November 28, 1908. 
TUB GARDENING WORLD. 
737 
Rhododendron Pink Pearl. 
How to clothe a wall; A, section of wall 
howing wire netting fixed; B, the inter- 
tning sface filed with soil. 
— How to — 
Clothe a Wall 
With Growing Plants. 
♦ 
In many greenhouses there are un- 
ightly walls which become covered with 
Teen matter in those houses which are 
aturally damp or are kept so for the 
ake of the plants which they contain, 
f the cultivator has not the convenience, 
.or the desire, to cover such a wall with 
limbers, there is another and an easy 
•ay of getting quite a variety of plants 
a grow on such walls at a small amount 
fjexpense and a minimum of labour as 
ompared with the cultivation or water- 
ng of a similar number of plants in pots. 
In the accompanying illustration, A 
hows section of a wall to which wire 
etting has been fixed. Some pegs are 
riven into the wall at certain regular in¬ 
tervals, and a piece or pieces of strong 
vire netting are obtained sufficient to 
over the whole surface of the wall in 
uestion. They may be fastened to the 
ton pegs in a variety of ways, a very 
imple method being to fasten them to 
he pegs by means of strong wires. It 
ray be as well to remember that the 
tronger the wire netting the longer it 
till last. It should also be galvanised 
0 prevent rusting. 
As a rule, about 3 in. between the wall 
nd the netting is sufficient to hold 
nough soil for the cultivation of plants. 
The soil is prevented from falling 
hrough the meshes of the wire by using 
green moss. This moss, if kept moist at 
egular intervals, will grow, and thus 
>revent decay. Small plants of quite a 
•ariety of types are then obtained and in¬ 
erted in the soil here and there through 
he meshes of the wire, so that when in 
ull growth most of the surface will be 
overed. The greater the number of 
3 ants the more variety and the more 
ffective the wall will be. B shows the 
vail and wire netting after the soil has 
>een placed in position ready to receive 
he plants. 
Owing to the irregularities of the sea¬ 
son we may have Rhododendrons flower¬ 
ing at various periods of the year, from 
October till June or July. When they 
come at the latter time there is no frost 
to destroy the blossom, though they are 
welcome at all times. Their flowering 
would also remind us that they may be 
planted at various seasons of the year 
with every chance of success, provided 
they are lifted with a good ball of soil 
about the roots. As they succeed best in 
peaty soil, this readily adheres to the 
numerous fibrous roots when they are 
lifted from such soil. Of course, those 
who grow them by the thousand to supply 
the public make a point of getting peaty 
soil for them, if possible, and with such 
conditions the plants may be moved with 
safety at various periods of the year to the 
middle of June, when the planter may 
still expect his plants to grow and bloom 
—at least in those parts of the country 
where the moisture is sufficient to keep 
the roots moist until thev have taken to 
the fresh material. 
Those who have seen flowers of Pink 
-^ 
Pearl are unanimolis about their beauty, 
and though all do not succeed with it 
alike, there are lessons to be learned 
concerning it. The flowers measure 
4 in. to 5 in. in diameter individually, 
and are borne on trusses of twelve to 
twenty flowers. If the plants are grown 
in windy situations, flowers of this size 
stand a poor chance of passing through 
the flowering season unharmed. They 
come into bloom as late as May or June, 
but very often about that period we have 
unsettled, windy and even cold weather. 
Those who would make certain that this 
fine variety will last without injury to the 
end of its flowering season should take 
the precaution to plant it in a sheltered 
situation. Neighbouring trees or bushes 
should serve to break the wind from the 
prevailing quarters about the time the 
plants should be in bloom. Shelter from 
the north and east is also desirable in 
the more northern parts of the country to 
prevent the leaves from getting broken 
when thev are frozen in winter. The ac¬ 
companying illustration shows five 
trusses on a small plant. 
