CLIMBING SHRUBS 61 



about too roughly by storm, and so pulling out the climber with it. A 

 stout post set in the ground may serve at once for the climber to grow up 

 and to secure the branch to. The establishment of a climber on living 

 trees and shrubs is also hampered and delayed by its having their active 

 roots to contend with. A good plan in this case is to sink a tub or 

 barrel, with the bottom knocked out, level with the surface of the soil, 

 and fill it with rich soil, in which the climber is to be planted. This 

 allows it to grow free from interference by other roots for at least a year 

 or two, and thus get firmly established. If the tub be of soft wood 

 it may be allowed to remain and decay. The best sorts for clambering 

 over trees are the stronger-growing vines, especially Vitis Coignetice, the 

 wistarias (often very beautiful grown in this way in Italian gardens 

 in April), the more vigorous clematises, Rosa moschata^ Celastrus 

 articulatus, Lonicera japonica. For covering tall, naked tree trunks 

 Veitch's Ampelopsis, the true clinging Virginian creeper, and Hydrangea 

 petiolaris are useful. The two former colour highly in autumn, and are 

 self-supporting, climbing to great heights ; the Hydrangea flowers prettily 

 and needs but little artificial support. Many of the rambler roses 

 make charming coverings for the bases of tall trunks if they are allowed 

 to grow loosely. 



In most gardens climbers are confined to walls, which they often 

 beautify extremely. But, on the whole, I consider walls should be 

 reserved for tender shrubs, or for those that need them to show their 

 greatest beauty in this country. Such lovely plants as Ceanothus rigidus 

 C. dentatus, Escallonia macrantha, E. pterocladon, Adenocarpus decorticans 

 and such interesting ones as the myrtle, pomegranate, and loquat, are not 

 climbers in the strict sense of the word, but ordinary bushy shrubs made 

 to do duty as such. For low walls, or the lower part of lofty ones, they 

 make the most beautiful coverings, and they cannot be satisfactorily 

 grown in the open ground. Such plants as the common pyracantha, 

 Chimonanthus fragans and Jasminum nudiflorum are perfectly hardy, but 

 in our climate are seen to best advantage as wall shrubs. 



For climbers grown in the open ground, the best support is that 

 afforded by branches of oak, ash, or elm set firmly in the ground, and 

 with long snags left on them. A single stout branch with a few long 

 forks makes an admirable support for clematises of medium vigour, 

 jessamines, honeysuckles, Periploca graca, Akebia quinata, and such like. 

 A collection of about forty species of clematis at Kew is accommodated 

 in this way, or, in the case of the stronger ones, by setting up three or 

 more branches with the tops secured together, so that they form a sort 

 of wigwam or tent. These the clematises soon cover, and although some- 

 what gaunt in winter, they give a pleasing effect throughout the summer 

 and autumn. The clematises of purely garden origin of the Jackmani 



