The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Shrubs And Trees

To the more experienced gardener, conversant with the subtler values of ornamental shrubs, our Score-Chart may, nevertheless, demonstrate an idea, a game if you will, at which everybody can play, of recording one's observations of the varied charms of this large and delightful group of plants we speak of as The Shrubs. The keeping of some such chart as this may commend itself to gardeners and garden groups by way of interesting exercise, and tend to sharpen the skills of critical evaluation and selection. Depending upon one's interests, the point-system employed by us may well be modified in detail, with possible allowances for values related to bird life or for decorative qualities useful in artistic arrangements of cut materials. However varied the system, the results should prove interesting and valuable, even though one may, after all, not be guided entirely by statistics and continue to plant at least to some extent the things one loves the best, regardless of score cards.

It is admitted that, even on the basis of the point-system employed by us, the findings of other plantsmen in other parts of our far-flung climatic (or rather, temperature) zone might fall out more or less at variance with ours; and, insofar as judgment—particularly aesthetic appraisal rather than fact is involved, the reader is properly entitled to exceptions. It is hoped, therefore, that not overmuch importance may be attached to minor differences in total scores, but that the larger comparisons may be found helpful.

The Make-up of the Chart

The following comment on the composition of the Chart may help one to understand more clearly its scope and method. And it will furnish opportunity to discuss at some lengdi the values represented by the several columns.

Points. The maximum number of points allowed for each value is indicated at the head of the columns. They total one hundred.

Materials. In addition to those listed in the Chart, many other kinds have been included in an incidental manner in the Descriptive Review.

The list contains both the border shrubs and the larger shrubs and small trees, but not the materials reviewed in the chapter on Shade Trees for the Small Place, since these can hardly be judged on the same basis as the shrubs. No small woody plants are listed which serve mainly for low ground-covers or small garden edgings or for rock-garden interest. While no large numbers of named horticultural varieties or hybrids are listed, the more important groups or types within which they fall are discussed in the Descriptive Review.

The shrubs have been listed by their botanical names, which lend themselves better for alphabetical purposes than do common names. The latter have been indicated insofar as practicable in the subsequent discussions.