.^6 



IRISH GARDKN'ING. 



C-linihcrs. 



aS autumn advaiuos and vegetation passes into tin- 

 J\ rest of winter the ^'arden-lover makes read\ to 

 eariy out the schemes of improvement lou- 

 eeived durini; the proijress of sumn\ei. Hare walls or 

 fenees. ukfly eorners, naked posts or tree stumps tliat 

 spoiled the jjarden pietme can now he .itieiuled lo, anil 

 by judicious planting- transformed into ohjecis ihal, 

 instead of detracting, will really add to the beauty of 

 the grounds. This is the great use of climbers. Their 

 rampant growth will soon cover in wild abandon all 

 unsightly objects and be a source of never-eiuhng 

 pleasure to home lovers. Before me, as I write, is a 

 mass of wild clematis covering an old fence and gate- 

 wav with a glorious tangle of vines and hundreds of 

 clusters of creamy flowers that in a few weeks time will 

 pass into a grey cloud of liny-plumed fruit.s. Nothing 

 could be more satisfying-; no ait could make this 

 particular corner more beautiful. In the same way 

 every yard, garden and roadway couLl be made more 

 beautiful by the use of climbing plants. Once planted 

 thev may be left alone so long as they are given an 

 opportunity of clambering over some object rising up 

 from the ground. All that is demanded of you is to 

 provide them once for all with a deep, rich root run. 

 This will give them a i^ood start and enable them to 

 repay you for your initial trouble. What can you 

 plant ? Well, there is an almost endless choice. The 

 clematis we have already referred to is C. vitalba, the 

 Traveller's Joy, but C. montana may be preferred. It 

 is more decorative and makes prodigious growth (20 to 

 30 feet sometimes in a season), and is most beautiful 

 when decked in its snowy, star like flowers. This 

 species will grow ev.in among the branches af a living 

 tree, deciduous or evergreen, and in every way is a 

 delightful plant. 



Aristolochia sipho (or Dulclniian's pipe, from the 

 odd shape of the flowers) is a good climber, its 

 foliage being particularly handsome. It is a native 

 of North America, and makes great growth in a 

 suitable soil. 



Jasmine is a well known climber, and entirely at home 

 clambering through and over a hedge or thicket of 

 shrubs. Its white flowers arc deliciously scented. The 

 winter flowering species J. nudiflorum is seen at its 

 best against a wall or covering ;i bank or mass of bare 

 rocks. 



Honeysuckle is another common climber. For cover- 

 ing tree trunks, adding distinctive beauty to a hedge, or 

 clothing steep slopes with its trailing branches, nothing 

 better can be selected. Its perfumed flowers are pro- 

 duced in great profusion. There are several exotic 

 species that may be used. The species Synnganfha, 

 for example, being very free-growing, and carrying 

 trusses of fragrant, lilac-coloured flowers, is excellent 

 for covering a trellis or post. 



The blue passion flower is another favourite, and 

 given a sunny corner it will grow with great vigour and 

 produce in late autumn an abundance of bright orange, 

 egg-shaped fruit. The genus Vitis supplies a number 

 of well-known and useful climbers. Examples of these 

 are the Virginian creepers, the foliage of which is so 



gorgeous in llu- autumn. Some species, as \'. iiuiiuiue- 

 fojia. are tree-climbers ; others, like \'. \eilchii .-md \'. 

 muralis, cling natur.-illy 10 the bare face of a rock or 

 w.ill. t.1f the true vines \'. coign.'ti;e is, perhaps, the 

 Miosi oiii.imc-nt.il. Hut the flrst favourite with many is 

 llu- \\ist;iri.-i. used so efl"ectively by the Japanese. It 

 is .-I most lovely plant in spring, with its graceful 

 peiul.mt racemes o( sweet-snulling. lavender flowers. 

 W. iniillifuga would he our own selection, but there arc 

 ni.iiiy other v;irii'ties, 



C'.ootl useful climbei-s for special positions are Hop 

 (variegated form may be had), Climbing Kno'.weed 

 {Po'yi;oiiii/n biiUsrhiidiiintm) and Tropa-lum speciosum 

 or Maine nasturtium. They are herbaceous subji-cls. 

 but very rapid growers, 



L.-istU-, the roses, of which we have many suitable 

 climbing varieties. One wonders why our native wild 

 roses are not utilised more for decorative purposes. 

 What of R. arvensis, R, brunonii, R. moschata and 

 others? Of nurserymen's varieties there are large 

 numbers, surh as the Crimson Rambler, Dorothy Per- 

 kins, Willi.-iMi .Allen Richardson, and that glorious rose, 

 Irish IClegance, to mention only a few of the best 

 known. 



In this article we have intentionally only referred to 

 pl.ints which, although beautiful, are cheap (a shilling or 

 eighteenpence will buy any one of them) with a view of 

 inducing such of our readers as do not grow climbeis 

 lo. at least, m.ike a begiiming this autumn. A final 

 word as to method of planting. Avoid artificiality. 

 Study the habit of wild climbers and give the cultivated 

 forms the same chance to build up a living picture, as 

 '•Nature's unstudied eff"ects. ever .satisfying in their 

 charm, are replete with suggestions for the rightful use 

 of hardy plants in the wild garden, with hints of 

 attractive associations, felicitous contrasts and refined 

 colour schemes." 



The Month^s Work. 

 Flower Ci-ardcn and Pleasure Grounds. 



Hv K. Knowi.imn, F, R,H.S. 



GOING! — ,\ summery summer followed by a 

 c-ommanding halt ! in the early twenties of 

 September, as Jack Frost breathes an icy blast 

 over the tender bedders, and their heads are bowed 

 with woe, is -dare we say it?--a boon and a blessing to 

 the gardener. True, he growls both loud and deep 

 (all good ones do), but we see a smile of satisfaction on 

 the weather-worn face, as the barrel trundles out the 

 wreckage, which belies it, and feel our bete noir of 

 spring is at this season a blessing. As we write, how- 

 ever, friend Frost tarries ; and even the now joyless 

 geraniums would have us believe in their struggles to 

 open a few pips they are straining at to make up for 

 past misconduct, and crave respite ; but all is vanity, 

 and— and, out you %o. 



Gone ! -Given dry weather and the beds cleared, 

 both of which we hope will be evident as the postman 

 fusses the October number of Irish Gardening into 



