Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-04
IBILITIEs
BY LOUIS FREDERICK HORNER
Landscape Architect


There is probably no section of the
world where such a great variety of the
vegetable kingdom grows nearer to
perfection than this southwestern cor
ner of the United States
We have innumerable varieties of
shrubs, indigenous to Southern Cali
fornia, admirably suited for the en-
bellishment of our home grounds; in
fact many of our native shrubs are far
better adapted for this purpose than
scores of our exotics, as has been well
proved by those who have planted
and grown them for years, and yet the
general public is barely familiar with
those Indigenous plants so Infinitely
better suited to our local conditions
than many of their introduced neigh
bors. We also have to select from a
greater variety of foreign plants than
any other portion of the country, so
many of which are we'll adapted to our
soil and climate.
There Is scarcely any position for
which shrubs are unsuited. Belts, ave-
nues, borders, beds, approaches, prone
nades, rock work, wilderness, coVertS
or underground, all may be heightened
in attractiveness by the judicious in
PRODUCTION of one or other of Their
species There Is an air of finish or re-
fnement conveyed by the presence or
the choicer examples of the race not
conferred by any other natural opJects
at the horticulturist's command.
They are comparatively free from
attacks of insects and fungus dis
eases, nor do they entail that constant
detail of attention too commonly re-
ouired by other tenants of the gafden'
The principle divisions under which
shrubs are classed are evergreens ana
deciduous and again into Towering ana
non-flowering and climbing and berry
bearing varieties
An artistic combination of shrubs
is very rarely seen in Southern Cali
fornia. except in such pleasure
grounds as are under the direction or
horticultural experts of the hgher
grade.
The snrub tribe with it's varied and
diversified forms, should constitute the
Ground work of every garden and ar
tistic setting, which can never be at
tanned by the mere use of transltory
flowers, however beautiful
IT does not follow that the use of
flowers is to be prohibited; they stlll
have Their functions to perform, ana.
logous in some degree to the JeWels vi
a lady in full dress.
There are so many shades and grada-
tions among the green's, as they are
seen under the influence OF distance
and light. that they are capapie Oh
producing the most pleasing and artls-
tic color pictures; these contrasts ot
color may be very much enhanced by
contrasts in form. The staple or the
beds and borders and the specimens on
the lawns in our planting of Southern
California should be evergreens. Where
space will permit, however, a rev
choice deciduous shrubs should be
used, so placed as to be thrown in the
shade by their evergreen ne.ghpors,
when not in a fit state to be seen py
company, and yet not entirely con-
cealed when arrayed in their full dress
garb. There are many who advise the
planting of nothing but evergreens IN
the beautifyng of our Southern can
fornia pleasure grounds; with such we
have no sympathy. 1t must be remem-
bered that we are a semi-tropical ana
not a tropical climate.
That many of our noblest trees ana
shrubs in this beautiful southland are
deciduous a short time each year
while many of our introduced SHRUBS
and old garden favorites of back Fast
are perfectly at home here, giving us
a wealth of bloom and indicating by
their time of Towering and falling OF
foliage that a change of season las
taken place. a function whicn their
evergreen neighbors are unable to do.
Take for instance our Boston ivv emp
elopsis tricuspidata, displaying the
richest hues of copper and bronze dur
A., oI1r TaC1<1ran0a OVa-