568 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 6, 1899. 
||ints for Amateurs. 
Hardy Climbers.—We believe if a ballot could 
be taken as to whether the border plants around our 
doors were to be abolished or whether climbing 
plants should be-although we do not want the 
abolition of either class — we imagine favour would 
rest with those which beautify our walls. But this 
would mean nothing more than that climbers are 
well appreciated. And no wonder. Who that has 
seen a country cottage, or a noble mansion, or ruined 
building beshrined and mantled with the clouds of 
greenery which the larger leaved Ivies give ; or the 
fiery blaze of Pyrus japonica or Tropaeolum 
speciosum against a white walled house, or any other 
of our many beautiful plants which bury ofttimes 
ugliness with lovliness, who are they, we ask, who 
have seen such simple and yet superb decking and 
do not regard such show as unique ? Most of our 
climbing plants, too, are quite easy to manage. Take 
Clematis montana or the better liked C. Jackmannii 
whose large, dark, violet coloured flowers nearly 
everybody remembers. To secure floriferous 
plants, plant out good, stout and robust types at the 
end of this month or early in June. The exact one 
essential is thorough drainage. The soil also 
must be of good heart, not necessarily a rich medium, 
but certainly one in which the elements of plant food 
are not lacking. In dealing with others of the 
Clematises some growers plant out in what may be 
termed a hungry soil and after the plant has pushed 
forth roots in fair abundance, they make auger- 
holes i ft. or 2 ft. from the stem each way out and 
fill these with rich material. These holes are valued 
also for the securer drainage given. Well, having 
put out your plants carefully, it stands as a matter 
of course that they will be watered regularly and 
later on mulched. This is not at all necessary, 
however. Trellis work, either of wire or wood, as 
neat and light as possible should be attached closely 
to the walls of the house. Failing this, stout, stent 
cords may answer. Keep the shoots regulated till 
a start is made and do not forget to keep the shoot 
leaders from harm by breaking. Nothing else is 
needed, only patience. After the harvest of blossom 
is gone cut the shoots right back to the wall, and 
oniy in the severest of winters need they be protected. 
Propagation is mainly effected by grafting scions on 
to Clematis roots. Besides the varieties named C. 
caerulea is an extra nice variety of a sky-blue 
colour. These three will give a succession of flower 
from May till August. 
Then we have the Honeysuckle tribe, of which 
Lonicera aurea reticulata is a sweet, creamy form, 
and L. sempervirens, the bonnie crimson or scarlet 
“Trumpet Honeysuckle” and others. They grow 
very well in quite a lot of varying soils. Allow them 
headway and support, and nourish them when they 
start growth. Do not prune them hard, only back to 
strong, firm shoots. 
Jasminum nudiflorum and J. officinale are among 
the hardiest, sturdiest and thrive-on-nothing climbers 
which the gardener cares for. They would make 
fine plants to symbolise the British colonist! But 
for all that they respond to attention. J. nudiflorum, 
flowering as it does in the dull months of late winter 
and spring, its flowers, have a richness unexcelled 
at that period. 
They strike readily from cuttings, or may be got 
by layering, and beyond an occasional tie-in, a thin¬ 
ning out of the shoots and loose arrangement of those 
left, their real needs may be said to have been 
catered for. At the same time, it pays to be generous 
to them. 
Pyrus japonica is too well-known to require 
lengthened description. Suffice to say that the 
flowers are like Apple blossom coloured crimson. 
It belongs, of course, to the same natural order. 
The wood of this tree is stiff, and, indeed, it ought 
not really to classed with plants that twine and 
climb, but having seen it so often used in place of a 
climber we may be pardoned for including it in this 
list. It flowers on the ripened shoots of the previous 
year, but also on spurs from older wood. Pruning 
only need be carried so far as to keep a furnished 
tree, and openness between the shoots enough to ad¬ 
mit of light and air. 
