Gardening for Amateurs 



855 



eiimbinq Plants for the Hothouse 



TRAVELLERS in many of the 

 warmer regions of the globe have 

 been much struck with the gorgeous 

 display made by the various climbing 

 plants. While some of them are of such 

 vigorous growth that they require a very 

 large glasshouse here for their accommoda- 

 tion, there are, on the other hand, others 

 that flower when comparatively small, and 

 are consequently valuable for the embellish- 

 ment of the hothouse, where they can be 

 trained to the roof, rafters or walls. Climbing 

 plants are frequently planted out in a pre- 

 pared border ; if this cannot be arranged 

 they are grown in large pots or tubs. If a 

 border is prepared the earth is taken out 

 to a depth of about 18 inches, and in the 

 bottom of this 6 inches of rubble is placed 

 for the purpose of drainage. The remainder 

 of the bed must be made of the prepared 

 soil, which should 

 be of a fairly rough 

 nature. Immedi- 

 ately over the rub- 

 ble may be placed 

 some turves, with 

 the grassy side 

 downwards, as this 

 tends to keep the 

 drainage clear. The 

 border must be so 

 constructed that the 

 roots have not an 

 unlimited run, 

 otherwise rank 

 growth will result 

 at the expense of 

 flowers. A border 

 some 18 inches in 

 depth and about the 

 same in length and 

 width is suitable 

 for practically all 

 climbers. With re- 

 gard to the treat- 

 ment of climbing 

 plants, care should 

 be taken that 

 they are regularly 



A favourite climbing plant Bougainvillea. 



trained, as if once allowed to get into a 

 tangle it is an exceedingly difficult matter 

 to straighten them out. As too much 

 shade during winter is undesirable for plants 

 on the stage, any shoots of climbers that 

 obstruct the light to too great an extent may 

 be cut away in autumn, though the chief 

 pruning may be left until the new year. In 

 following these instructions the time of 

 flowering must, of course, be taken into con- 

 sideration ; for instance, Ipomoea Horsfalliae, 

 which blooms in midwinter, must not be 

 pruned until the flowering season is over, 

 otherwise the blossoms would be lost. From 

 their position near the glass, where the atmo- 

 sphere is dry, climbing plants in the hothouse 

 are liable to the attacks of insect pests. 

 Aphides, or greenfly, and thrips may be 

 readily destroyed by vaporising, but scale 

 and mealy bug, especially these last, give 

 much more trouble, 

 particularly if the 

 shoots are entan- 

 gled. They may 

 both be destroyed 

 by means of methy- 

 lated spirit applied 

 with a small brush. 

 Among the best 

 of climbing plants 

 for the hothouse 

 are : 



Allamanda, 

 strong-gro wi n g 

 climbers, some of 

 which soon cover a 

 considerable space. 

 The flowers of such 

 as A. Hendersoni 

 and A. Schotti, 

 are large, broadly 

 funnel-shaped, and 

 of rich yellow 

 colour, while A. 

 neriifolia is con- 

 siderably smaller. 

 The light yellow 

 A. grandiflora is 

 less vigorous than 



