The Kidney-bean tree (Glycine frutescens) shews ele gant clusters of purple flowers ; and the Virginian silk tree (Periploca Greta) produces bunches of flowers of the same colour. Smilax aspera, sometimes called Rough Bindweed, and S. excelsa, although their flowers are not showy, are desirable climbing plants, as they retain their verdure during winter. Of the honeysuckles, besides dif ferent varieties of the common Woodbine, (Lonicera Peri clymenzinz,) the trumpet-honeysuckle (L. sempervirens) particularly deserves a place. The yellow and the white Jasmine (Jasminum fruticane and officinale) are well known plants. Three species of Atragene arc now cultivated ; the Austrian, (A. Austriaca,) the Siberian, (A. Sibirica,) and the American, (4. Americana): the two former were long confounded under the name of A. alpina ; they re semble each other, but the Austrian comes into leaf and flower two months before the other ; the American spe cies is also early. Several kinds of Clematis, or virgin's bower, are highly ornamental, particularly the purple, (C. viticella,) and the double-flowered variety of it, with red and blue varieties of the single ; the Virginian, (C. Virgi niana,) with white flowers ; and the evergreen, (C. cirrho sa,) which produces its greenish flowers about mid-winter. The common Traveller's-joy (C. vitalba) is too rampant to be trusted near to delicate climbers. The common Pas sion-flower (Passillora ccerulea) succeeds in some sheltered places, but in general it flowers better when trained against a wall.
528. For covering walls, some other plants are well suited. If the exposure be good, Bignonia radicans, or ash leaved Trumpet flower, is highly ornamental, being cover ed with orange flowers in the autumn: this is a plant, how ever, which requires some management as to pruning ; all small weak shoots must every year be removed, and when the plant has filled the space allotted to it, a quantity of new or young wood for flowering is procured, by annual ly shortening a number of strong shoots. Common Ivy (He dcra helix,) with the silver-striped and gold-striped varie ties, and the large-leaved or Irish, are very desirable ; as is likewise the Virginian Creeper or five-leaved ivy, (ritis hcderacea.) The double Pomegranate has been already mentioned (§ 180.) as admirably adapted for covering a wall, or the end of a house, especially if it have a south aspect.
529. It has been more than once noticed, that the most effectual way of acclimating the plants of warmer countries is, to endeavour to bring such plants to ripen their seeds in the open air in this climate with as little assistance as pos sible, and then to sow these seeds, from which a more hardy progeny is likely to spring. Some plants, however, seem gradually to become inured to our climate, even without being reproduced by seed ; or perhaps these plants were at first accounted more delicate than they really are. Several Japan shrubs have of late years become common ornaments of our gardens, particularly the Loquat or Mespilus Japo nica ; the Japan apple, (Pyrus Japonica,) which requires a south wall ; the Sophora Japonica ; and the Corchorus Ja ponicus. This last was introduced only about 1804 ; yet it may now be seen growing like a willow in our borders ; and, if kept near to an east or a Ivcst wall, to save the buds from severe frost, producing a profusion of its yellow blossoms early in the spring. Trained to the hack of a hot-house at the Botanic Garden at Edinburgh, and of course with a northern exposure, it has for several years past stood remarkably well, and has been regularly clothed with flowers in March and April. The Tea-plants ("rhea
bohea and viridis,) which are natives of the north of China, stand in the open border in the southern counties of Eng land ; but in severe winters they require some degree of protection. Edwardsia grandiflora and microphylla are natives of New Zealand, which flower in February in our sheltered borders, or trained against a wall. Several na tives of the south of Europe now inhabit our borders ; such are, Jupiter's-beard, Anthyllis barbs Jovis ; Coronilla glau ca ; and Moon trefoil, Medicago arborea. Two species of Leptospermum or South Sea myrtle, L. junipermum and baccatum, succeed in the milder parts of England, if trained against a wall ; and Metrosideros lanceolata, like wise from New South Wales, has already been noticed as trained on the open wall in the College Botanic Garden at Dublin, § 28. Rhamnus glandulosus, from Madeira, is an addition to our evergreens. Some perennial species of Convolvulus, formerly accounted tender, are now trained against the border walls; particularly C. bryonixfolius from China, and C. althxoides from the Levant. Of the com mon myrtle (Myrtus communis) there are several varieties, some of which are more hardy than others : a single-flower ed sort, resembling the double-flowered, but with narrower leaves than the Dutch broad-leaved, is the most hardy ; and a variety of the narrow-leaved, called the bird's-nest myrtle, seems also to be more hardy than the Dutch broad-leaved kind.
Framed Borders.
530. They who are curious in flowers frequently have a border covered with glazed frames, which can be easily re moved during the warm season of the year, from the mid dle of June to September. Many plants, particularly of the bulbous kind, grow much better when planted in a large border than when confined to flower-pots. Bulbs in gene ral require a deep soil ; for they commonly send their fi brous roots, by which they draw their nourishment, to a considerable depth in the earth. Some of the bulbous plants which succeed well in such covered borders are, several species of Ixia, of African Gladiolus, of Harman thus or blood flower ; and the Tigridia pavonia, or Tiger flower, equally remarkable for its gorgeous beauty and its transitory nature. Tuberoses (Polyanthes tuberosa,) after having been fostered on a slight hot-bed, may be sunk in pots in a framed border, in order to their flowering. Se veral species of the splendid genus Amaryllis might be add ed to the list, particularly the Belladonna lily (a. belladon na,) the Jacohea lily (A. and the Guernsey lily (4. sarnienefs.) Concerning this last, it may be ob served, that a few plants only can be expected to flower every year ; for, as noticed by Miller, the same plant does not flower in two successive years, nor probably till after the lapse of several years. Dr Macculloch (Scottish Mort. Meer. vol. ii. p. 60.) has given an account of the cultivation of this favourite lily in Guernsey. Even there, the Doctor informs us, " scarcely five flowers are produced among a hundred healthy roots." Boxes containing parcels of the bulbs, generally with the flower-stems formed, are annual ly sent from the Channel Islands to the nurserymen of Lon don, and by them distributed through Britain. Miller has justly remarked, that this lily may more properly be culti vated in a bed on a south border than in pots ; it is there fore peculiarly well adapted to the framed border. For the soil, he recommends a third part fresh earth from sonic light pasture ground ; about an equal part of sea-sand ; and the remaining third to be composed equally of rotten dung and sifted lime-rubbish.