CLIMBING PLANTS 195 



ent names in different European languages. In Great 

 Britain it is found in almost every part of the south, 

 and, though it seems to like the chalk best, it will grow 

 anywhere, but it is not found truly wild in Scotland or 

 Ireland. I must not, however, dwell longer on it, for 

 it is a wild plant, and I have to speak of garden plants. 

 I know of no family more useful in the garden of 

 hardy plants than the climbing, shrubby forms of the 

 clematis, for there are some herbaceous species of which 

 I cannot speak now. But of the climbing sorts there 

 can be had plants of all colours — pure white, deep blue, 

 pale yellow, purple, and so up to the brilliant scarlet of 

 the C. coccinea from Texas. And they can be had at 

 all seasons, for I have often gathered the trusses of the 

 lovely white C. Montana from the Himalayas in March, 

 while the South European C. cirrhosa will give its pale 

 buff flowers in midwinter if the season is not severe. 

 And in all of them the beauty is not confined to the 

 flowers ; the foliage of many is most delicate, and the 

 seeds almost as beautiful as those of our own "wild 

 travellers' joy. 



There are two very good climbers of a much more 

 limited range than the clematis, the Periploca and 

 Aristolochia, both of which will very rapidly cover 

 anything to which they are attached. The Periploca 

 Graeca, which covers the hedges in many parts of 



