The Aucuba, or gold plant, (Aucuba Japonica) was for merly kept in the green-house; but it n .w ornaments the flower-garden with its fine spotted yellow leaves ; and in a sheltered situation it sustains no injury from our ordinary winters.
470. Rhododendrons of different species are highly orna mental, particularly R maximum, Ponticum, hirsutum, and ferrugineum. These grow well in any loamy soil, although they no doubt flourish more among sandy peat. If a rivulet pass the flower garden, the banks of it should be planted with them. Kalmias may also be introduced, particularly K. latifolia, angustilolia, and glauca ; together with Ledum palustre and L. latifolium, or the Labrador tea plant ; likewise different species of Vaccizziunz, and of Andromeda, particularly pulverulenta and cassinefolia; and Gaultheria procu mbens.
471 Among low evergreens for the front of the borders, different species of Cistus or rock-rose are excellent ; and several hardy exotic Heaths, which skew their flowers early in the spring, particularly Erica mediterranea and carnea. E. arborea, the flowers of which are fragrant, sometimes attains the size of a considerable shrub, and is very ornamental, but it succeeds only in the milder parts of England. Even our four native species deserve a place. The most common is E. vulgaris, of which there is a white-flowered variety, and one with double flowers. E. cinema, fine-leaved heath or bell heather, is the next in point of abundance ; it is more showy than the Former, and there is a variety with white flowers. E. tetralix, or cross leaved heath, is the third species ; it is an elegant plant, distinguished by the leaves growing in fours, and by the flowers coming in clusters on the tops of the stalks. E. vagans is a native of the south of England, found indeed scarcely any where but in Cornwall. These native heaths grow perfectly well in any poor soil ; but the ground should not be delved close by them, as their roots are generally extended very near the surface. Pittuaporum tobira is a beautiful glossy-leaved Chinese evergreen, which succeeds in a well sheltered border, but unless it be situated in a dry soil, is apt to be cut of by the damp at the surface of the earth. Several species of Daphne are very ornamental as evergreens, and produce their flowers in the spring mouths, particularly D. cneorum, pontica ; and although the inczereon (D. me zere um) is a deciduous shrub ; yet as it displays its blos soms very early in the spring, generally in February, it deserves a place : there arc three varieties, dark red, pale red, and white. The Periwinkles (l'inca major and minor), when regularly cut over every year, form neat evergreen bushes.
472. The Musk rose (Rosa nzoschata) may be consider ed as approaching to an evergreen ; and there is an almost evergreen variety of the sweet-briar (R. rubiginosa). But of all others, R. Indica is the greattst acquisition to our gardens, being not only always in leaf, but flowering both late and early, in November and in March. The Ayrshire Rose, a species not well ascertained, deserves a place, especially for covering any wall, pale, or winter seat ; it grows very rapidly, and always retains some of its leaves. It is said to be from America, and to have received the name of Ayrshire rose, from having been . first cultivated
at Fah field, near Kilmarnock. A rampant native species (R. arvensis) has likewise obtained among nurserymen the name of Ayrshire rose, and is often sold instead of the other, to which it bears a considerable resemblance.
Autumn, Winter, and Spring Gardens.
473. It now very commonly happens, that the autumn and early part of winter are the only seasons in which families, swayed by the fashionable world, reside at their country mansions. The forming of an autumnal and a winter garden is therefore important. In the former, many late-flowering perennial plants, such as asters, solidagos, rudbeckias, hollyhocks, and many kinds of annual flowers, may render the borders gay till the frost prove too severe. The carnation shed may with propriety be situated in the autumn garden.
474. Addison, in one of his Spectators (No. 477.) sets forth the pleasures and beauties of a winter garden. " In the summer season," he observes, " the whole country blooms, and is a kind of garden, for which reason we are not so sensible of those beauties that at this time may be every where met with ; but when nature is in her desola tion, and presents us with nothing but bleak and barren prospects, there is something unspeakably cheerful in a spot of ground which is covered with trees that smile amidst all the rigour of winter, and give us a view of the most gay season in the midst of that which is most dead and melancholy. I have so far indulged myself in this thought, that I have set apart a whole acre of ground for the executing of it. The walls are covered with ivy in etead of vines. The laurel, the hornbeam, and the holly, with many other trees and plants of the same nature, grow so thick in it, that you cannot imagine a more lively scene." A winter garden of much smaller dimensions than here suggested, would in general be found sufficient. The idea was taken up also by Lord Karnes, in his "Elements of Criticism," (vol. ii. p. 448). " In a hot country," he re marks, "it is a capital object to have what may be termed a summer garden, that is, a space of ground disposed by art and by nature to exclude the sun, but to give free access to the air. In a cold country, the capital object should be a winter garden, open to the sun, sheltered From the wind, dry under foot, and having the appearance of summer by a variety of evergreens." All the evergreens which have already been mentioned would enter with pro priety into the composition of such a garden. The horn beam, it may be noticed, however, must have crept into the Spectator's list by inadvertency, it being a deciduous tree. Besides evergreen trees and shrubs, there are a good many humble herbaceous plants, which retain a greenness in their foliage over winter ; such are, common daisies, thrift, pinks, none-so-pretty, burnct, and several others. These may also be admitted; and plants which flower in winter, or very early in the spring, may be scattered over the butlers; such are Christmas rose and winter aconite (ThIleborus niger and hyenzalis); dog's-tooth violet, White and pink. (Erytlironium dens cards); bulbous fumitory (Fumaria bulbosa and sohda); and others. To the winter garden a Conservatory may be considered as appro priate appendage.