THE ORCHARD BEAUTIFUL. 275 



well, and on all sides of it Daffodils, Snowflakes, Snowdrops, wild 

 Tulips, or any like bulbs to spare from the garden ; and from the 

 garden trimmings, too, tufts of Balm and Myrrh to live for ever 

 among the grass of the bank. The robin would build in the moss of 

 the bank, the goldfinch in the silvery lichen of the trees, and the 

 thrush, near the winter's end, herald the buds with noble song. 



Bold planters need not hesitate to adorn some of their orchard 



trees with graceful climbing plants. A few of these climbers would 



be too vigorous eventually for the fruit tree, but 



Climbers on a good many are never so on vigorous orchard 



orchard trees. trees. The most picturesque planting I ever did 

 was to put a number of white Indian Clematises 

 (C. Montana) with some orchard trees. They grew in a most 

 picturesque way, and took a different habit on almost every tree. 

 The autumn-flowering Clematis (flammula) is such a light grower 

 that it would not make much difference to the tree, and there are a 

 number of wild Clematis with the same light character that would not 

 hurt an orchard tree. Some of the fine-leaved Vines, too, would give 

 a dash of rich colour in the autumn, and do little harm, and some of 

 the more fragile Honeysuckles might also be tried. In the south of 

 France the common blue Passion-flower and various kinds of climb- 

 ing Roses will often reach out from the garden hedge and take 

 possession of the nearest trees, and Olive and orchard trees may be 

 seen beautifully robed in this way. Even the hardy winter Jasmine, 

 when crowded by other things upon a bank, I have known to clamber 

 up into the branches of a little Cherry tree, with very pretty effect. 

 One of the prettiest effects I have every year is from a plant 

 of the white traveller's joy (Clematis viticella alba) growing on a 

 double Cherry tree. We first have the bloom of the Cherry, and then 

 weeks after comes the fair white Clematis, flowering for weeks all 

 over the Cherry and doing no harm. 



