THE ROSARIES. 279 



Notwithstanding the gorgeous colour, the exquisite shape, and the 

 delicious perfume of many of the cultivated roses, I am by no means sure 

 but that the harmony of leaf and blossom is not more perfect in the wild 

 roses. Observe, for example, the perfection of the wild roses R. canina 

 (fig- 569^) and R. spinosissima (fig. 569^). 



We arrange our hybrid perpetuals in one long bed, containing 3C0 

 plants, beside the croquet lawn. Adjoining the croquet lawn we have 

 our bed of tea-scented roses. Over the Central stream we have abun- 

 dance of the F61icit^ Perpetuelle. On one side of the croquet lawn we 

 have those splendid pyramids of which I have already discoursed. 



Along the north border of the lake we have a series of about fifty 

 magnificent bushes of hybrid perpetuals, and near the Overfall we 

 have another group of all the kinds of roses, with F^licit6s covering 

 the trees, so that we may say literally — 



" To shallow rivers, to whose falls 

 Melodious birds sing madrigals ; 

 There will we make our beds of roses. 

 And a thousand fragrant posies." 



Shakspeare, Merry Wives of Windsor. 



CLIMBING PLANTS. 

 " A thing of beauty is a joy for ever."— Keats. 

 In all wild gardens climbing plants are essential to the general 

 efifect; and perhaps the common ivy is the most beautiful. The 

 colour and marking of the foliage are exquisite, as it is seen creep- 

 ing up a tree or paling when a young plant has grown from a bird- 

 dropped seed. When it has entwined round a tree, it grips it with 

 a fatal embrace, and sends forth its shoots to flower and seed ; the 

 seeds are then devoured by birds, which carry them to other parts. 

 Many trees in my garden are covered with ivy, which is useful where 

 a tree is not required to grow above a certain size. Branches of trees 

 covered with ivy and planted in the ground will not grow; the ivy 

 appears to be covered with rootlets, but they are evidently not 

 real roots. 



