1938 



VINES 



The following native species are all desirable; viz., L. 

 sempervirens, with scarlet and orauge flowers, and L,. 

 flaw, with bilabiate buff-yellow flowers. In many sec- 

 tions of the South are found large patches of the exotic 

 species,//. Japonica, vars. flexuosa, Chuiensts and Hal- 

 liana: these are frequently troublesome, as they choke 

 out surrounding plants. Its Var. aureo-reticulata, with 

 its attractive foliage, and L. Periclymenum,v&r.Belgica, 

 which yields a continuous crop of pink and butt flow- 

 ers are the most valuable of the exotic sorts. -Ipo- 

 mcea. I. Bonariensis (Sellowii) and Leari are the besl 

 of the tuberous section, the roots remaining sound dur- 

 ing winter if slightly covered with litter. /. pandu- 

 rata, known south as Indian bread, is frequently found 

 in large quantities in newly cleared rich oakwood lands, 

 the tubers often weighing 10 to 15 pounds. It is very 

 showy with its large white flowers and purple inner 

 tube. -Passi flora. Both Arc-en-ciel, with flowers com- 

 bining white, citron and blue, and Constance Elliott, 

 with pure white flowers, are perfectly hardy and pro- 

 fuse bloomers. -Roues. Of the climbing varieties there 

 is a great profusion. Most varieties are either perfect 

 evergreens or retain their foliage nearly all winter. 

 The White and Yellow Banksias are wonderfully attrac- 

 tive in early spring when laden with innumerable small 

 violet- scented flowers, while the climbing Tea, China, 

 Noisette and Bourbon yield a profusion of variously 

 colored flowers from early spring until winter. The 

 Wichuraiana section will hardly become popular, as 

 plants bloom only in spring, while the Cherokee and Ma- 

 cartney are still used fo,r making evergreen hedges. 

 Smilax. Of the many species growing south, the S. 

 laurifolia is highly valued for its large, shiny leaves; 

 it is of great decorative value for ornamenting ball- 

 rooms. Other kinds are desirable both for leaves and 

 berries. Trachelospermum jasminoides is an excel- 

 lent white - flowering climber. The variegated form 

 <Ioes not grow as tall, but its foliage becomes beauti- 

 fully tinted with gold and red in fall. 



III. HALF-HARDY CLIMBERS. During the summer, 

 southern homes are frequently adorned with a class of 

 climbers that farther north are suitable only for green- 

 house culture. Some of the best are mentioned below. 

 The Antigonon, Aristolochia and Tecoma here men- 

 tioned will stand the winter if the soil is covered with 

 a coat of straw or leaves. , The stem dies down in fall, 

 but the new growth appear-vigorously in spring. The 

 others need greenhouse protection north of Savannah, 

 Ga. Antigonon leptopus. Flowers in long racemes of 

 a beautiful pink color and produced from June until 

 frost. Aristolochia elegans. This blooms profusely 

 from July until frost. The flowers are tubular, but the 

 limb is perfectly flat and curiously marked and laced with 

 purplish maroon. Bignonia. B. veuusta is at home in 

 the extreme South. It is a gorgeous climber. In early 

 spring or even as early as February it is covered with 

 large bunches of bright orange - colored flowers. B. 

 speciosa will stand the winters of southern Georgia and 

 produces its purplish colored flowers in early spring. 

 Bougalnvillea glabra, var. Sanderiana. Those who 

 have seen this plant in Florida when in full bloom must 

 agree that it is not surpassed by any other climber. 

 The brilliancy of the climber is beyond description. 

 Hardy south of Jacksonville. Tecoma Capensis. Flow- 

 ers in clusters of a beautiful orange-red color. Hardy 



as far as Savannah. 



P- j. BERCKMANS. 



Vines for Conservatories or Greenhouses. Flowering 

 vines and climbers, when skilfully trained over the 

 roofs, supports and sides of conservatories and other 

 plant houses, add greatly to the attractiveness of such 

 places. From the number of vines in cultivation good 

 choice may be had both for cool or warm houses, and 

 to suit every aspect, as well as for flowering at all sea- 

 sons. Annual, bulbous and tuberous-rooted vines may 

 be grown in pots or small tubs, but permanent hard- 

 wooded flowering vines must have ample root room. 

 However, in some cases, as with the strong-growing 

 bignonias and thunbergias, the root space must be 

 limited, or there will be an immense growth at the 

 expense of flowers. 



When possible, the strongest growing vines may be 

 planted under the greenhouse stages and the stems and 



VINES 



branches trained up from the back to the sides and 

 roof. In most modern greenhouses, however, the space 

 underneath the plant stages is taken up by the heating 

 pipes. To overcome this difficulty boxes made of one- 

 inch cypress 5 feet long, 1% feet wide and 1 foot deep 

 are very suitable. These should be well drained, 

 painted olive-green, and placed in convenient positions 

 on the plant stages. In planting young vines the soil 



2678. tfines Ipomcea Leari (X%). 



should be broken and not sifted; neither ^hould the 

 boxes be filled with soil at the time of planting, but the 

 vine should be planted in a central mound and the box 

 gradually filled as the plant grows. This practice is 

 stimulating to the vines and tends to maintain the de- 

 sirable qualities of the soil. Most vines may be trained 

 on wires, which should be either galvanized or copper 

 and of sufficient strength to support heavy vines. The 

 wires should be spaced not more than 1 foot apart, and 

 fastened in a horizontal position. The space between 

 the wires and glass should be not less than 18 inches or 

 the vines may freeze in winter. 



Some judicious thinning of the growth is generally 

 necessary in order that the vines may receive sufficient 

 light and air. The vines should not be tied in too closely, 

 ' but allow_ed their natural habit of growth as far as pos- 

 sible in order to obtain the best effects. 



A few of the most desirable kinds for conservatory 

 and cool greenhouse follow, detailed culture of which 

 may be found under their respective headings in this 

 work. Lapageria alba and rosea, producing bell-shaped 

 wax flowers of exquisite beauty, are well adapted for 

 the back wall or north side. Their worst enemies are 

 snails, which eat the young stems as soon as they push 

 through the soil. Tecoma jasminoides, a strong-grow- 

 ing vine, produces clusters of jasmine-like flowers. 

 LiicHlia gratissima makes one of the rarest and most 

 beautiful coolhouse trellis plants. The cymes of rose- 

 colored or pink flowers are produced in the greatest 

 profusion during the early winter months. Its worst 

 enemy is mealy bug. Dipladenias are excellent sum- 

 mer-flowering, tuberous-rooted vines, and their gorgeous 

 flowers well repay the attention given them. Ficus pu- 

 mila is an excellent subject for covering walls, either 

 in cool or warm houses. Solanum jasminoides is a 

 strong-growing vine producing clusters of jasmine-like 

 flowers of white or lilac colors. The well-known Mare- 



