SOME OF THE EARLY FLOWERING SHRUBS.
When the Winter is past, and the snow wreaths are gone, and the soft south wind comes in the place of him of the icy breath; when the time of the singing of birds is come, as they return from their long visit to the lands of the south, how the eye lights up with gladness at the sight of the first opening flower, and the heart prizes the first heralds of returning verdure and beauty. These early flowers, what a charm they have; what pleasing thoughts they waken, touching alike the chords of memory and hope. The homestead that has none of these to feast the eye and cheer the heart, must be to its inmates the very castle of giant despair, whence hope has fled, and where memory is weaving garlands of withered leaves.
There is a goodly number of these early blossoming shrubs which can be planted about the home, some of them sufficiently hardy to endure the rigors of our colder sections, while others of them, especially those of the Almond family, can only be grown successfully in our milder districts. One of the most showy and hardy of these is the Japan Quince, Cydonia Japonica. It has been called by some the burning bush, for the scarlet variety when covered with its bright glowing flowers, is indeed an apt reminder of that which burned but was not consumed. It is a shrub of great beauty, putting forth its large blossoms in great profusion early in the spring, before the leaves are grown. Standing alone, or when used as a dividing garden hedge it presents a most charming appearance. When the flowers are faded, the neat, glossy green leaves are pretty, and as Autumn approaches the golden fruits shine brightly beautiful among the foliage. There is a variety which produces delicate pink flowers, or light salmon color, shading to white; but the flowers are not so profusely abundant as those of the scarlet. There is also another variety with very brilliant rosy red flowers, which are produced in great abundance, and whose fruit is larger and more showy than that of the scarlet. In striking contrast to the crimson and scarlet of the Japan Quince stands the beautiful snow white Plum-leaved Spirea, Spirea prunifolia flore pleno. This is the most attractive of all the Spireas; graceful in outline, abundant in flowering, every branch a bridal wreath, each flower a perfect rosette; in the purity of its whiteness; and elegance of its grace it is the acknowledged queen of the race. Nor is it beautiful only when the slender branches are wreathed throughout with white roses in miniature; all through the Summer bright glossy leaves clothe its graceful form, which change when Autumn comes on to yellow and orange, and red and scarlet, with such a variety of coloring, and tints so glowing and yet so harmoniously blended, that now it seems to have become the burning bush, the eye rests upon it with a new pleasure, and the heart wishes that it might remain thus forever. A fitting companion for these is a shrub of more recent introduction, a native of Northern China, which has proved quite hardy, and may be called the Chinese Double-flowering Plum, Prunus Triloba. It is a great acquisition, and well worthy of a place in the most select collection. The flowers are large, nearly double, of a clear pink, thus forming a sort of intermediate color between the Japan Quince and the Plum-leaved Spirea. The flowers are produced in great profusion, literally wreathing the branches before the leaves appear. Its habit seems to be more dwarf-like than that of the others that have been mentioned, hence it should be planted in the foreground where its beautiful peach-blow tints may be fully presented to view.
Grouped with these flowering shrubs should be planted another, having no showy flowers, but presenting by the peculiar color of its leaves a pleasing feature on the lawn; it is the Purple-leaved Filbert, Corylus Americana, var. purpurea. Coming into leaf while the other shrubs just described are in flower, its dark purplish-red leaves seems to bring out and heighten the beauty of their several colors; and when the flowers upon the others have passed away, the rich purplish coloring of these leaves remains, contrasting pleasingly with the glossy green foliage of its neighbors. All the Summer long the leaves retain this purple hue, making it one of the most showy of our colored leaved shrubs, giving beauty and richness to the grounds as a shrub that is ever in flower.
These few are mentioned, not that they are all the wealth of our early flowering shrubs, but that our readers may not be embarrassed in their selections by the profusion of over riches, and that they may be guided to those that will give variety within small compass. Besides it shows that it is possible that our rural homes should be made attractive with very small expenditure of means and labor. Much has been done in this direction, but there is also much that remains undone. Passing the homes of our thriving farmers, the tidy lawn, or if you please, door-yard, bright with blossoming shrubs and trees of beauty, is yet the exception. There is a reason for this, and that reason pays no compliment to our taste or refinement. Away with the thought that refinement is to be found only in the city, that country cousin means something wanting in the appreciation or expression of grace and beauty. If it be so, why is it? Where are forms of grace and beauty set forth with hand so lavish as in the country? Where are models so fresh and pure, just sprung from the hand of Him whose every creation is but the expression of grace, to be found as here? With these before us continually are we to grow rude and coarse? Nay, let it not be; let us open the eye to the beautiful things the bountiful Father has given us, let us cluster them around our dwellings, let us educate our love of the bright, and beautiful, and graceful, until our country homes in their surroundings shall be the expression of the refined and lovely spirit that reigns within them. We make our lives weary with heavy toil, and think we have neither time nor strength for these mere adornments. In the days of pioneer life, when the battle for subsistence is stern and unremitting, perhaps there may be a necessity in neglecting the finer instincts of our nature. Yes, perhaps; for how many a pioneer’s cabin have we seen garlanded with flowers; but let that be accepted; the pioneer days of our readers have long since passed. We forget that the mere adornments, as we like to call these things, both tell what we are, and have to do with making us what we are. For the children’s sake then let the influence of home within and without be loving and lovely, that their early appreciation of the beautiful may expand and grow with their growth, and that in their communion with grace and refinement, as expressed in these refined and graceful creations, they may drink in the true spirit of gentleness with manliness.
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