76 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



tree stems, about 9 inches in diameter, let into the ground about 2 

 feet the better if on a bed of concrete. The posts must be connected 

 and firmly secured to each other by long pieces along the sides, 

 while the top may be formed of smaller pieces to make a firm 

 structure. On no account let the " rustic " carpenter begin to adorn 

 it with the fantastic branchings he is so fond of. 



Instead of trusting to wire and ugly posts or the many artificial 

 ways for supporting climbers, why should we not do as the Italians 



and people of South Europe do, use living trees to 

 Trees for climbers, carry the Vine or climber. Weeping trees of 



graceful leaf and form might be used in this 

 way with fine effect. Abroad they take for this purpose any kind 

 of tree which happens to be near and keep it within bounds, and 

 those who know our garden flora may select trees which, while 

 beautiful themselves, will not be much trouble to keep in bounds, 

 like the weeping Cherry, weeping Aspen, some Willows even, and 

 any light leaved weeping tree would be charming for its own sake 

 as well as for what it might carry. Some of them might even be 

 beautiful in flower, and there would be no trouble in getting creepers 

 to run over them. 



When a quiet walk leads from one part of the garden to another, 

 and that walk is spanned at intervals with slender iron or other 



light arches clothed with Honeysuckle, Clematis, 



Light arches or Jasmine, it gives an added grace to the walk. 



over walks. This also is a delightful way of framing, so to 



say, a flower border, the light arches springing 

 up from the line of the trellis, which should be used to cut off 

 the borders from the kitchen garden. 



However rich we may be in perennial and shrubby climbers, we 

 must not forget the climbing things among annual and like plants 



to help us, especially for the smaller class of 

 Annual climbers, gardens and those in which we depend more 



on annual flowers. Hedges of Sweet Peas there 

 are few things to equal ; the fragile annual Convolvulus in many 

 colours are pretty for low trellises, the vigorous, herbaceous Bind- 

 weeds for rough places outside the flower garden. Most showy of 

 all annual climbers are the many Gourds, which, treated in a bold 

 way, give fine effects when trained over outhouses, sheds, or on 

 strong stakes as columns. The showy, annual, climbing Tropaeolums, 

 as well as the brilliant herbaceous kinds, are most precious, and 

 Apios, Adlumia, Eccremocarpus, Maurandia, and Cobaea in mild 

 districts are among the plants that help us to make walls into 

 gardens. Nor must we forget the Hop, a vigorous, graceful 

 climber, of much value where well placed. 



