Spreading Shrubs Neat at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

The evergreen azaleas are low, densely branched spreading shrubs neat shrubs with neat leaves and small to medium-sized flowers, very freely produced in early and mid-summer. Their color range is from white to crimson, but with none of the yellow shades that characterize the taller, more open-branched deciduous azaleas, and with greater emphasis on pinks, carmine and scarlet. They are among the most showy of all shrubs when in flower and, being evergreen, give the garden a well-furnished appearance even in winter. Some good varieties are: "Addy Wery" (vermillion); "Benegirl" (deep magenta); "Christmas Cheer" (crimson); "Hinomayo" (pink); "Hinodegirl" (carmine); "Malvaticum" (mauve); "Orange Beauty" (orange); "Leonora" (lemon); and "Palestrina" (white).

These are non-climbing roses. Some of them grow into arching shrubs, some form attractive spreading shrubs neat mounds, while others are more upright.

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.