278 BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS 



is cut back to within a few buds of the ground, the vigour of the 

 roots will be concentrated on those buds, and strong shoots 

 will result ; moreover, shoots will come freely from the under- 

 ground buds. If, however, the root action (necessarily imperfect, 

 be it understood) has to operate on long, existing branches, the 

 dormant back buds, which have so important a bearing on the 

 future welfare of the plant, suffer, and they break weakly, or not 

 at all. A few Roses with superabundant vigour, particularly 

 Dorothy Perkins, will not only bloom abundantly on the original 

 shoots the same year as planted, but form fresh ones of equal or 

 even greater strength ; they are, however, entirely exceptional. 



Given deep, fertile, moist (but not sodden) soil, early planting, 

 and bold cutting back, wall plants will thrive in most places. 

 Ivy need not be pruned. 



Fences must not be overlooked. A rustic fence of Larch up- 

 rights and twisted Oak cross-pieces looks charming when covered 

 with creepers. There is nothing better for clothing it than the 

 little-known but beautiful Rose called Sinica Anemone. It is 

 nearly evergreen, and produces a cloud of charming flowers. We 

 are speaking here, of course, of a divisional, partially decorative 

 fence within the garden, not of a main outside fence which has to 

 repel cattle and sheep. That would have to be built closer, and 

 provided with a thirty-inch depth of galvanised wire netting at 

 the bottom to keep out lambs and rabbits. A climber-covered 

 rustic fence may be used to form a division between flower and 

 kitchen gardens, instead of a hedge or shrubs. 



In a consideration of plants for covering walls we must place 

 Roses first. Varieties suitable for walls were named in the chapter 

 on Roses. 



Clematises are very beautiful. There are different types of 

 this flower, and some require more drastic treatment than others 

 in respect to pruning. Few people prune Clematises at all. The 

 plants grow unrestricted year after year. This is not the best 



