HARDY CLIMBING AND TRAILING PLANTS. 125 



Ceanothus, and Jasminum officinalis and nudiflorum. All these 

 will thrive and flower well in London and the neighbourhood. 



Amongst climbing plants less known, or at all events less grown, 

 I would say, plant Aristolochia Sipho. This is a grand plant, quite 

 hardy, and with its silvery foliage is a splendid object to behold. 

 Many regard this Aristolochia as a greenhouse plant, but it is 

 perfectly hardy, and I have seen it growing outdoors in Aberdeen- 

 shire quite unprotected. Smilax is another graceful twining 

 plant suitable for covering trellis-work, &c, in London ; so also 

 are Cotoneaster and Pyracantha, and these two last, when covered 

 with their bright orange- scarlet berries, are very beautiful during 

 autumn and winter. 



Well now, some will be saying, But what about climbing 

 plants in the country, for if they will grow so well in London 

 with its smoke and dust and dirt, surely they ought to fare still 

 better in well-kept gardens in the country with its sweet pure 

 fresh air and sunshine ? Just so. But I ask you, Are they 

 grown in the country in any quantity, or at least as much or 

 as well as they should be ? Why, many of our best flowering 

 and foliage Creepers are almost unknown and ungrown ; and, 

 even when they are grown, they are in many gardens, both large 

 and small, very much neglected, particularly as regards their 

 pruning and training. Many a humble wayside cottage, almost 

 covered with its Boses, Woodbine (Honeysuckle), &c, growing 

 and flowering in wild luxuriance, will often put the nobleman's 

 garden to shame as regards the natural beauty of the Creepers. 



Boses have for a long time been great favourites — I mean the 

 climbing section — and very rightly so, for who does not like the 

 grand Gloire de Dijon, the pretty white and yellow Banksian 

 Boses with their deep green glossy leaves ; the lovely Marechal 

 Neil, and a host of other fine varieties? — while for covering 

 trellis- work and trunks of trees the beautiful Macartney and 

 many other single Boses, if allowed to ramble at will, are a 

 lovely sight when in flower. Very many people spoil these free- 

 flowering Boses by pruning them too hard, thereby curtailing 

 their free flowering. In the gardens that I have charge of, single 

 Boses and many other climbing plants are never pruned at all, 

 but are allowed to ramble at will, and they form one of the finest 

 features in the gardens, and are thought much more of than 

 other flowering plants that have a more formal habit. I am well 



