THE HOME SURROUNDINGS. 



" I saw in one of the numbers of your 

 paper a paragraph requesting the mem- 

 bers to send some views of their flowers, 

 etc. I herewith enclose a corner of 

 foliage plants and begonias and vines 

 growing on our porch, which has been 

 very much admired ; trusting it will 

 find a place in your paper." 



Too little use is made of climbers for 

 beautifying the porch, festooning the 



the Morning (llory is not to be despised, 

 growing up from seed so quickly, and 

 climbing up a cord with its wealth of 

 color. Then we have in Muskoka a 

 native clematis of considerable value — 

 C. Virginiana. Samples of this climber 

 were sent us a few years ago by Mr. J. 

 P. Cockburn, one of our members at 

 Gravenhurst, and we have been much 

 pleased with it, for it is a graceful 



■il'IK.Kl \ A.N lIulTTl. 



gables, or hiding defects of our houses. 

 The finest home may be made attrac- 

 tive by their use, and the most dilapi- 

 dated house, without paint or ornament 

 may become artistic and interesting 

 through their transforming grace. Nor 

 need the cost be much. The Virginia 

 Creeper grows well in Ontario, in many 

 places festooning the trees from trunk 

 to branch. It may easily be transplanted, 

 and being a vigorous grower it soon cov- 

 ersa barewall with triflingsupports. Even 



climber, dying back only a portion 

 of the new growth each year, while its 

 numerous corymbs of small white flow- 

 ers are very pretty. Besides these we 

 have the ('limbing Bittersweet, the 

 Sweet-scented Wild Cirape, and several 

 others. 



Then there are a great many elegant 

 exotic climbers for those who can afford 

 the expense. The clematis especially 

 affords a great variety, the best-known 

 of which is C. lackm.ini with its wcaUii 



