February, 1907 



be lightly sheared in June to keep an even 

 surface. 



I have seen the climbing hydrangea (H. 

 peliolaris) on one or two places only, but its 

 possessors have always spoken of it in very 

 laudatory terms. It is of slow growth, and 

 seems to be rather more difficult to establish 

 than the commoner vines, but when once 

 established it is perfectly hardy. It will 

 cling to stone or brick, but not to wood. I 

 once saw it planted against a wall which 

 retained a terrace. At the time of my visit 

 (in June) it was one mass of white bloom. 

 I cannot recall a prettier picture, nor a more 

 suitable subject for the situation. It has all 

 the white beauty of the Japanese clematis, 

 which twines, but does not really cling. 

 The leaves are deciduous, but as it is one of 

 the earliest of plants to show its leaves in 

 spring, the period of bare stems is short. 

 Plant in early spring, and for the first two 

 or three winters (or until established) give it 

 a light protection with salt hay or burlap. 



Often confused with this plant, even by 

 the trade, is the false hydrangea (Schizo- 

 phragma hydrangeoides) , but it is quite 

 distinct. The leaves are deeply lobed, and 

 the flowers are not so showy, having only one 

 large white sepal to the sterile flowers, whereas 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



The trumpet vine and Virginia creeper will quicKly 

 cover a wooden trellis to make a solid screen 



the true plant has four showy sepals. It is 

 unfortunately better known than Hydrangea 

 peliolaris, and is responsible for the popular 

 unfavorable opinion about that vine. 



Two of the most useful of hard-wooded 

 vines requiring support, and very suitable 

 for wall or piazza decoration, are the wistaria, 

 Wistaria Chinensis with its racemes of 



27 



pale purple, fragrant flowers, and the trum- 

 pet vine (Tecoma radicans) in bright orange- 

 scarlet flowers, four or five inches long. Both 

 are perfectly hardy, and excepting, perhaps, 

 an oak or a maple tree, nothing is so easily 

 taken care of. Both are rapid growers, and 

 attain to a great height, and they will outlive 

 the natural term of any man. They can be 

 planted either in spring or in the early fall, 

 and so far as my observation goes, the results 

 are about equal. Give them a rich soil, and 

 they will respond readily to it. Complaints 

 are often heard about these plants not bloom- 

 ing. The fault is usually with the man who 

 handles the shears. In his endeavor to have 

 everything pruned and cleared up before 

 spring, he invariably cuts away all the flower- 

 ing wood. Let him restrain himself for once, 

 and leave the pruning operation until after 

 the flowering season. He can then cut away 

 any superfluous growth, and need not be 

 afraid of killing the vines. They will respond 

 to such treatment by a still greater profusion 

 of bloom a year hence. 



Several of the clematises are excellent for 

 screen and trellises, or for draping on walls 

 and pillars. The most generally known is 

 the Japanese clematis (Clematis panicnlata). 

 It is one of the very showiest of all vines, 





The Virginia creeper (cAmpelopsis qainquefolia) is an ideal vine for rough places, or b&nKs and walls where it can hang down. Needs support 



