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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