The Canadian Horticulturist. 



285 



THE VIRGINIA CREEPER. 



HE Virginia creeper, Ampelopsis quinqaefolia, so brilliantly 

 beautiful in woods and gardens until late in autumn, is used 

 for adornment in a variety of ways. Indeed, it is a question 

 whether this hardy, rampant-growing vine cannot in most 

 cases be employed with finer effect away from buildings 

 than against them. There are objections to its use for 

 covering painted wooden houses or verandas, in its inviting 

 decay and refusing to cling readily ; while, if employed on 

 brick and stone residences, it invites the English sparrow in 

 a way not tending to increase our esteem for that cheerful 

 little town-bird. For covering rough or backyard buildings, 



such as barns, ice-houses and sties, as well as walls and fences, it is most admir- 

 able, for here various objections that may be raised to its use about the house 



or veranda can readily be overlooked. 



The Virginia creeper is best known as a beautiful building-draper, but we 



illustrate some other uses tor which it is finely adapted. Fig. 574 shows a simple, 



vine-covered column, formed by planting ampelopsis at 



the base of a dead tree stump. If such a stump is 



lacking, any section of tree-trunk that is covered with 



bark for the vine's roots to strike into will answer the 



purpose, if set in the earth about four feet deep. The 



advantage of the stump is, that until their decay its roots 



brace it erectly, and the erectness of such a column has 



much to do with its beauty. 



The soil about the roots of the stump must be made 



very rich with old manure, using as much as a bushel 



for each four vines set, and incorporating it well with 



the earth. From three to five roots of ampelopsis should 



be set at equal distances about the base of the stump. 



Strong plants, set in such soil in spring, should cover the 



stump to the height of fifteen feet the first season. One 



special merit of this vine is that it produces fine effects 



in a very short time. A column such as is illustrated imparts a stately, dignified 



effect to a garden, and to produce it is one of the easiest exploits in gardening. 

 Fig. 575 shows the use of Virginia creeper for festooning trees on the lawn. 



Festoons of this character are always pleasing, and are easily produced where 



there are clear tree-trunks of some height, say ten feet or upwards, and not more 



than forty feet apart. It is rarely that we see such attempts at introducing 



garlands of green in garden ornamentation, but we can assure our readers of 



SIP 



Fig. 574.— Pillar Vir- 

 ginia Creeper on 

 Lawn. 



