184 



FLORA AND SYLVA, 



a good feature in flowers of blending shades. 

 They are also of that peculiar velvety richness 

 which seems to change in depth and intensity 

 in different aspects. The flowers may indeed 

 vary a little in size and tone in different places 

 and seasons, but, given a fair chance, it may 

 be relied upon as a rapid and vigorous grower, 

 at once remarkable by the richness and num- 

 ber of its crimson blossoms. Used in contrast 

 with lighter varieties it is most effective, or 

 with the old white Jasmine or any similar 

 creeper, serving to set off the intensity of its 

 colouring. For use on a pergola or rustic arch- 

 way, or to ramble over an old tree stump in 

 a sunny aspect, there are few finer plants ; but 

 it should not be used, as sometimes recom- 

 mended, stiffened and laid out in symmetrical 

 beds, which, though producing a certain co- 



lour effect, give little idea of the real beauty 

 of the plant. In the south of France I have 

 seen it used with the best results planted with 

 the white-flowering Plumbago, or the Jasmine 

 Trumpet Flower (Tecoma jasminioides)^ but in 

 this climate it must have companions of a 

 hardier character. Since the appearance of this 

 Clematis collections have been enriched by a 

 second good crimson, also of French origin, 

 a gain of Mons. F. Morel, of Lyon, and named 

 Ville de Lyon. Its relation to C. viticella is 

 more apparent than that of the preceding, and 

 its flowers, more regular in outline, are slightly 

 smaller, but of a similarly rich tone of crimson 

 and just as free flowering. 



We hope to publish in our next number 

 a classified list of all the best sorts by Mons. 

 Morel of Lyon. # # # 



HOW TO ENJOY THE WILD ROSE. 



For many years, no one took much no- 

 tice of any Rose except the heavy cab- 

 bage-like forms of ' ' hybrid perpetuals," 

 but now many begin to see that there 

 are numerous wild forms worth having, 

 and many single Roses are seen even at 

 flower shows, certainly the worst places 

 to see them. These wild Roses promise 

 to have more admirers than ever they had 

 in old times . Mr. Alfred Parsons' draw- 

 ings for Miss Willmott's forthcoming 

 Rose book will give us pictures of many 

 beautiful kinds. Our own wild Roses 

 over hedgerow, heath, and copse have, 

 happily, never left us and are as pretty 

 as any ; but the great series of new kinds 

 from other countries have very real uses 

 for us, and it is not so much novelty 

 that helps us as how to make good use 

 of the best kinds — permanent use which 

 will give us year after year some beauty 

 without care or trouble. If we put these 

 single Roses in the flower garden it- 



self they may often be too rampant in 

 growth, some being extremely vigorous, 

 some flowering only for a short time, and 

 some having other drawbacks, which, 

 however, need not trouble us much if 

 we put the plants to right use. The 

 best plantation we ever made of them 

 was above a long sunk fence that cut 

 off a pasture field from a garden lawn. 

 Sunk fences have usually "hard" lines, 

 and in this case the hardness was got 

 rid of by planting the whole of the up- 

 per side with a collection of the hardi- 

 est wild Roses. This was fifteen years 

 ago or more, and the Roses have never 

 given the least trouble since, flower- 

 ing every year, tumbling over the wall 

 and doing their work well all the year 

 round. There are from twenty to a 

 hundred plants in each group, accord- 

 ing to the importance and value of the 

 kind ; and it is only one of the ways in 

 which wild Roses may be used. They 



