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To many people a "vine is a vine" without any differentiation as toits usefulness. As a matter of fact, vines may be divided into certaindefinite groups which are valuable for different purposes. The knot-weed, honeysuckle, and climbing roses represent a group which arevery desirable for their flowering effect. It often happens that vinesare desired, not so much for their screen effects as for the effect of pro-ducing flowers within a limited space, and thus adding spots of beautyto otherwise unattractive and monotonous surfaces. It is quite necessary in selecting vines for use on brick work, stoneand masonry surfaces, that the method of growth of such vines shouldbe fully understood. Those vines which grow upon fences and latticework are either scramblers or twiners or they grow by means of ten-drils, as do the Virginia creeper and the grape. None of these vines areadapted for use on brick work and masonry surfaces. There is a groupof vines which grow and cling to these surfaces by means of littlegrowths, at intervals along their stems, the tips of which, as soon asthey come in contact with any surface, produce a sticky fluid thatimmediately "cements" the vine to the wall. In the case of the Bos-ton ivy the little tendril, at the tip of which is the adhesive substance,has a tendency to contract in the manner of a twisted cord and thuspull the stem closer to the wall. This is a peculiar provision of nature.This list of vines is comparatively small and is represented generally |
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