VINES AND CREEPERS. 10 







ing climbers to cover them they can be made extremely ornamental. But 

 it must be said, regarding arbors, that they should never be made a 

 prominent feature of the garden. Their position is in some -nook or cor- 

 ner, partially concealed by trees or shrubs, and then, covered with vines, 

 they become a most interesting object ; or they may be made the dividing 

 line between the lawn and vegetable garden, and, with a dwarf evergreen 

 hedge on either side, serve as a screen, and at the same time a welcome re- 

 treat. An arbor tastefully designed and constructed of wire or wood, then 

 covered with Clematis, Climbing Roses, or Honeysuckles, is an ornament 

 which deserves a place in every garden. 



Some of the climbers, especially those of more delicate habit, may also 

 be employed very advantageously for ornamenting the stems of trees. The 

 Honeysuckle and Clematis, when planted at the base of small trees and 

 allowed to twine around the stem and among the branches, present, when 

 in flower, a very ornamental appearance. Shrubs, too, decorated in a simi- 

 lar manner, are rendered exceedingly interesting. Evergreens, particularly 

 the Arbor Vitae, with Clematis and moonseed clambering over them, pro- 

 duce unique effects. The Wistaria, trained up the trunks of the larch, 

 Scotch pine, or other trees, and allowed to droop down among the branches 

 in elegant festoons, is very picturesque. In the rockery or rootery (the lat- 

 ter term being applied to grotesque arrangements of old stumps) they ap- 

 pear to much advantage, especially the Clematis. On a recent visit to Mr. 

 Jackman's, who resides near London, England, and who is the originator 

 of that famous variety called Jackmanni, I had -an opportunity of seeing 

 this mode of training done to perfection. In close proximity to the house 

 there were several masses of stumps or rooteries, artistically arranged, the 

 several mounds being separated by serpentine walks, like flower-beds in a 

 parterre. Each mound was covered with one variety of Clematis, and the 

 thousands of purple, lilac, and white flowers, in rich and striking contrast 

 with one another, presented a pictuie the beauty of which words cannot ex- 

 press. I will refer later to other modes for training this truly admirable 

 flower. Having suggested some of the ways to use climbers and trailers, I 

 will now present a list of the finest species and varieties for the garden. 

 Vines are known as creepers, twiners, climbers, and trailers. 



Creepers are those plants which throw out little roots from their stems as 

 as they climb, like the Virginia Creeper and English Ivy. 



Twiners wind round and round, like the Honeysuckle. 



Trailers are those which creep upon the ground. 



These I will now divide into two classes hardy and tender vines. 



Class I. Embracing Hardy Vines. 



The Virginia Creeper, or American Ivy I name this first because it 

 is, all things considered, one of the most valuable climbers known for this 

 climate. It is very hardy, grows rapidly, and the foliage is of a rich green 

 color in summer and changes in autumn to crimson scarlet. For verandas, 

 walls, or for covering tree-trunks, arbors, etc., it is by far the best vine we 

 have. Although I have not as yet seen any distinction made, I think that 

 we may very justly claim that there are two varieties of this populai shrub. 

 One of them is furnished with tendrils, which flatten out and cling to the 

 wall, like Ivy. The other is not supplied with these tendrils, and must, 

 therefore, be trained on a wire trellis. When planting this climber against 

 the house, care should be taken to obtain the true creeper. 



