14 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



varieties, hundreds of them according to some authorities, 

 all developed from the common Hedera Helix, a native of 

 Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. Its garden history 

 will be found in another part of this book. 



Next in value to the Ivy we should place Ampelopsis 

 Veitchii, a plant with many names, which need not trouble 

 us here, except to mention that its name in botanical works 

 is Vitis inconstant. Like the Ivy it can be used to cover a 

 multitude of sins of the architect and gardener. Like the 

 Ivy, too, it is very good-natured, as the townsman well knows. 

 Among the many plants that we owe to Japan it is doubt- 

 ful whether there is one which has proved such a blessing 

 as this little clinging vine. 



Wistaria chinensis (see Plates II and III) is a noble 

 climber, unquestionably the most beautiful we possess as a 

 flowering plant. It is not as much used as it deserves to be, 

 probably owing to its requirements being somewhat exact- 

 ing, for its shoots must be trained and pruned regularly to 

 keep it in order. It loves sunshine, in fact will not thrive 

 unless it gets plenty, and it behaves as if it would live for ever 

 when planted at the foot of a south wall where there is ample 

 room for its shoots to extend. In this respect it resembles 

 the Vine (Vitis vinifera), another noble climber, whose 

 merits as a decorative plant gardeners overlook. Because 

 it does not behave well in the open air as a fruit-producer, 

 the vine appears to have fallen into discredit as a decora- 

 tive plant. Here and there one sees it flourishing, generally 

 in old gardens, clinging to buildings, or clothing a summer- 

 house, and it is also to be seen in a few places scrambling 

 over trees, where its summer effect is most picturesque. 

 Many species of Vitis have lately been imported from China, 

 some of which are certain to become favourites when they 



