the highest elevations on the Himalaya at which shrubby vegetation exists, this species is the hardiest of the Indian Roses. It has a thin, graceful habit, and its spiny stems are blue white when young. This year it has been very pretty in the unusual profusion of its bluish-tinted flowers, each of which are about 2 inches across. The leaves are of a blue green, and are similar in size and division to those of the Scotch Roses. But it is quite distinct from them or any others, for which reason it is worth the notice of lovers of these wild types.

R. WICHURAIANA.--It is not many years since this j.a.panese Rose was first introduced, but it is now fairly well known. It is a perfectly prostrate plant, and is remarkable for the shiny, varnished appearance of the leaves. It is one of the latest species to come into bloom. The flowers are pure white, and appear during July and August in cl.u.s.ters resting on the carpet of glossy foliage. It makes an excellent covering for sunny banks where the soil is good. Old tree stumps are also pretty when covered with this Rose. It has already been hybridised, and among its progeny are Pink Roamer, Manda's Triumph, South Orange Perfection, and Jersey Beauty. There is a very distinct cross between it and _R. rugosa_ at Kew.

CHAPTER XL

PLANTING AND STAKING TREES

A few words of advice upon these important subjects will be helpful.

When planting a tree, prepare the ground beforehand, so that when the trees arrive they can be put at once into their proper places without having to be laid in. If the trees are to be planted thickly, trench the ground to a depth of at least 2 feet, keeping the top spit to the top all the while, merely burying the turf if there is any. If the soil is poor, enrich it during the trenching. If possible this trenching should be done the spring previous to the planting of the trees, and the ground cropped with Potatoes or Cabbages to keep down weeds during summer. If the trees are to be planted wide apart or as isolated specimens, make large holes, varying in diameter from 6 to 10 feet, these being trenched 2 or 2 feet deep and filled in again to within 1 foot of the surface.

The shape of the hole is a small matter, round or square being equally good. In some instances, however, especially when a tree is being moved with a large ma.s.s of soil, a square hole will be found handier than a round one, on account of the additional room given by the corners.

The time to plant is of much importance, for though deciduous trees may be transplanted throughout winter, October, November, February, and March are preferable to December or January. October and November are the two best months, as then the ground is warm and root action begins before winter sets in.

If the trees are simply to be transplanted from one position in the garden to another, the work may be begun in the case of deciduous trees as soon as the leaves turn colour and commence to fall. In lifting, take care not to injure the roots. When putting the spade into the ground the edge should be to the tree, not the face. Digging must begin at a reasonable distance from the tree, and if a ball of soil is not required, the soil should be forked from between the roots into a trench which has previously been made round the stem. If, while lifting, any of the main roots have suffered, cut the injured parts away with a sharp knife and tar over the wounds. When planting, the tree should be stood in the hole, and a stick laid across the top of the hole near the tree to ascertain whether the depth is right, sufficient s.p.a.ce for an inch of soil over the uppermost root being allowed. The centre of the hole should be filled in slightly higher than the sides, and on the little mound the tree should be stood, laying the roots out carefully all round. When filling the soil in, some fine material should be worked in among the roots with the hand, and before the hole is fully filled in give a good watering; this has the effect of settling the soil well about the roots. The amount of ramming necessary depends on the consistency of the soil. After a tree is planted in early autumn a mulching of rotten manure may be given, but if the planting is done in spring the mulching is better left until early summer when the ground has become warmed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _STAKING TREES._]

After planting, staking, where necessary, should be attended to. It is not necessary to stake every tree that is planted. When it is st.u.r.dy, with a well-balanced head and set of roots, and the position is not exposed to rough winds, staking is needless. If, however, the stem is weak or the roots are mostly on one side, not spread round the tree, or the position is very exposed, staking for a time will be necessary. In the case of young trees little difficulty will be experienced, as good straight stakes can be easily got. As a rule, one stake is quite enough for a tree, and that should be driven in as close as possible to the trunk without injuring it or the roots. To the stake the tree should be secured with wire or stout tar string, using thin cushions of felt, leather, or old hose-pipe to keep the wire or string from cutting into the bark. Allow a little room between the stem and stake for growth. Two or three ties are usually sufficient, and these should be examined and loosened once or twice a year until the stakes can be dispensed with.

The habit of putting in stakes in such a way that they cross the trunk, and that when the wind blows there is sufficient play for the stem and the stake to rub against each other, is a bad one, the chafing often causing serious wounds. In exposed situations, or when there is danger of the tree rocking about and becoming loose at the collar, put in three stakes in the form of a triangle, the stem fitting in the s.p.a.ce left between the three stakes at the top, while the bottoms of the stakes extend some 2 or 3 feet from the tree. For this purpose wires fastened to stakes driven in the ground are useful, and neater than stout stakes.

When wires are used, however, take care to provide a good soft pad between the tree and the wire. For trees with large heads, or those not well furnished with roots, this way of staking will be found very useful. When inserting stakes they should be properly sharpened for the sake of straight driving. The staking of trees which have the lower parts of their trunks straight and their leaders crooked differs from other staking, as the stakes should not be driven into the ground, but tied firmly to the trunk below the bend, the leader being then drawn to the stake. In all cases, however, where staking is done the stakes should be removed as soon as the trees are able to do without them. A stake is not beautiful. There is always the chance of the tying material being left a little too long without examination, and therefore it cuts into the bark. Ties also harbour insects.