A FEW HALF HARDY CREEPERS 



THE Convolvulus, Ipomcea rubro ccerulca, illustrated on the The Blue 

 opposite page, is quite one of the loveliest of creepers, Morning" 

 but it is very tender, and only thrives in a fine summer. 

 The name is a little misleading, as there is no touch of red to 

 spoil its pure blue colour till the flower commences to fade. 

 One should notice especially the white veins which radiate 

 from the centre to the edge of the blue corolla, their beauty 

 being much more clearly defined on the under than on the 

 upper surface. 



The seed should be sown in spring, in heat, and the plants 

 must not be put out till danger of frost is over early in June 

 seems generally the best time, but May is often suitable. They 

 like a warm, sandy loam, with room to run, and repay a little 

 extra feeding. This sunless year the plants have made no 

 growth at all, and have looked thoroughly urmappy, while last 

 year they grew to a height of ten feet, and were covered with 

 the sky-blue flowers. 



The short spell of life allotted to these and other varieties 

 of Convolvulus is their only drawback, but it has earned them 

 the charming name of " Morning Glories." On a south wall 

 their large blue discs will have crumpled into an insignificant 

 twist by eleven o'clock ; on a west wall their beauty will last a 

 few hours longer ; but if you deny them a sunny aspect they 

 remain stunted and poor in growth. They should be allowed 

 to ramble at will over some other plant, for, like the red 

 Tropaeolum, they do not enjoy a bare wall, but love to twine 



203 



