THE WISTARIA STNENSIS. 
135 
lant-houses, is the Wistaria applicable in the open ground, if we except forcing, 
,nd consider it as a low shrub, instead of a shrub in a pot. 
When grown as a wall-plant, and trained over the face of a house, or other 
rection, the circumstance of its blooming before the leaves are expanded, though 
iiotin itself an uninteresting one, is a thing which, we think, might properly exercise 
he attention and inquiry of the culturist, in order to associate it with some other 
dant which would supply the verdure that is lacking at this season. It is our 
mpression that the Ivy, being the most verdant of all plants with a climbing 
abitude, might be very suitably blended with the Wistaria in clothing a wall, or 
ther building. From the spreading nature of the Ivy, it would necessarily require 
, great deal of trimming and pruning, to prevent it from overrunning the Wistaria , 
nd smothering it. But this matter could be easily attended to ; and if only half- 
-dozen bunches of bloom were here and there visible among the dark foliage of 
lie Ivy, the effect would be most fascinating. 
i Perhaps a more proper companion for the Wistaria , would be the common 
laburnum, which, blooming nearly at the same time, having an allied character, 
nd possessing a greater profusion of bright-green foliage, might be happily 
ningled with it. That the Laburnum is capable of being readily trained against 
jj. wall, is manifest by the many beautiful specimens which exist on the fronts of 
nuses in the neighbourhood of the metropolis. And, by intermixing the branches 
f the two plants in training, their similar racemes of blue and yellow blossoms 
vould create a peculiar, yet not unpleasing, contrast. 
In treating the Wistaria as an open ground plant, cultivators have hitherto 
mployed it principally against walls and houses ; and its singular adaptation for 
ecorating bowers, arbours, &c., seems to have been quite overlooked. It is 
emarkably well fitted for covering those trellised arches of wood or wire which 
re sometimes placed over walks in flower-gardens and parts of pleasure-grounds* 
s nothing could be more enchanting than to walk beneath an arch of its lovely 
looms. Those open-roofed pavilions or canopies, too, which are occasionally 
made of rustic wood, and put up in similar places, chiefly for sustaining climbers, 
fford an equally good position for our charming Wistaria. 
Arbours, moreover, and the retired erections which are common in some gardens, 
mr the purpose of furnishing rest, or cool and quiet enjoyment, could be orna- 
mented with nothing so appropriate, in the way of climbers, as the Wistaria; for 
o look through its noble racemes of blossoms, fringing the edge of the roof, or 
urrounding the pillars along the front, would constitute the perfection of a fore- 
round to a scene either of rural beauty or of enriched and elaborate cultivation. 
In regard to the hardihood of the Wistaria , we may observe that, because its 
I arly blossoms, when opening on a southern wall, sometimes need, or appear to 
ieed, protection from the easterly winds or late frosts of spring, the plant has been 
onsidered as partially tender. There is a mistake here, however, arising from the 
ircumstances peculiar to such positions. On a southern wall, the flowers of this 
