USE OF HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 297 



but I do not remember to have noticed it. Apart 

 from the question of varieties, it may be well to draw 

 attention to the fact that only strong healthy plants 

 should be turned out, for sickly specimens from a 

 conservatory or greenhouse are very slow indeed to 

 make a start, and will remain sometimes for an 

 astonishing number of years in almost the same 

 pitiable state." 



Ceanothus. — Beautiful wall shrubs. They cannot 

 be regarded as quite hardy, but C. asureus in a garden 

 near London has mounted almost to the chimney 

 stacks ; a surface of foliage, and in the appointed 

 season pale-blue flower clusters. The soil is light 

 and the aspect due south ; and in cold, sunless 

 places the Ceanothuses, it is well to remember, 

 utterly fail. A warm soil and sunny place suit the 

 shrubs well. Gloire des Versailles, Lucie Simon, and 

 pallidus are amongst the best of the others. Of other 

 species, C. veitchianus, deep blue, is very beautiful ; and 

 C dentatus and C. papillosus are also noteworthy. 



Chimonanthus fragrans (Winter-sweet), — ^The 

 variety grandiflorus has larger flowers and of a 

 clearer shade of citron yellow than those of the type, 

 and though the plant is bare of leaf the blossoms 

 make a brave show, and may be descried against a 

 well-toned brick wall from some little distance. It 

 is just as well to bear in mind that this is one of the 

 shrubs which bloom on the young wood, and any 

 pruning or cutting out of useless branches that may 

 be necessary should be done in early spring when 

 the flowers are over, for if it be delayed there will be 



