JUNE 



IRISH GARDENING. 



87 



would leave the farm if its surroundings were 

 what they ought to be. The early impressions 

 are the most lasting, and if the children be 

 taught to appreciate and love flowers and trees 

 and their nature it would furnish a source of 

 inspiration and knowledge which is now so 

 often lacking. The young man can hardly be 

 blamed for leaving the old home after years of 

 hard work without any prospect for enjoyment 

 or home attractions. The farm must oflfer 

 something else than drudgery if it is going to 

 attract and hold the future generation to the 

 soil. 



Shrubs for Walls 



By J. W. Besant 



THE question of how to clothe the walls 

 constantly arises in the house occupied 

 by people with a taste for gardening 

 but with a limited knowledge of plants. Roses, 

 ivy, and " Virginia creeper," each and all good 

 as wall plants, are yet so frequently met with 

 that many other beautiful shrubs are not so 

 often used in this way as they might be. 



There is quite a large number of shrubs 

 eminently suitable for covering walls, so many 

 in fact that it will be well to divide them into 

 two classes — those for sunny walls and those 

 for shady walls. Dealing first with those suit- 

 able for sunny it will be found that the number 

 of self-clinging shrubs is comparatively small, 

 and where such only are desired the choice is 

 limited. By far the greater number require to 

 be maintained in position by artificial support. 

 The method of fixing the shoots by means of 

 nails and shreds is not a good one. The 

 labour involved is considerable and the shreds 

 are decidedly unsightly, not to speak of the 

 harbour they provide for insects. 



Most wall shrubs can be easily and effectively 

 held in position by lengths of galvanised wire 

 attached to strong staples or light holdfasts. 

 In this way the shoots can be disposed 

 naturally, and the method of support is scarcely 

 noticeable. 



Many early flowering deciduous shrubs make 

 first-rate wall shrubs, and grown thus flower 

 much better in cold districts than when grown 

 in beds or borders. As, however, walls furnished 

 solely with deciduous subjects are not to some 

 minds satisfactory it will be well to include a 

 proportion of evergreens, preferably those 



which in their season bear showy flowers. 

 Many of the shrubs mentioned below are really 

 twiners, raising themselves to the light and air 

 by twisting their stems round branches of trees, 

 &c , while others pull themselves up by tendrils. 

 They may be used as wall plants by attaching 

 to the wall widths of wide-meshed wire-netting, 

 to which the branches or tendrils will attach 

 themselves. 



Deciduous Shrubs for Walls. — Actinidia 

 arguta, a Japanese shrub bearing corymbs of 

 white flowers in summer after the plants have 

 become well established ; Actinidia chinensis, 

 a recently introduced Chinese species, producing 

 very large orbicular leaves, the young shoots 

 and leaves being densely furnished with dark 

 crimson hairs. 



The two species of Akebia— viz., ternata 

 from Japan and quinata from China and Japan, 

 make good wall shrubs. The flowers are not 

 exactly showy, being of a reddish purple colour, 

 followed by rather pretty blue or violet fruits. 

 Aristolochia sipho, often called the Dutchman's 

 pipe from the curious shape of the flowers, is 

 useful as a wall plant as well as for covering 

 arches, &c. The leaves are large and handsome. 

 Cercis siliquastrum, the Judas tree, is not 

 everywhere quite hardy in the open, but makes 

 a good wall shrub. The leaves are somewhat 

 kidney-shaped, and the pea-shaped flowers 

 are bright purple ; there is also a white- 

 flowered variety. Chimonanthus fragrans 

 comes from China and Japan, and flourishes 

 against a sunny wall. It is often called the 

 " winter-sweet " from the fragrance of the yellow 

 flowers produced in January and February. 

 Cydonia japonica in one or other of its many 

 varieties is much favoured as a wall shrub 

 nearly everywhere. Good varieties are — C 

 japonica atropurpurea, a fine dark purplish-red ; 

 C. japonica Knaphill, scarlet, a most attractive 

 shade ; C. japonica nivalis, with large, pure 

 white flowers, and a host of others of various 

 beautiful shades. Exochorda Alberti macrantha 

 makes a beautiful specimen against a wall. 

 The flowers are pure white, of good size, and 

 produced chiefly on young wood of the previous 

 year's growth. 



Forsythia suspensa, although quite hardy, 

 lends itself admirably to cultivation as a wall 

 plant, flowering profusely in early spring, and 

 generally earlier than plants in the open. 



Fuchsia riccartoni, an old favourite, makes 



