50 
House & Garden 
A RARE OLD PLANT—THE IVY GREEN 
Its Varied Uses as a Mask for the Unlovely and 
an Added Charm for the Architecturally 
Good in Stone and Brick 
ROBERT S. LEMMON 
I F we accept the axiom that only the good 
endures, then we have one explanation of 
the immemorial popularity of ivy. 
For there can be no denial of ivy’s longevity 
under the right conditions. Literally for gen¬ 
erations many an old vine of Hedera helix (the 
so-called English ivy which most of us have 
in mind when the word is mentioned) has 
clung to the rough wall stones which give it 
foothold. At first it was but a tiny slip, but 
gradually through the succeeding 
years its leaf mat thickened and 
long runners crept upward to spy 
out the way toward window ledge 
and eave and cornice. Close on 
their heels came stronger, woodier 
stems, main columns from which 
innumerable little scouts sought 
out every nook and cranny along 
the way. And always, through 
the decades, until the shimmering 
green drapery was complete and 
the “ivy mantled tower” became 
reality, the vine grew to be more 
and more an integral part of that 
dwelling, as inseparably one with 
the home associations as were its 
airy rootlets with the brownstone 
walls. 
This, indeed, is one of the 
strongest arguments in favor of 
the hardy ivies—they are perma¬ 
nent and in some manner strange¬ 
ly appealing and comforting to 
The house of brick 
or stone is the only 
one with which ivy 
will be completely 
harmonious and of 
enhancing value 
Graves 
Graves 
Among the less formal 
situations for ivy are 
pergolas and other per¬ 
manent features where 
ruggedness rather than 
delicacy of line is the 
prevailing keynote 
If the house is of in¬ 
formal lines, Virginia 
creeper may be used ad¬ 
vantageously. Here its 
characteristic inf ormal 
habit of growth is seen 
about the entrance wing 
Northend 
