252 CALIFORNIA GARDEN FLOWERS 



and they have great beauty. But they should be regularly and system- 

 atically pruned and trained. After planting take the canes and fasten 

 them flat with double-plointed tacks of large size, which are now avail- 

 able -at all hardware stores, or stretch wires to which they may be 

 securely tied. Direct these canes toward unoccupied spaces and thus 

 make a perfect cover. When all the available space is covered, remove, 

 as soon as you see them, all suckers which show a wild desire to em- 

 bower the place. This not only disposes of their encroachments, but it 

 throws more strength into the canes or branches which are in the right 

 place, and it gives you better leaves and flowers on the shorter growths 

 which come from such branches. Get a long, light ladder which one 

 person can easily handle, and be always ready to give the vines needed 

 attention. The best single time to prune vines is just after blooming. 

 It is usually then that the riotous suckers are most likely to appear 

 and cause your vine to go wrong. 



A FEW GROUPS OF GARDEN VINES 



It would require half a book of this size to present interesting facts 

 about vines which are a joy in California gardens; the nurserymen's 

 catalogues offer them by the score and usually they do not say too 

 much in praise of them. In this connection only a few groups can be 

 mentioned. 



Summer-Growing Vines. For summer screens for piazzas, etc., 

 upon which winter sunshine is desired, many herbaceous annuals or 

 other plants which die to the ground are available. Hops, either from 

 seeds or roots are very fast and shady. The Australian pea-vine is 

 particularly fine for covering low walls or fences and even porches. 

 It will stand very hot places and furnish abundant bloom, and in 

 frosty places will go to the ground like the hop. Morning glories 

 and ipomoeas are also very good. The gourds are very interesting. 

 Cobaea scandens is rapid and has a tropical aspect. The "wild 

 cucumber" or "manroot," though a weed in a watermelon field, is 

 beautiful, with its free summer growth of light-green, ivy-like foliage 

 and light-yellow blossoms, is a very good cover. Smilax from seed 

 sown in February follows vertical strings, makes a light, beautiful 

 summer screen and gives you good holiday decoration. And there are 

 many others. 



Bignonias. At least half a dozen bignonias are available and are not 

 sufficiently known. They are gorgeous in bloom, in colors from white, 

 yellow, orange and red. Most of them are never seen in wintry 

 climates except in greenhouses, while in California some of them rush 

 for the roofs of tall houses unless they are systematically trained as 

 they should be. 



Bougainvilleas. Two species are common in the central and lower 

 coast regions and other places of similar temperatures even enjoying 



