CHAPTER XIX. 



Climbers, the jaunty prodigals of the garden, led by the irrepressible ivy green 

 or the all -enveloping Virginian -creeper, so resplendent in Autumn, are invaluable in 

 almost every situation. From the tangled forest brake where added vegetation is 

 superfluous, to the dingy slum where every green leaf is welcome, they intrude unabashed, 

 mounting up by their clinging tendrils and flinging out their prehensory masses and 

 sprays. In addition to their beauty of foliage and blossom, they possess, in the honey- 

 suckle and its kindred, auxiliaries which win us by their odours rare and sweet, which 

 secure them the desired recognition. Everywhere they gain a place from economic 

 reasons ; the profuse display which they make for so little ground space afforded, gives 

 them a decided popularity beyond that of self-supporting plants. In the garden they are 

 beautiful trained over verandahs, forming sheets of pleasing foliage, delighting the eye 

 with their brilliantly coloured flowers on backgrounds of cool greenery, making shaded 

 walks and long protected bowers, where we can enjoy at sultry noon the coolness of 

 declining day. Wherever there are terrace walls fronted with flower beds, the general 

 effect is assisted considerably if the wall is clothed with the foliage of choice Ivies, 

 Ceanothus, or Cratsegus, which make a much more effective background for flowers 

 than brick or stone. 



There are limitations and bounds within which climbers should be restrained. Too 

 Sometimes the grosser common ivy, which can subsist on the mortar in walls even when prodigal 

 severed from the root, and the Virginian-creeper are allowed to overstep these, as when climbers. 

 they are allowed to make costly and dangerous inroads into the walls and roofs of 

 habitations, or hide beautifully dressed stonework and even fine carving. With thought- 

 less people this brings discredit on the whole family of the garden designer's 

 reinforcements, whereas, if but a few moments' reflection were given to the proper selection 

 of climbers, trouble would not follow. Similar remonstrances might be expressed when, 

 in those parts of the grounds where it is desirable to have a clean-cut appearance of 

 columnar tree trunks and shorn grass, ivy and honeysuckle are allowed to grow over both 

 young and old trees indiscriminately, and envelope all in an atmosphere of unrestraint. 



On the other hand, much needless expense is often lavished upon the adornment and 

 detail of supplementary buildings such as entrances, gate piers and even outbuildings, 

 where, if a little foresight had been exercised and the climbers taken into account when 

 planning, any rough foundation of broken stone or brick combined with cement roughcast 

 would have answered the purpose, though in illustration No. 367 the eye demands the 

 clear-cut lines of the noble gate piers to form a complement to the fine wrought 

 iron, there being sufficient vegetation in the Scots firs and the climber-clad walls. 



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