HARDY CLIMBING PLANTS 277 



part of the garden. L. japonica aurea reticulata (syn. L. brachypuda 

 aurea reticulata) is a sun-loving climber. Its small green leaves are 

 heavily netted with rich yellow. The variety named flexuosa bears 

 sweet-scented pink and yellow flowers abundantly, and L. etrusca, a 

 European vigorous species, is very free, the flowers orange-yellow. L. 

 flava is another strong grower, but it is only a success in warm situations. 

 Honeysuckles may be propagated by cuttings inserted in sandy soil in a 

 sheltered position outdoors in October. 



Lycium europseum (European Box Tree) is a well-known cottage 

 garden plant of free growth, even on poor soils. Its long spiny shoots, 

 clothed with small light-green leaves, carry many small reddish-coloured 

 flowers, which are succeeded by small berries. Suitable for clothing dry 

 banks. L. barbarum is a beautiful seaside shrub, slender in growth, 

 with violet-coloured flowers and orange-scarlet berries. Of the last- 

 named, there is a form with pretty silvery foliage. 



Passiflora (Passion-Flower}. The blue Passion-Flower and its white 

 variety, Constance Elliot, are most effective climbers for covering a large 

 space^in a short time, and are practically evergreen, only losing their 

 foliage while the young leaves are starting in the spring. During the 

 whole summer they are covered with their large, starry flowers, and in 

 the autumn are thickly hung with golden fruit in sheltered sites. Propa- 

 gated by cuttings inserted in cold frame in summer. Prune Passion- 

 Flowers in February by shortening to about one-third the strong shoots, 

 but remove weakly growths. These do best in well-drained sandy loam. 



Polygonum baldschuanicum. This is a very popular climbing 

 plant of rare beauty. We have read disparaging paragraphs concerning 

 it, but the plant's failure occasionally to come up to expectations is due 

 probably to many seedlings having been raised, and these are not always 

 true to the original type. It has one merit, that of flowering in the 

 autumn. Planted against a pergola, pillar, or stout post, it quickly 

 makes growth, and in autumn the stems are clothed with misty masses 

 of pink-tinted flowers. Sometimes it gets cut down to the ground in 

 winter, but springs up again the following spring. The flowers last well 

 when gathered for the house. It bears some resemblance to P. molle, 

 but is quite distinct. It is excellent for rambling over old trees, 

 especially evergreens. 



Solanum jasminoides is a beautiful climbing plant that is covered 

 with white flower-clusters through the whole of the summer and autumn. 

 It is not strictly hardy, but does well in the south of England, and has 

 withstood the winter as far north as Derbyshire. 



Tropaeolum speciosum (The Flame Nasturtium). This is an ex- 

 ceptionally brilliant flowering climber, which dies down each winter. It 

 succeeds better in the north than in the southern counties ; and, where 

 it is established, affords a marvellous display of colour, draping the boughs 

 of evergreens with its scarlet flower-trails. Propagated by division of 

 roots. It loves to run through shrub growth. It may be frequently 

 seen in the Highlands of Scotland covering the cottages with a crimson 

 dress of flowers. 



