g that is wanted through the
winter as cut greenery to go with winter flowers, whether hardy or from
under glass. If these are cut a foot long the bush is kept in shape, and
a valuable supply of stuff for house decoration is provided.

A half or even quarter acre of well-arranged planting of these
gold-variegated shrubs has a surprisingly cheery effect in winter,
making a kind of sunlight of its own when skies are grey, and a
comfortable shelter when winds are keen.

In summer, too, it will be beautiful if the spaces between the shrubs
are cleverly planted, for preference, with plants of white or
pale-yellow flowers, such as White Foxglove, _Oenothera lamarckiana_,
white and pale-yellow _Hibiscus ficifolius_, _Liliums auratum_,
_giganteum_, _speciosum_, and _longifolium_; White Everlasting Pea
trained loosely through any near branches; _Nicotiana affinis_ and _N.
sylvestris_; and close to the path hardy Ferns of pale-green frondage,
such as the Lady Fern; with clumps of plants of golden foliage like the
Gold Valerian and Gold Nettle. A shrub of variegated foliage, planted
without special attention, and coming suddenly in a grouping of others
of an average green colour is made unduly conspicuous. It should be led
up to by neighbours whose colouring gradually assimilates with its own.
The sudden effect of colouring is all very well in the nurseryman's show
borders, where the object is to attract attention to showy individuals,
but in our gardens we want the effect of well-arranged pictures
rather than that of shop windows.

[Illustration: _TAURIAN TAMARISK (Tamarix tetrandra), IN FLOWER._]

A variegated plant to be of real value in the garden must have clear,
bright, and abundant red and yellow or white markings, not dotted or
merely margined with colour. So many worthless shrubs with poor
variegation have been named and offered for sale that it is unwise to
buy them from a catalogue. We may repeat the advice already given, which
is to see them first.

Trees and shrubs with coloured foliage are of several kinds. Most common
of all are those which have leaves blotched or edged with golden or
creamy yellow and white, such as the variegated Hollies and Elaeagnuses.
Then there are those which are only coloured at a certain season, like
_Neillia opulifolia aurea_. This has leaves of a beautiful self yellow
colour when they unfold in spring, but become green as the summer
advances; or the variegated Plane (_Platanus acerif