2 7 2 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



ungainly character in many a house may be turned to the best account ; bare walls can 

 be draped with true climbers, or be covered with plants of spreading habit. Many of the 

 old-fashioned greenhouses with their sides of considerable depth may be much improved 

 by training climbers over a part at least of the bare space. Our forefathers seemed to 

 have a craze for height when designing their horticultural erections ; fortunately the present- 

 day builders avoid this, and with better results. Other old houses, especially conservatories, 

 as we now call them — but they are not strictly what this word implies in its true meaning — 

 can be so arranged with climbers as to add to the effect. 1 am thinking now of those 

 houses with heavy mullioned windows and bare walls, all of which can be treated with 

 climbers to a good purpose." 



Climbing plants as a rule, particularly those that are required to cover a considerable 

 space, succeed better permanently if planted out than when grown in pots, and in most 

 structures a border may be prepared for the purpose. As there is a tendency for the shoots 

 to become entangled unless attended to in this respect, the climbers should when planted 

 be carefully trained in posi- 

 tion, until the allotted space 

 is covered, when the shoots 

 may be allowed to develop 

 their true grace, as in this 

 way the prominent charac- 

 teristics of each are brought 

 out. In the case of any sub- 

 jects that require cutting back 

 this should be done imme- 

 diately the flowering season 

 is over. 



The best Greenhouse 

 Climbers are : 



Asparagus. -A beautiful family of 

 plants that has attained a consider- 

 able amount of popularity of late 

 years. They are chiefly remarkable 

 fur their extremely delicate frond- 

 like branches, from which circum- 

 stance they are often called the 

 Asparagus Fern, though they are in 

 no way related to the Fern family. 

 A mixture of loam, peat or lear 

 mould, and sand will suit them well. 

 When the plants are large they often 

 seed freely, and in this way they can 

 be readily propagated in heat. The 

 best are : A. plumosus, thickly 

 clothed with delicate pointed 

 leaves ; A. plumosus nanus, with 

 more flattened, frond-like branches j; 

 than the last ; and A. plumosus I 

 tenuissimus, even more delicate 

 than either, forming light fluffy 

 shoots of the richest green. A. j| 

 retrofractus arboreus, a much 

 stronger grower, with hard grey 

 stems, and needle-like leaves from 



i^in. to 2in. in length, and of a bright green colour. 

 These leaves are arranged in tufts along the minor 

 branchlets. A. Sprengeri, the leaves of which are 

 broader than the others, and of a rich grass green 

 tint. It is a valuable climber, and is also very orna- 

 mental when mounted on a pedestal, as the branches then 

 droop all round and are covered with crimson fruits. 

 The Asparagus family is of great value for cutting, so 

 much so that the foliage has in a measure taken the place 

 of Fern fronds, as they are far more lasting. 



ASPARAGUS SPRENGERI i 



Bignonia. — These are all vigorous climbers that need a 

 sunny position to flower them well. B. capreolata, 

 orange red, summer ; B. Cherere, orange, summer ; and 

 B. speciosa, purple, spring, are the best. 



Bomarea. — A family nearly related to the hardy Alstrce- 

 meria, from which they are distinguished by their 

 climbing habit. All bear clusters of drooping bell-shaped 

 blossoms. They need the warmest part of the green 

 house, and are rather more particular in their require- 

 ments than most climbers. A selection is herewith 



