176 Landscape Gardening 



in summer, dying off in autumn, before the leaves fall, in 

 the finest crimson. Us greatest beauty, on this account, 

 is perhaps seen when it runs up in the centre of a dark cedar, 

 or other evergreen, - - exhibiting in October the richest con- 

 trast of the two colors. It will grow anywhere, in the cold- 

 est situations, and only asks to be planted, to work out its 

 own problem of beauty without further attention. This 

 and the European Ivy are the two climbers, above all others, 

 for the exteriors of our rural stone churches; to which they 

 will give a local interest greater than that of any carving in 

 stone, at a millionth part of the cost. 



The common Trumpet Creeper all of you know by heart. 

 It is rather a wild and rambling fellow in its habits; but 

 nothing is better to cover old outside chimneys, stone out- 

 buildings, and rude walls and fences. The sort with large 

 cup-shaped flowers is a most showy and magnificent climber 

 in the middle states, where the winters are moderate, abso- 

 lutely glowing in July with its thousands of rich orange-red 

 blossoms, like clusters of bright goblets.* 



We might go on, and enumerate dozens more of fine 

 twining shrubs and climbing roses; but that would only 

 defeat our present object, which is not to give you a garden 

 catalogue, but to tell you of half a dozen hardy shrubby 

 vines, which we implore you to make popular; so that 

 wherever we travel, from Maine to St. Louis, we shall see 

 no rural cottages shivering in their chill nudity of bare walls 

 or barer boards, but draped tastefully with something fresh, 

 and green, and graceful: let it be a hop-vine if nothing 

 better, - - but roses, and wistaria, and honeysuckles, if they 

 can be had. How much this apparently trifling feature, if 

 it could be generally carried out, would alter the face of the 

 whole country, you will not at once be able to believe. 

 \Yhat summer foliage is to a naked forest, what rich tufts of 

 ferns are to a rock in a woodland dell, what "hyacinthine 

 locks" are to the goddess of beauty, or wings to an angel, 

 the drapery of climbing plants is to cottages in the country. 



One word or two about vines in the gardens and pleasure- 



* Given in Bailey's "Cyclopedia" as Campsis Chinensis. -- F. A. W. 



