23S 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



May. 1909 



A Curtain of Coboea 



THERE is one vine which, in my opinion, has 

 not had its merits sufficiently mentioned in 

 The Garden Magazine. It is Cobwa scandens, 

 an annual climber which I have grown for a num- 

 ber of years as a screen on the end of the piazza 

 nearest the street. The support for the vine I 

 made of galvanized iron wire strung from screw 

 eyes twelve inches apart in the floor of the piazza 

 and in the ceiling, each strand of wire being per- 

 pendicular. The wire has needed no renewal for 

 many years. 



I set the flake-like seeds on edge in a box of soil 

 some time during March, transplant later to an- 

 other box, setting the little seedlings two inches 

 apart, or else put them into small pots. About 

 the 15th or 20th of May is as early in this climate 

 as the plants can be safely set out of doors. I 

 treat them then as I do all seedlings, putting about 

 a teaspoonful of bone-dust into the hole, mixing 

 it thoroughly with the soil, filling the hole with 

 water, and setting in the seedling with as much of 

 the original soil as possible. I never water them 

 from above at the time of planting. 



Each seedling is placed under its own wire, 

 care being taken to help them climb, for which 

 purpose I stretch light wire or soft twine from 

 the ground to the piazza floor. My vines usually 

 reach the piazza rail by the 4th of July, and from 

 that time on their busy tendril fingers seize the 

 wires, now on this side, now on that, as fast as 

 possible, until the ceiling is reached. Even then 

 they do not stop growing, but finding no suitable 

 support, form a sort of valance for what from the 

 street looks like a green curtain with a floral 

 design in pale green and purple — a color combin- 

 ation which is exceedingly cool and restful to the 

 eye on bright summer days. 



The leaf is of a rich green and remains so all 

 summer. The bell-shaped flowers open a pale 

 green and change from that to a deep purple. 

 The seed pods, which resemble little green 

 "melons" with the next generation of seed beauti- 

 fully packed within them, are brought into the 

 house in October in order to have the seeds ripen 

 for next year's vines. 



Rhode Island. James Bennett. 



Sweet Peas of Many Varieties Grown 

 in a Barrel 



LAST spring I had an ounce of mixed sweet 

 pea seed given me. I did not have room 

 to plant them in my flower garden, but in the 

 centre of my vegetable garden there was a half 

 barrel stuck in the ground in which nothing was 

 growing. The year before it had been nearly filled 

 with stable manure and water, and cucumbers 

 were planted around the outside. 



I added two shovelsful of manure to the old 

 that was already there, and covered it with six 



The bell-shaped flowers of C'obcea scandeiix open pale 

 green and change with age to deep purple. The 

 seed pods resemble little green melons 



From seed sown March 26, sweet peas were had in 

 profusion until frost 



inches of good garden soil, in which I planted the 

 sweet peas on March 26. 



The sides of the barrel shielded the earth and 

 the plants from the too hot sun, and as I kept 

 them well watered, they came up abundantly and 

 blossomed luxuriantly. The blossoms were large, 

 the colorings brilliant, and the perfume delicious. 

 The stems were strong, and even when the hot, 

 dry weather came the plants continued to bloom. 

 I put stakes in the barrel, to which wire netting 

 was tacked, and the vines clung to and ran all 

 over it. 



When the hot, dry weather came in July and 

 August I kept the plants well watered, soaking 

 the ground night and morning. In the early part 

 of September my sweet peas took a fresh start 

 and bloomed until frost. 



My success I attributed wholly to the thorough 

 watering and the heavy manuring the plants re- 

 ceived throughout the growing season. 



Where a long row is planted I should think it 

 would be a good idea to sow the sweet peas in a 

 trench, the earth being banked up on either side, 

 and six-inch boards set up on edge on the top of 

 the banks of earth. 



Connecticut. Julie Adams Powell. 



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Cover the pillars on your porch, with honeysuckle 

 (Lonicera Japonica, var. Halliana\ which has deliciously 

 fragrant blossoms 



Vines for Porch Effects 



WHEN vines are to be planted on a dwelling 

 the effect from the exterior must be con- 

 sidered and anticipated, as well as the matter 

 of shade. For piazzas and porches, Clematis 

 panicidala, which grows rapidly and produces 

 sweet-scented white flowers in profusion in August 

 and September and is perfectly hardy, should be 

 planted without fail. Cut back to the ground 

 each winter. 



Climbing roses come into flower much earlier 

 than Clematis paniculata and are also beautiful 

 while developing leaves and buds, as well as 

 gorgeous when in full flower. Among the best 

 for this purpose are Lady Gay, single pink; Dorothy 

 Perkins, single pink; Farquhar, single bright 

 cherry; Crimson Rambler, double red; Yellow 

 Rambler, double very pale yellow; White Rambler, 

 double white. Good plants of these can be bought 

 from almost all nurserymen for from thirty to forty 

 cents each. 



Honeysuckles can be used to advantage, besides 

 the comman woodbine with variegated flowers. 

 There are Hall's variety, white, and Heckrothii, 

 red. For rapid growth of large leaves, there is 

 the Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia Sipho). It 

 grows rapidly and develops enormous leaves 

 making it especially valuable for shade. And 

 there is the wistaria, than which nothing is more 

 beautiful nor more gratefully fragrant. Although 

 a luxuriant wildness may appeal to some people 

 even in the vines growing on a house, it will be 

 much better if all these vines are so planted and 

 trained that each can show itself off, and be prop- 

 erly cared for all the time. 



Before planting the vines stretch single wires 

 from the bottom of walls, of whatever kind, and 

 fasten by means of screw eyes at a point to which 

 the vines are ultimately intended to reach. Plant 

 a vine at the base of each wire, and tie the plant 

 to it at once, and go on tying during the season. 

 Some vines, such as the clematis and wistaria, 

 will not need any tying, it being only necessary 

 to keep them within bounds. The best vine for 

 covering walls, bare trees and buildings, either of 

 stone, brick or wood, is the Boston ivy (Ampelopsis 

 Veitchii), but it should not be planted on buildings 

 having a decorative finished exterior, such as fine 

 cut stone, marble, pressed brick, or painted wood, 

 because the tendril roots eat into the surface. 

 For loose drapery display the Virginia creeper is 

 better. As an evergreen the climbing spindle 

 (Euonymus radicans) is unique, climbing to great 

 heights, and it is immune to the effects of coal 

 smoke. All of these vines can be bought at a 

 price varying from ten cents up to twenty-five cents. 



New York. M. I. D. 



