Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-26
Flowers About the Home
Various Ways of Providing Shelter and Beauty
for Summer Porch, Fences and Walls.

Make the fence or wall in your back
yard attractive with flowers and vines
If you have a picket fence, remove
every second and third picket. A board
fence should also be treated this way,
the idea being to allow more sunshine
% Perctyate tn the Shadicr side and
in this way to foster the growth of the
vines.
A still better plan would be to knock
down all of the fence except the posts
and stretch wire mesh the length OF the
line. The best mesh is one with open
ings foot square, but If it is desired to
keep out chickens and small animals a
finer mesh must, of course, be used.
Towering climbers, like honeysuckle
and crimson and white rambler roses
are good to use for shelter and decora-
ton Other good roses, which are lot
climbers, but which may be trained
against the fence, are the Persian yell
low and the sweet brier. II flowers are
not the first consideration, the common
woodbine, which turns beautiful red
In the Fall, and bittersweet which turns
yellow and has attractive berries, are
both good The best way to train these
vines is to let one strong shoot grow up
the fence post, with two lateral
branches at the top and two about
half way up, one on each side. If
shrubs are used, with or without the
vines, they may be grouped irregnlarly
and so scattered that those at a Ger
tain period of growth would all be in
q certain place.
Other Climbing Vines.
Home gardeners have strangely neg
lected some of the best climbing vines.
One that is seldom seen, in spite Of the
Rn i1fr
United States many years ago, Is the
climbing hydraregea, which originally
came from Japrh. 1t bears splendid
tresses Of whis1 flowers in July and
August, and as 1t clingS readily to any
rough surface, It Is especially suited for
growing on tree trunks and rustic ar
bcrs. It is hardy, but does not climb
as rapidly as some other vines.
Polygonum auberti is very fast
growing vine that late in Summer bears
q great cloud Of feecy, white flowers.
1t is excellent for covering fences and
trelliseS.
Actinidia Is valuable for forming
dense screens. 1t is especially veil
suited for covering latticework in order
to produce a screen, and for growing
On porches where seclusion is desired.
It produces a white flower, although not
in profusion. Insect pests almost new
er attack this vine.
The japanese ivy, which is like the
common Boston Ivy, except that the leaf
Is smaller and more finely divided. is
the equal of the Boston ivy in its ability
to cling to the smoothest surface and in
its rapid growth. It's light green foliage
turns bright red In the Fall.
A good vine among the ANIMALS that
deserves to be mentioned is the cardinal
climber, which has bright scarlet flowers
that resemble small morning glories. 1t
grows rapidly and Is very attractive. even
when not in flower, as the leaves are
dark green and finely cut. Like most
plants that have flowers of the morning
glory type, the cardinal climber likes an
open, sunny position. It is best to start
the seeds In the house by planting them
one to pot in the early Spring.
Backyard Enclosures.
The inclosed garden affords privacy.
When selecting boundary lines for your
garden, remember that they are likely
to be permanent, so choose with care.
Brick or stone walls or iron fences are
rather formal but enduring. II wire
fence Is used be sure that it is at
tractive. There are several on the
market that are really beautiful. If
picket or lattice fences are used they
must be of very simple design, well
built and covered with vines, plants
and shrubs, so that little of the glazing
fence is seen. If hedge Is used to in
close a garden it should not be per-
mitted to grow so high as to obstruct
the view and should be quite compact.
The same is true of shrubbery used in
this way. Some one has said: "A
garden is q living. room, with blue
sky ceiling and green grass carpet. Walls
Of living green, with accents OF flowers,
are always lovely"
Beauafying the Porch.
When selecting designs for porch dec
grafton avoid anything that is either
boudolr or parlor-like. The design
should be bolder and the fabric coarser
than you would ordinarily use inside
the house. The colors should be more
nearly pure In quality, in order to keep
step with natures colors.
Cushions for porches should never
be made of remnants or odd pieces
They should be designed to carry oul
q well planned color scheme. Fast
color cretonnes can be sewed together
with such ease that there is no excuse
for lack Of discrimination in color ef.
fects. Cretonnes and other porch GOV.
erings should be selected TO be in keep
ing with the general color scheme o.
the exterior of the house and with re-
gard TO the nearness of the trees, grass