THE FLORAL WORLD 



AND 



GARDEN GUIDE. 



DECEMBER, 1860. 



BEAUTIFUL IVIES. 



( With illustrative plate of Ivy leaves.) 



T is not possible by any description or eulogy, much less 

 by the technical enumeration of species and varieties 

 attempted in another part of this issue of tbe Eloeai, 

 Would, to convey to our readers any adequate idea of 

 the beauties of many kinds of garden ivies. Therefore 

 it is that we have attempted the representation of a selected few, 

 that we may be the better understood when we speak of these 

 plants as eminently deserving the attention of cultivators on account 

 of their many and varied uses. It may appear, indeed, to many of 

 our friends, that an apology is needed on our part, for attaching so 

 much importance as we do to a group of plants which are repre- 

 sented by the hardiest and commonest of British sylvan weeds (for 

 we do not mind designating the ivy of the woods a " weed "), and for 

 once we will apologize, in the hope that what shall be said in that 

 sense may have some interest for the public generally, and of our 

 readers in particular. 



It is not because we have made a careful study of the garden 

 ivies, and arranged them under new names, in a new classification 

 expressly adapted to facilitate collecting them, and to indicate their 

 characters and relationships, that we give them prominence as plants 

 of the highest value for the embellishment of the garden. It is 

 because they are hardy and need but little expenditure of money 

 and time to bring out their characters effectively, and because, also, 

 that those characters entitle them to high regard, for we may seek 

 far and wide for any similarly hardy and free-growing group that 

 could be put into competition with them for a place of highest 

 honour. We are bound to say, too, in defence of this hobby, that 

 few can question its integrity, because at present few are acquainted 

 with the subject. At all events, the writer of this has travelled far 

 and wide in search of beautiful plants, and has never met with a 

 YOL. iv. — NO. XII. 23 



