124 The I' v y> and its Uses in Parisian Gardens. 



happen to be in the great court at Versailles, and, requiring guidance, 

 charce to ask a question at a little porter's lodge seen to the left as 

 you go to the gardens, you will be much interested to see what a 

 deep interest the pleasant fat porter and his wife take in Cactuses 

 and such plants, and what a nice collection of them they have 

 gathered together, but more so at the sumptuous sheet of Ivy 

 which hangs over from high above the mantelpiece. It is planted 

 in a box in a deep recess, and tumbles out its abundant tresses almost 

 as richly as if depending from a Kerry rock. 



The Ivy is also used to a great extent to make living screens for 

 drawing-rooms and saloons, and often with a very tasteful result. 

 This is usually done by planting it in narrow boxes and training it 

 up wirework trellises, so that with a few of such a living screen 

 may be formed in any desired part of a room in a few minutes. 

 Sometimes it is permanently planted j and in one instance I saw it 

 beautifully thus used to embellish crystal partitions between large 

 apartments. 



