October 7, 1905. 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK 
“How much of memory dwells amidst thy bloom, 
Rose ! ever wearing beauty for thy dower ! ”—.1 frs. Ilenums. 
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AN AMATEUR'S LETTER 
TO AMATEURS. 
By the author of “ The Garden Decorative 
etc., etc. 
IX. 
Climbing Plants in the Garden. 
The great season of autumn planting is at 
its height. It is the time of all others when 
attention may be bestowed on what I must 
call for want of a better term the accessory 
plants—plants that in all gardens, large or 
small, may be used with wonderful decora- 
ki' e value and beauty in the garden-scape. I 
mean those climbing plants and shrubs that 
may be used over arches; clinging to the 
house and other walls, and covering paling 
and 1 rellise3 and old tree stumps; and I 
would remind my readers that this last 
usage is a splendid means of using the 
Clematis and other climbing plants in the 
open, where, be it said, they are not seen 
nearly as often as they ought to be. On 
the very minimum of ground space we are 
able to obtain a mass of valuable colour, so 
much as would often on the level cover a 
large bed. And this colour is raised high 
above the level of the eye, and gives in 
splendid degree that variety of height in the 
colour fcheme that adds immeasurably to 
the beauty and charm of the garden 
generally. 
A gard^i in which full justice is done to 
climbing plants, and where they have care¬ 
ful attention to ensure perfection of growth 
and bloom, is almost sure to be a beautiful 
garden, for not a little do these climbing 
plants themselves constitute that beauty. 
They certainly do this, and a’so enhance the 
beauty of other flowering subjects. The 
enthusiastic novice is often induced to pay 
especial attention to some favourite flower, 
and I can truthfully say he would find no 
‘hobby ’ flowers more worthy his close atten¬ 
tion than Clematises and other flowering 
climbers. 
Planting. 
No time should be lost now where plants 
are to be estabbshed. It may be that the 
novice scarcely rea’ises the advantage it is 
to take time by the forelock in the majority 
of gardening operations. Early autumn 
planting especially is to be recommended 
while yet some of the summer heat is re¬ 
tained in the soil. This means much to 
newly established plants, for if the roots 
have thoroughly settled themselves and 
gripped the new soil, and perhaps 
even put forth a few fresh ones, 
they will have a far better chance of 
coming safely through the long, cold winter 
months. In planting climbing plants it is 
necessary, if the best results are to be 
achieved, to have the ground prepared to 
receive them. It is not enough merely to 
dig a hole and put in the vigorous growing 
plant, but a space, a good jmrd square if 
possible, should be deeply dug, and if the 
soil is poor and stony, as it often is at the 
foot of a house wall, it will be advisable to 
remove it entirely, and to replace it with 
good loamy garden soil with an addition of 
the spent remains of an old hot bed. The 
Clematis revels in soil of a chalky nature, so 
that to the above compost some old mortar 
rubble may be added with advantage. Two 
barrow loads of such soil is not too much in 
which to establish a strong young plant. 
The climbing plants, especially those that 
are cut or die down in the autumn, have so 
much growth to make and sustain that it is 
not to be 'wondered at that they require 
ample nourishment. Planted thu«, how¬ 
ever, they will need no top-dressing nor 
watering with liquid manure for several 
seasons. For, like other subjects, Clematis 
and other climbing plants are impa'ient of 
over-feeding, and may repay one by pro¬ 
ducing ample foliage and few blossoms. 
Clematis. 
There are certain varieties of the Clematis 
that flower on the wood of the current 
year’s growth, and these are best cut down 
every year. Most authorities give the 
month of February as the best time for this 
operation. I do it myself in November ot 
early December, according to the weather 
with excellent results in the case of ven 
sheltered plant®, as I find growth commence 
wonderfully early in the year, and I prefe 
not to waste the plants’ energies. Othei 
varieties of Clematis flower on the more 
mature wood, therefore these must never be 
entirely cut down, nor do they need any 
particular pruning at all. To the first 
kind belong the valuable .Jackmanni class ; 
to the second the species C. flammula, C. 
montana, C. vitalba, and the beautiful large- 
flowered C. lanuginosa. The chief object in 
pruning any of these last is to prevent the 
lower portions from becoming too straggling 
and bare. 
Of the Jackmannii type that known as 
C. Jackmannii snperba is really a grand 
addition to the garden, and especially is it to 
be recommended for use on a pergola. Toe 
variety known as Mrs. Hope is of an ex¬ 
quisite mauve tint, and is unusually early to 
flower. Some of the best of the larger- 
flowered varieties, flowering on the wood of 
over one year’s growth, may be mentioned— 
King Edward VII. and the paler-flowered 
Queen Alexandra are very fine. 
Winter-flowering Climbers. 
It is a little curious but it is a fact that 
the beautiful Pyrus japonica with its showy 
red flowers is being neglected. It is more 
than a pity that so fine a subject, costing at 
the most one and s’xpence and last'n < a 
lifetime, should find no place in the garden. 
There is no better climbing shrub for plant¬ 
ing under a window or where the space is 
limited. We have two climbing shrubs that 
well may be numbered among the winter¬ 
flowering subjects—Jasminum nudiflorum 
and Forsythia suspensa ; both are yellow 
flowered, and invaluable as yielding blossom 
at an almost flowerless time. 
All these may be established during the 
present month, and the sooner the better. 
Do not prune the Forsythia too closely, let 
it have a certain freedom of growth, and for 
many weeks it will be an object of extra¬ 
ordinary beauty. The most beautiful speci¬ 
men I ever saw was one growing on the 
porch, of an empty house; it was a vivid 
glowing mass of long trails of flower. I 
may add there is also a bush form of the 
Forsythia that is a grand shrub for the 
open. v-- -5 
