CLIMBING AND WALL PLANTS 121 



loosened up, and fresh soil substituted for that 

 which has been removed. Into this compost 

 the creeper should be planted, and the shoots, 

 even in the case of the Ivy or Ampelopsis, 

 nailed to the wall, treatment which will go a 

 long way in the new growths taking a speedy 

 hold of the building they are intended to cover. 

 Amongst wall plants Ampelopsis Veitchii is 

 one of the best, for in many of the most heated 

 and foul of London districts it grows with the 

 greatest freedom and soon covers the wall or 

 house-side on which it is planted. The deli- 

 cate green and beautifully cut foliage, which 

 changes to a bright crimson in Autumn, renders 

 this shrub one of the most desirable of wall 

 plants. It is not at all particular as to soil, 

 but sandy vegetable refuse and a good root- run 

 are distinct advantages in its cultivation. 



THE COMMON IVY (Hedera Helix) is another 

 excellent wall plant for the London garden, 

 and it is equally useful for covering bare 

 ground where grass refuses to grow. There 

 are several forms of the Ivy, but those most 

 suitable for planting in smoky towns are 



