Of Shrubs Suitable at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

Of shrubs suitable for clipping formally so that their tops form a plane parallel with the bank itself some of the best are Japanese barberry and its purple-leaved variety, yews, especially Taxus cuspidata nana (often sold as Taxus brevifolia), Stephanandra incisa and privet. Any kind of privet may be used; the variety lodense is especially suitable. Other good shrubs for planting banks are sweet fern (Comptonia) which needs an acid soil and cutting back every few years, Cotoneaster horizontalis, fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) which is a harmless relative of poison ivy that colors magnificently in fall and must be cut back every two or three years, and coral berry or Indian currant (Symphoricarpos orbi-culatus) which stands moderate shade.

Grass, growing in the shade of trees and shrubs, has to compete with them for food as well as moisture. Relieve the pressure of this competition by providing for the needs of the trees and shrubs as •well as the grass. Fertilize the lawn regularly and also the trees and shrubs. So far as possible, place the fertilizer intended especially for the trees and shrubs deep in the soil so that their roots are encouraged to strike downward. This may be done by using the method described below. Fertilizer intended primarily for the grass is applied at the surface.

SHRUBS ARE commonly grouped either with other shrubs or with herbaceous plants and annuals, but some kinds look their best planted as isolated specimens and some can be trained against walls. Magnolia stellata is an excellent example of the former type and pyracantha, Japanese quince (Chaenomelesjaponica), and ceanothus all do well against walls, where their stiff branches may provide support for genuine climbers, such as the less rampant varieties of clematis. Most shrubs take several years to attain their full size. In the meantime, temporary plants, such as dahlias, annuals and herbaceous perennials, can be used to fill the space until the shrubs require it all.