CLIMBERS AND THEIR ARTISTIC USE. 



The old Climbers and Garland Roses were almost too vigorous for 

 the garden, and their bloom did not last long enough to justify their 

 getting a place there ; but now, with the great climbing Tea Roses 

 we have for the southern parts of these islands, we may count on a 

 bloom for months. Hence we have in these Roses, where they thrive 

 the best, the most precious of all ornaments for walls of houses, trellis 

 work, pergolas. In southern parts of the country we even get fine 

 results from these Roses on the north side of walls, where some 

 Roses flower better than on the south side. Also, we can grow them 

 in the open on trellises or away from walls, but in the northern parts of 

 the country, where these great climbing Tea Roses may not thrive so 

 well, walls come in to help us more and more by their shelter and 

 warmth, and the encouragement they give to early bloom. 



Apart from these great Roses of garden origin, which will long be 

 among the most precious, some Wild Roses are of the highest impor- 

 tance in warm districts and good soils, particularly the Indian R. 

 Brunonis and the many-flowered Roses (R. polyantha) of Japan ; but 

 in the presence of the need of so much wall space for the garden 

 Roses thfese Wild Roses will usually be best in the shrubbery or some 

 place apart, where they may be let alone, and no good can arise 

 from choice, garden ground being given to Roses like R. polyantha 

 which are even more vigorous than our own wild Dog Rose. 



In Europe perhaps the country that pleases one most by its 

 fitness for Rose culture is that along the shores of the Mediterranean, 

 where the Banksian and other more delicate Roses may be seen 

 up trees, forming hedges, and arranging themselves in other delight- 

 ful ways. I remember being very much struck with the beauty of the 

 single Banksian Rose in such positions, and often wondered why it 

 was not secured for our own gardens, even though it might not grow 

 so freely as there. 



Vines for their Beauty of F'orm.— Going back some thousands 

 of years to the earliest sculptured remains of some of the oldest 

 peoples, we see evidence that the Grape Vine was in common use, 

 and it is no doubt much older than the monuments of Assyria. 

 Among the Kabyle villages of North Africa I passed many Vines 

 of great age trailing over very old Olive trees in the little orchard 

 fields. In such countries there was the value of the fruit, but even 

 in ours, where the Grape ripens rarely out of doors, the charm of 

 the plant is so great that we see many cottages in Surrey and 

 Norfolk set deep in Vine leaves. The Grape Vine, however, is but 

 one of a large family, and, though we may not see in our country its 

 garlands from tree to tree purple with fruit, we may see much of its 

 fine forms of leaf The wild Vines are too vigorous for use on walls, 

 though excellent for banks and trees and for any place outside the 



