278 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



ever met our 'eyes, is that upon the old mansion in the 

 Botanic Garden at Philadelphia, built by the elder Bartram, 

 That picturesque and quaint stone building is beautifully 

 overrun by the most superb mantle of Ivy, that no one who 

 has once seen can fail to remember with admiration. The 

 dark grey of the stone-work is finely opposed by the rich 

 verdure of the plant, which falls away in openings here and 

 there, around the windows, and elsewhere. It never thrives 

 well if suffered to ramble along the ground, but needs the 

 support of a tree, a frame, or a wall, to which it attaches 

 itself firmly, and grows with vigorous shoots. Bare walls 

 or fences may thus be clothed with verdure and beauty 

 equal to the living hedge, in a very short period of time, by 

 planting young Ivy roots at the base. 



The most desirable varieties of the common Ivy are : the 

 Irish Ivy, with much larger foliage than the common sort, 

 and more rapid in its growth ; the Silver-striped and the 

 Gold-striped leaved Ivy, both of which, though less vigorous, 

 are much admired for the singular color of their leaves. 

 The common English Ivy is more hardy than the others 

 in our climate. 



Although, as we have said, the Ivy is not a native of this 

 country, yet we have an indigenous vine, which, at least 

 in summer, is not inferior to it. We refer to the Virginia 

 Ci'eeper (Ampelopsis hederacea), which is often called the 

 American Ivy. The leaves are as large as the hand, 

 deeply divided into five lobes, and the blossoms are suc- 

 ceeded by handsome, dark blue berries. The Virginia 

 Creeper is a most luxuriant grower, and we have seen it 

 climbing to the extremities of trees 70 or 80 feet in height. 

 Like the Ivy it attaches itself to whatever it can lay hold 

 of, oy the little rootlets which spring out of the branches ; 



