HARDY VINES AND CLIMBERS 



NOTHING in the way of lawn-planting material 

 probably contributes as much to the natural 

 and picturesque effect of the home grounds as 

 the climbing and creeping vines that may be used on it. 

 It is not true, perhaps, as a matter of fact, but there 

 seems to be nothing so wild in vegetation, so essentially 

 natural-looking, as certain climbing or creeping vines. 

 It cannot be said that all climbers have exactly this effect 

 on one, for the ampelopsis veitchii or tricuspidata has, at 

 maturity, a large, shining, elegantly shaped foliage, which 

 attaches itself to stone walls like English ivy, and masses 

 together like shingles on a house, one leaf over the other, 

 in a dignified and civilized manner, as far removed as pos- 

 sible from the ^\ild, tangling habit of the woodbine or 

 Virginia silk. One of these well-civilized vines is the 

 jackmanii type of the large-flowered clematis, vdth its 

 delicate masses of large, star-shaped purple flowers, and 

 with it may be classed the white henryii and lavender 

 lanuginosa ; but Japanese clematis paniculata is literally 

 a ^\ild thing, thro\nng out almost limitless quantities of 

 small white flowers during the latter part of summer, 

 and climbing over everything in an inextricable tangle. 

 Of the same general ^vild character, in this respect, are 

 clematis virginiana and C. flammula, while little behind 



