i88 



Gardens for Small Country Houses, 



the path. It is often a convenience, especially in the case of wooden posts, to have 

 the roofing of flat iron arches ; but in this case it is well to fasten some kind of "wooden 

 rods or slight trellis to the iron, the contact with cold iron in winter tending to check 

 and damage some plants. When chains hang from post to post to form garlands, 

 it is also well to wind a tarred cord rather closely round the chain, so that the shoots 

 rest on the cord and not on the chain. But a better way is to have two chains 

 spread apart about six inches with rigid iron ties, for the training to this is more 



under control. All gardeners 

 ' ■ ' ' ' ■ ■ ' who have had to do with rose 



garlands know the trouble of the 

 whole thing swinging round to 

 the under side, like a saddle 

 turning on a horse. 



• In some large gardens iron 

 pergolas have been adapted for 

 the growing of pears and apples 

 trained as cordons (Figs. 270 

 and 271). They are formed of 

 successive arches, all in one 

 piece, of thick iron rod, with 

 wires fastened longitudinally. 

 They form a pleasant as well as 

 interesting shady path, and, as 

 the trees are necessarily pruned 

 to short spurs, the quantity of 

 bloom is a wonderful sight in 

 proportion to the space. 



As a general rule, the per- 

 gola is most satisfactory when 

 on level ground, and when it 

 is straight from end to end ; 

 but it is sometimes convenient 

 for it to follow flights of steps 

 and landings leading from one 

 level to another. Such a case 

 has been cleverly treated at 

 Acremead in Kent (Figs. 272 

 and 273), to the design of Mr. 

 Dunbar Smith and Mr. Cecil 

 Brewer, where it goes straight 

 downhill,jwith solid square piers 

 of local stone. Easy flights of 

 steps and landings give access 

 to paths at right angles. As to the best plants for pergolas, there is nothing more 

 delightful . than grape vines, or for other good foliage aristolochia and Virginia 

 creeper. Where flowering plants are desired, there are wistaria, clematis, and 

 preferably the kinds near the species such as montana, Flammula and Vitalba, 

 white jasmine, Japan honeysuckle, Dutch honeysuckle (both of the early and late 

 kinds), Bignonia radtcans and climbing roses. But roses on pergolas need great care 

 in regulating by pruning and training, their inclination being to run up to the top. 



FIG. 267. — AT SANDHOUSE. 