It will soon cover a wall, and in training it the 
appearance will be all the more gratifying after the 
leaves have fallen, if some skill has been put forth 
in securing a regular arrangement of the wood. 
Fan-shaped training is the best form. 
Arietolochia sipho forms a curious and interesting 
plant for covering walls or arbours. The leaves are 
large and heart-shaped, and the brownish-purple 
flowers are worthy of note. They (the Aristolochias) 
are popularly termed “ Dutchman’s Pipes,” and 
much resemble a pipe—at least A. elegans of our 
stoves does. In the “ bole ” or tube of the corolla we 
find inverted hairs growing from the inner surface. 
These are so arranged as to allow flies to enter, but 
once entered they never, unless strong, get 
back again, for the hairs in the throat of the flower- 
tube oppose an egress. The Aristolochias like rich 
loam. Cuttings root freely in sandy soil under a 
case or hand-light in a temperature of 65° Fahr. 
Cotoneasters.—Few shrubs are so often used as 
these for the adornment of all kinds of bare wall 
scene. C. microphylla is, perhaps, oftener employed 
than any other. The ovate, dark, glossy leaves and 
the dense array of starry flowers, and later on the 
pea-sized scarlet berries are so exquisitely pretty 
that cur hearts go out to this little plant, and we 
all love it. Layers or seeds or cuttings are employed 
for increase of stock. The seeds may be sown early 
in spring and grown on for planting the next year, 
audits culture after planting is nil. Like most of our 
climbers, it grows almost without any care. From 
observation it seems to us to fruit and flower best in 
a gravelly or dry soil. It does not grow fast, and it 
makes firm wood so that it need not and should not 
be much pruned. Its special position is on the top 
of a wall, for there the stiff twigs reach out and up¬ 
wards all around in just the fashion of its nature. 
C. buxifolia and C. acuminata are also useful. 
Humulus Lupulus is the common Hop. For train¬ 
ing over trellises or arches, or for twining around old 
stumps of frees, and for a speedy-growing, hardy and 
thriving climber the Hop is pre-eminent. But it 
dies back yearly, and, of course, leaves the objects 
bare during winter. Still for those wishing a per- 
permanent summer climber the Hop is very com¬ 
mendable. The flowers of the female plants are in¬ 
teresting, and from the seeds produced young plants 
can be raised in spring, also division of the stocks 
can at this season be made. 
Convolvulus.—We cannot recommend this genus 
to every grower. It is right enough if one can allow 
it perfect freedom, and let it climb up hedges or over 
anything else to which it can depend, but otherwise 
he grower will find it more troublesome than useful. 
They are increased by cuttings or division, or seeds 
may be the means adopted. C. arvensis, the 
common Bindweed, is a perennial. C. tricolor is a 
beautiful and well-known hardy annual. 
Then we have the Lathyrus or perennial Sweet Peas, 
and Tropaeolum speciosum, the sweet and largely 
employed climber, with the dark, beautiful green 
Clover-like foliage and scarlet tubular flowers. It 
has an often-used companion in the Canary 
Creeper—Tropaeolum peregrinum. This latter, 
however, must be sown every year, whereas the T. 
speciosum must not be disturbed if you wish it to 
succeed. 
Dahlias.—These lovely flowered plants are now in 
the small pots, or the larger tubers of grown plants 
are in boxes growing on for planting out at the end 
of next month. They are liable to attacks from 
flies, and may easily be damped in the very early 
stages. Those, however, which are established 
require a liberal supply of water and probably a 
further shift. Air must be cautiously though yet 
fairly liberally given, and from now the hardening 
off shall begin. They must have a rich bed or border 
to grow in, and the soil should be deeply worked. 
Sunny quarters are favourable, but shade to a certain 
extent increases the soft tones of the blooms. 
In planting take out a space for the tubers first 
and at the same time and before putting in the 
plants place a stout stake in firmly. Deposit a good 
lining of manure, which sprinkle over with 1 in. or 
2 in. of soil, and the Dahlias may be planted. 
