Gardening for Amateurs 



661 



Self^clinging Climbing Plants 



THE number of distinct hardy climb- 

 ing plants that will cling to a bare 

 wall by means of stem roots or 

 tendrils is limited. In the event of a wall 

 being covered with wire netting a much 

 wider selection might be made, for many 

 of the Vines, which climb by means of 

 tendrils, and the Clematis, which climb by 

 means of twisted leafstalks, can be grown. 



The Ivies. Among really self-clinging 

 climbers the Ivies are, of course, the most 

 useful, and for certain places there is nothing 

 to beat them. 

 Scientifically 

 all the garden 

 Ivies are said 

 to belong to 

 the one species 

 of which the 

 common Ivy 

 of our woods, 

 Hedera Helix, 

 is the type. 

 Like many 

 other widely 

 grown plants, 

 it has pro- 

 duced all sorts 

 of forms, 

 which are in 

 general ap- 

 pearance very 

 widely sepa- 

 rated from the 

 wild Ivy. 

 Some of these 

 are mere oddi- 

 ties, but many 

 of them are 

 very orna- 

 mental, and 

 remarkable 

 for large, pret- 

 tily lobed or 

 variegated 

 leaves. With 

 a selection of 

 varieties a 



made to look very effective, but it is no 

 use planting the weaker-growing variegated- 

 leaved sorts against a very high wall ; for 

 such a position strong-growing kinds only 

 should be used. Some of the varieties climb 

 less freely than others, but the majority 

 go ahead after they have once become 

 established, and in the first instance the 

 branches should be secured to the wall to 

 give them a start. For an unfavourable 

 position there is nothing to beat the common, 

 large-leaved Irish Ivy. This succeeds well 

 almost any- 

 where, and is 

 easily kept 

 within bounds 

 by clipping 

 hard back 

 each Ap ril. 

 For other 

 positions the 

 following will 

 be found a 

 good selection. 

 Green-leaved 

 Ivies. Algeri- 

 ensis, Amur- 

 ensis, atropur- 

 purea, caen- 

 woodiana, cor- 

 rugata, cren- 

 ata, deltoidea, 

 dentata, digi- 

 tata, himala- 

 ica, minor, 

 sagittaefolia, 

 and v e n o s a. 

 Of these, 

 Amurensis and 

 dentata are 

 remarkable for 

 large Isaves ; 

 caenwoodiana, 

 digitata, and 

 minor for 

 small, finely - 

 lobed leaves 

 that are very 



wall may be A popular self-clinging climbing plant, Ampolopsis Veitchii. pretty. 



