January 1 1951 Edition
S Eliovson (Author)
Dust cover is in poor condition, but the contents are perfect.
This book is exceptionally rare, not only are there very few copies available on the internet, but this book has not been scanned into any archive we can find on the internet.
This is a gem of a book that would be ideal for an aspiring gardener, landscaper or a nursery to use as a practical reference. See the "Introduction" after the Foreword below to get a better idea of what the book is about.
THIS book has been scanned in colour, and every page is in perfect condition!
When you buy the book, you will receive the password to open the colour scan of the PDF and Word Document.
Foreword by Professor R. H. COMPTON:
I have read the manuscript with admiration and am most impressed with the very beautiful photographs which will adorn it. It seems to me by far the best thing ever published on its subject-a subject of the greatest interest to garden-lovers in South Africa. It is packed full of information, and always tells you exactly what you want to know from the grower's point of view. Obviously it has been written from the basis of direct knowledge and experience in growing the plants them selves, and this gives it a special value. It is amazing to find that so many shrubs and trees, coming from very diverse climates, can grow successfully in South Africa.
Shrubs and trees are an essential feature in every garden and occupy so much space as well as time in growing, that more thought than usual is necessary in choosing suitable subjects, picking the right position, preparing the ground, and so on.
This is where your book will be so valuable and I think that everyone with a new garden to make or an old one to overhaul will be very well advised to possess a copy and consult it freely.
I like it very much indeed, it is just what is wanted, and I am sure it will be a great success.
National Botanic Gardens, Kirstenbosch, Cape.
Introduction
THIS BOOK IS MEANT FOR THE AMATEUR GARDENER who would like to plant numbers of flowering trees and shrubs, but finds it difficult to make a choice from the masses available.
The shrubs and trees in this book were chosen with a certain number of ideas in mind. They have all been selected primarily for their intrinsic beauty. This applied to the beauty of the individual flower as well as to the showy effect that the flowers make on the bush as a whole. A few have been included because they fill a decorative place in the landscape, because of their shape or foliage, or have some other outstanding feature such as a sweet scent. Many shrubs and trees with insignificant flowers—such as privet—have been excluded, but this is purely a personal and arbitrary choice as no two people have exactly the same tastes. It is felt that the reader will probably come across some shrubs not included in this book that he might like to own, and will plant them at a later date if possible. Apart from including only the “cream” of flowering shrubs and trees as far as beauty goes, there is another reason for excluding some. There are many plants which are classed botanically as shrubs, such as NIEREMBERGIA, SALVIA and PELARGONIUM. These are really best treated as perennials and in some cases as annuals, and on account of this lack of permanence have not been included. Nevertheless, there are a few exceptions to this self-imposed rule, mainly because of the wish to include several attractive South African sub-shrubs or perennials that may be grown or treated as shrubs. Other plants such as ALOES and CRASSULA are really shrubs of a succulent nature and are better dealt with in a complete book of succulents. It is a fact, however, that it would require a well-planned garden of at least two acres to contain all the shrubs in this book, taking into consideration all variations in climate. After all there are many trees, other than flowering trees, such as LOMBARDY POPLARS, DEODARS or ELMS, that require a place in the landscape and also a great deal of space.
The author has tried to choose flowering shrubs and trees that are really desirable for the garden and grow easily and well in different parts of the country. As the gardener becomes more interested in shrubs he will want to possess many beautiful imported shrubs that are rare or unobtainable in South Africa. This is the inevitable trait of the collector and applies as much to gardening as it does to collecting objects d'art. Many progressive nurserymen cater for these tastes; and many are the COPPER BEECHES and WITCH HAZELS that have been especially imported and grown very well in South Africa. But such shrubs and trees are rare and practically unobtainable here, so that they have not been included.
On the other hand there are many little-known shrubs and trees that have been included. The enthusiastic gardener will always ferret out something that is new or uncommon. There are, however, very few “new” shrubs beyond garden hybrids that are produced from time to time, but whatever is rare or unknown in one’s own neighbourhood gives one a thrill to identify and acquire. Brachychiton discolor, the QUEENSLAND LACEBARK, for example, is fairly common in Rhodesia, but rarely seen in South African gardens. This is well worth inclusion for its beautiful and unusual flowers, although it should have a place only in a large garden for it does not flower for several years after planting.
The delights of gardening with shrubs should appeal to everyone—whether for a small or large garden—for they arc many. Firstly, once a selection has been made, the position decided and planting correctly done, there is practically no further care required, beyond watering, feeding and, in a few cases, pruning. The shrub will form a permanent part of the garden, enduring for a lifetime. The value of the shrub as an individual thing of beauty, apart from its use in the landscape, lies also in the fact that it provides perennial and often unusual material for the vase. After all, one usually plans the garden around the house and it is a strange gardener who does not like to bring the prizes of the garden to add to the decoration of the house.