Keep the surface stirred during droughty periods 
and water them before the soil ever gets dusty. 
Miscellaneous.—Antirrhinums should now be 
planted out in borders. The deep vermilion and 
pure white varieties are very handsome for massing 
in a curved or straight border. Varieties of the 
majus species, some of which will reach 7 ft., may 
be planted on the outskirts of shrubberies. And if 
any reader has an ungainly piece of rocky bank or 
such like land to plant up, let him or her sow a pinch 
of Antirrhinum seed here and there. 
Give Fuchsias plenty of room and attend to them 
carefully. They suffer quickly from lack of water. 
The young shoots must be pinched if shapely 
pyramidal plants are endeavoured for. Place a 
stake to each plant and keep them close to the glass 
in a house of from 53 0 to 58° temperature. Fumi¬ 
gate for fly. 
Feed growing Roses and nip off shoots where too 
many are together. Pansies and Violas may now be 
planted out. In hardening-off plants, do not shift 
them suddenly from heated to cold houses. Keep 
them on the dry side if they are placed from warm 
houses into cool ones.— Beacon. 
- 1 - - 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
" Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Forwarding Vegetable Marrows.— Western : Sow the 
seeds at once in heat, or in pots placed over a bed of 
fermenting manure. One seed may be sown in a 
small 60-size pot or a long tom, so that all disturb¬ 
ance of the roots may be avoided in transplanting or 
shifting into a larger size. Keep the plants growing 
vigorously without check, and, if necessary, give 
them a shift into a larger pot. About the end of 
this month, according to the state of the weather, 
you can make up little mounds of manure where you 
intend the Marrows to be planted. Cover the 
manure with sufficient depth of soil, and plant the 
Marrows without disturbing the ball of roots. 
Square boxes without top or bottom should be placed 
over the plants, and place a square of glass on the 
top, so that the plants may get the benefit of sun¬ 
light. The boxes may be removed after the plants 
have grown to fill them and all danger of frost has 
gone. 
Skimmias not Fruiting.— M. B. : The plants you 
have must either be all male or all female, for one 
plant produces perfect stamens only and the other 
perfect ovaries, which require to be fertilised by a 
plant of the former, in order to produce berries. 
Send us flowers when your plants come into bloom, 
and we shall tell you what other form to get in order 
to insure the production of berries. 
Making new Violet Beds— Mars: There is really 
no hurry yet so long as your plants continue to give 
blooms, more or less. About June when you can no 
longer get good blooms, or earlier, prepare some 
ground for fresh beds in another position, manuring it 
liberally with well rotted stable manure or old Mush¬ 
room bed material. Lift as many of the young and 
rooted runners as you require, planting them in rows 
about 9 in. apart, and 12 in. to 15 in. apart,the latter 
distance preferably, in order to permit of the hoe 
being kept at work amongst them as long as possible 
till the foliage and runners again cover the ground. 
The old beds may be destroyed after you see that 
the young plants have taken to their fresh 
quarters. 
Do Daffodils Ripen Seeds?— A. G. B.: Certainly 
they do, if the flowers have been fertilised ; but to 
make sure of this you had better do it artificially 
when the flowers are in their prime, using good 
varieties only as parents in order to secure better 
varieties, if possible, than those already existing. 
Should you desire to make certain that only the 
pollen you apply will take effect you must protect 
the flowers with fine gauze immediately they are 
about to open, and keep them so protected till the 
flowers fade. 
When must Freesias be potted?— D. W .: This 
may be done sometime in August or September for 
early spring flowering, but for later work you may 
keep the bulbs longer in a cool, dry place to prevent 
their shrivelling or sprouting. Remember that the 
best plan is to pot early and give the plants a long 
season in which to develop slowly and come to per¬ 
fection. Never attempt forcing them. A shelf near 
the glass is the best position for Freesias, from the 
time the leaves appear above ground, onwards. 
Plenty of light and free ventilation are what they 
want to do them well. 
