Gardening Notes

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 32, 16 January 1930, Page 9

Gardening Notes

CLIMBING AND TWINING

PLANTS.

In the construction of gardens too much value cannot be placed upon climbing plants. It is only necessary to take a walk in any suburb to xion- i vince one' of t-he p< pularity. of th«3e ' plants, both with the amateur and the professional gardener. It,is a-matter of much congratulation that, the trend of modern architecture, ttie necessity fox planting and disfiguring bujld^ j ing's- with sc muck of tie ugly colon**) i | and "monotonous Doliekos lingosus is done, away with, and the, space 'can be utilised by planting one o£ the many beautiful'flowering plants. In country j and suburban gardens this mass of j Dolie-hos has always suggested to me j that a mistake had been made in plac- I ing buildings or in the.« laying, out/of a garden, and the owner was trying to , cover it up.. If you have .any of this i creeper, in your garden, I have only ' one bit o!.' advice to give, and that is —cut; it down, and throw it on your i-übbis'h heap. In these days., the amateur l?as only to ask a nurseryman- for *» list of the best creepers, and how many would, be" required to cover a space of certain dimensions, " and he will "receive a selection of kinds. that_ in wealth of foliage and will be a. source of pleasuTe and interest throughout the different seasons of eacb' year.- • "

In the construction of gardens the artistic effects that may .be obtainod from Creepers makes them indispensable The pergola walk, a feature 'in most up-to-date gardens, give horticulturists an opportunity;, to plairtf for effeefj. "Wisteria trained, on such a ; structure shows its,beauty while-in flower to the best advantage, as- also will the Taesoriias (Passion %flowers), and the subjects .whose are pendulous. Arches- in suitable places across -he walks in a flower garden are very effective, i± planted with a variety of suitable creepers. In many gardens arciies are. to. be seen planted with kinds that grow too rank for the size of " the . arch, and again the opposite is to be S(een —a well constructed-arch planted with kinds that are never -ikely to grow' strong enough to ;*,6ver tke structure. .The strong -growing varie; -ties -of Clematis (virgin's' bower), Lonieera (honeysuckle), Bignonia (Tecoma)i Jasnrinum, and .the beautiful blue eonVQlvulous-like flowers of Tpomaea Learn are seen at their be3t grown on arches of-fairly large il.imoh-

sionS.

As pilla; plants some of the. Boagainvillea are very effective planted among shrubs, the variety of Maghidca called Trali 'holding- pride' of place on account of its remaining in flower for practically all the summer; A few tondeT kinds usually grown under glass may do well when planted outside if a suitable position is found: for fchcTii. The white. wax^likeT-flowers arid delicate ly porfumec* Stephanotis fioribunda, «lso the O«citlium, "like yellow fldwexing Stiginaphyllom ~Ciiiatum and Hlac purple flowering Solanum W«ndlindii love a. warm situation to grow in, and prefer a northerly aspect., Bexnmontia florabimd if : anptiier, I feel sure, can be grown outside arb>md Wellington.

For covering a wall or fence-many flowering and evergreen shrubs "-an be used If trained for the. purpose, and they are mqst effective. In the cool mountain clistriets many tender; • hvubs will grow in - positions whereas they would beVpxobably cut byjrost if plant-: oil in thq open. ' L-obfa.n'g over a.garden, in a inidljvnd Victorian town a few yoavs ago, I noticed a plant of Magnolia gi'andi-dpra ■. trained against. *li 3 side of t-hf\ curator 7s' house. The dark groeii loaves, gaVe :the house ar copl ap'peavare , iiv sumnieiVand the perfume ■from the flowevs was "delightful. There arc many other* evergreens; that can be u?od in this .way.-; Cofptosma Lucida and t-ht different variegated varieties

are amon;-; the most useful for training.

When., tjie varieties of : A.mpelopsis" ( Virginia Creeper) arcs planted .against a swne o hnip.kvbuilclirig,-it is an inipTOY'^men'- to ifieludc, when planting, a tW ph-nt? of Fiseus _ Stipulate or the tT le"ave<l variety, F. Minima.' These take away the bare appearaneOr ia winter when the Ampelopsis &h.eds "tsleaves! A good little, climbing plant tlat is worthy of a place, is Pelygonum Baldsehuanieum—its white spiraea like

flowers are vveiy useful for table lecorations, and it makes an ideal pillar plant, planted among shrubs. Striking effects can he produced in gardens i»y training climbers'as standards. In ihe old British, gardens it was no uncommon thing to see umbrella-shaped standards of Wisteria on the lawns/

Many varieties of Roses are .adaptable to this nrode of training. Mareehal Niel^ with its sweet-scented. Sowars can be seen at its best growja this, way; climbing Belle Siebrecht, Avoca, climbs ing Caroline Testqut, climbing Devoniensis, and the two varieties of climb mb Maman Coehet, G-russ-an-^Teplitz, and many; others, are worthy of being giventi'eatment injthis way, and a good crop of clean welW:ormed flowers may be looked for. Any blacksmith will supply strong and artistic , umbrella frames at small cost. If the parts rre properly .made, they can easily be put together by anyone who will follow *he simple "instructions given by the blacksmith, At pruning! time, when operating on climbing tea Roses, and their hybrids that are grown in. this shape, it will- be noticed that during the summe? they -v^ill have made strong growths from the centre. Enough of this should be bent down aid tied" to the framework, and every-year a good percentage of old wood should be cut out sot hat the specimen will be practically starting with renewed -vigor each yeai\ In treating climbing' roses .grown on arches or pergolas, the same .nethod of selecting good strong rods cor tying down is jrecommended. .