Deutzia Scabra

Deutzia Scabra is another neat-growing and highly desirable plant for the town garden. It flowers in such situations with unusual freedom, ripening its young wood well, and showing but little traces of its struggle with the impure atmosphere. It may be trimmed in at will, is readily propagated from cuttings, and succeeds well in a great variety of soils and situations.

The Common Box (Buxus sempervirens)

The Common Box (Buxus sempervirens) and the Tree Box (B. sempervirens arbor-escens) are largely used in town parks, squares, and gardens. The thick, leathery foliage is well suited for withstanding impurities in the air. The Tree Box thrives better than the normal plant in the heart of our largest centres of industry.

The Gum Cistus (C. ladaniferus)

The Gum Cistus (C. ladaniferus) and the Laurel-leaved form (C. laurifolius) are two highly ornamental and perfectly hardy shrubs. The former has large white flowers, with a distinct purple blotch at the base of the petals, while the robust - growing C. laurifolius has pure white flowers. Both are excellent town plants, succeeding well even in very populous localities.

The Japan Quince (Cydonia japonica)

The Japan Quince (Cydonia japonica) is one of the most beautiful shrubs with which our gardens have ever been enriched; and, from the number of fine healthy specimens that are to be found in many of our largest towns, it would thus appear to be particularly suitable for planting where soot and smoke are prevalent. The brilliant scarlet flowers, which are produced at a season when such are most in want, impart to well-grown specimens a beauty which is almost impossible to describe.

Hypericum Nepalensis

Hypericum Nepalensis is probably the best of the St. John's Worts for withstanding smoke, dust, and heat. It is a plant of great beauty, the bright foliage and abundance of large golden flowers placing it in the first rank as an ornamental shrub. H. calycinum is also valuable for similar purposes; while, for edging to the shrubbery, or for covering bare spots, it has few equals.

Hypericum Prolificum

Hypericum Prolificum is a first-class shrub for the town garden and succeeds well even in the most smoky parts of London, as at the Tate Gallery, nearly opposite the Lambeth potteries, and in the East End by Poplar and Bow. It attains to a height of 4 ft., with twiggy stems and abundantly produced bright yellow flowers.

The Tutsan, or Sweet Amber (H. An-droscemum)

The Tutsan, or Sweet Amber (H. An-droscemum), is also suitable for planting in confined spaces and where the air is vitiated and impure. It rarely exceeds 2 ft. in height, with ovate leaves and terminal clustered cymes of yellow flowers.

Castanopsis Chrysophylla

Castanopsis Chrysophylla must on no account be omitted from any list of shrubs that are suitable for planting in the more smoky parts of our larger centres of industry, as both in London and Edinburgh it has been proved to be a valuable addition to such plants.

Mahonia Aquifolia, M. Bealii, and M. Japonica all do fairly well in the town garden, but are the better of being assigned to select positions in the open. Good vegetable mould seems to suit the various species of Mahonia, and, when once fairly established, they grow and flower freely. All are shrubs of great beauty: the bright and showy flowers, produced in rich profusion, are followed by abundance of clusters of rich bluish-purple berries.

Skimmia Japonica is a low-growing shrub that I have seen doing well in the heart of London, where smoke and other impurities of the air do not seem to affect it in the least.

For beauty of flowers it is not remarkable, but as a handsome berry-bearing shrub it can well hold its own with any other. A north aspect and half-peaty soil would seem to suit it.