The Golden-Leaved Honeysuckle is a special favorite of mine. Its leaves are so netted and veined with yellow as to give this hue the predominance. The foliage is small; the flowers are yellow and fragrant. The family of Lonicerus, or Honeysuckle, embraces a large variety. The botanical name was given in honor of Lonicer, a German botanist, who died about three hundred years ago.
Lonicerus Holliana was introduced into this country from Japan by Dr. Hall. The flowers are pure white when they first open, but assume a creamy tinge in a few days. This variety blooms almost continuously from June till frost. It attains sometimes to the height of twenty, and even thirty feet. The flowers are very fragrant.
Belgian, or Monthly Fragrant, bears its blossoms in clusters. They are pure white in the interior at first, but afterward change to creamy yellow, deepening into orange.
Sempervirens (Scarlet Trumpet) is a native of this country, and perfectly hardy. This is the most common, though not fragrant. It is a strong grower, and blooms from June to November. Its scarlet flowers tinged with orange afford a pleasing contrast with its dark, glossy foliage.
CANARY BIRD FLOWER.
For an out-door annual climber, what can be prettier than the dainty, graceful Canary Flower? Mine have scorned the limitations of the twine I had fastened to the lower limbs of a small pear tree and ascending far above them, have run out a full yard on a large branch. The light green, finely lacinated foliage is very handsome of itself, but when the Canary bird flower is added, how lovely it is! It is so easily grown from seed that I wonder so few have it. A paper costing only ten cents would give you a score of plants, and they are much prettier for the bay window than Madeira vines.
A writer from England says: "While in the north of England, last fall, we paid a visit to [Alnwick] Castle, the seat of the Duke of Northumberland, and the ancient home of the Percy family.... The first thing that struck me on entering the town was a bay window most charmingly draped with light green climbers, and literally covered with bright lemon yellow flowers. Now this appeared so strange to me (for the chilly night air had already affected the geraniums and other tender out-door plants), that I had to cross the street, take the Yankee liberty to open the gate, go inside and examine this thrifty beauty. I confess I was not only surprised but greatly interested to find it was only the Canary flower, Tropaeolum peregrinum, a member of the Nasturtium family, and I concluded at once that there should be one cottage in America next summer worth coming miles to see on account of its climbing plants of light green foliage and rich yellow masses of Canary bird flower."—WALTON, in Vick's Magazine.
Do not forget to include this pretty vine in your seed order next year.