354 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



collection of ivies to equal his own, whether as to number of varieties 

 or the beauty of the individual plants ; so if you will allow it, we will 

 end the apology with a bit of boasting, and after fifteen years' assiduous 

 application to a neglected subject, it would argue a sad waste of 

 time if one had nothing to boast about. Apologies < and boastings 

 done with, let us now be practical. 



We meet with five or six kinds of ivies usually in British gardens. 

 The Irish ivy, usually designated Hedera Canariemis (in the new 

 classification designated " grandifolia") ; the "British ivy," or Hedera 

 helix of the botanists; the Asiatic ivy, H. colchica of botanists, 

 and H. Eegneriana of gardens ; with two or three variegated leaved 

 kinds, which have a magnificent appearance when, after many years' 

 growth, they are seen sheeting a great breadth of wall. These few 

 afford hints that ivies might be turned to some account, but when we 

 have secured a good collection, it will be a matter of constant 

 surprise and delight to find amongst them an almost unparalleled 

 diversity of forms and colours, befitting them for a multitude of 

 uses to which, speaking in a general way, ivies have never yet been 

 applied at all. 



Perhaps it will convey a better idea of what may be done with 

 ivies if a few words are said on the uses to which they have beeu put 

 by the writer of this. In the experimental garden they have afforded 

 many distinct and striking features of embellishment. On the 

 rockery-bastion, long since figured and described in the Floral 

 Would, we have grown about twenty of the most distinct varieties. 

 The Asiatic ivy threw over one of the arches a splendid mantle of 

 huge, leathery, ovate leaves, which might be likened to the herbage 

 of Aristolochia sipho, though very different in texture and colour. 

 In another part a fine sheet of the variegated Irish ivy, known in 

 catalogues as the " golden blotched " ivy (now designated " pallida"). 

 This displayed broad masses of leaves of the clearest primrose or 

 amber colour, in many cases without a particle of green, intermixed 

 with leaves partially variegated and alternating with breadths of the 

 same plant, with the glossy deep green hue of the normal " Irish " 

 ivy. Another variety of the Irish ivy, with the leaves uniformly 

 blotched with yellowish-grey variegation, the stems and foot-stalks 

 shining out conspicuously, owing to their fioe reddish purple colour. 

 Two remarkable varieties of H. helix adorned another part of the 

 bastion, meeting above on one of its arches. One of these is the 

 " chrysocarpa" of the catalogues (now designated " pedata"), this 

 has deep green leaves, each divided into five narrow segments, 

 presenting an admirable resemblance to the foot of a bird. The 

 other was the variety called " digitata," the leaves of which are 

 divided into five lobes that very nearly resemble an outstretched 

 human hand. The colour of this is a deep blackish green, with con- 

 spicuous grey veins. Of smaller growth, and more refined in their 

 beauty, are the " marginate " varieties, with small leaves broadly 

 margined with creamy variegation, the inner disks a bluish-tinted 

 green. In winter a few of this section acquire a fine tone of purplish 

 red on the edges of all the leaves. Such then is one of the uses of 

 beautiful ivies ; they offer a most delightful diversity of attractions to 



