CLIMBING PLANTS AND CREEPERS 95 



that may be cited as examples. Then, if permanent plants are 

 in requisition, the expenditure of a few shillings will supply quite 

 a good little collection of pretty ivies, clematis, jasmines and 

 Virginia creeper. 



These are all so familiar, even to the most inexperienced gardener, 

 that it is unnecessary to dilate at length upon their decorative value. 

 The aim of this chapter is to introduce the reader to as wide a 

 choice of desirable creeping and climbing plants as it is possible 

 to discuss within the limits of space, to suggest the appropriate 

 purposes to which each should be put, and to supply a few simple 

 hints upon the proper methods of planting them and their subse- 

 quent treatment. 



Let us consider the case of a lover of gardening who becomes 

 the tenant of a suburban villa or a new country cottage towards 

 the end of March say, Lady Day. He is naturally anxious to 

 cover his bare walls and fences with beautiful foliage at the 

 earliest possible moment, and he may perhaps be at some loss to 

 decide how most effectively to achieve his purpose. He knows 

 that if he wait long enough he can clothe his fences and his arches 

 by planting climbing roses and a selection of young plants from 

 the great legion of perennial climbers that are at his disposal ; 

 but in the meantime he will have to be content with very few 

 flowers until these permanent climbers become thoroughly 

 established. The remedy lies hi a free use of annual climbers. 

 The seed of the hardy varieties which I shall enumerate later 

 can be sown at once in the open ground ; that of the half-hardy 

 and tender kinds towards the end of April and during the opening 

 week of May. If he be the happy possessor of a warm greenhouse, 

 or even a cold frame, the seed of half-hardy climbers can be sown 

 even earlier and the flowering period be expedited. They will 

 require to be grown under the protection of glass until all 

 danger of frost is over, and then be planted out in their assigned 

 positions. 



I have already referred to the climbing nasturtium as being 

 perhaps the commonest of annual climbers ; but even the showy 

 and rampant nasturtium deserves good treatment and judicious 



