This section is from the book "Beautiful Gardens - How To Make Them And Maintain Them", by Walter P. Wright. Also available from Amazon: Beautiful Gardens: How To Make And Maintain Them.
The following plants will be handsome ornaments of pergolas if well grown:
Akebia quinata. - A pretty, perfumed, but not too hardy twiner, with singular purplish brown flowers which spring from the axils of the leaves.
Calystegia hederacea (pubescens). - A beautiful plant of the Convolvulus order, with double rose flowers. This and other Bindweeds need restrictive treatment at the root, or they soon become a nuisance.
Ceanothus azureus Gloire de Versailles. - A charming light blue climber, frequently used for house walls. It blooms profusely in early summer.
Chimonanthus fragrans (Allspice). - A vigorous shrub, which produces its singular, aromatic, yellow and brown flowers in winter. It is, perhaps, rather more a wall than a pergola plant, being shrubby in habit, but it may be grown on a pergola when wall space is not available.
Clematises. - This beautiful genus gives us a splendid array of material. C. montana, the white Mountain Clematis, the rich, violet-blue Jackmanii and its white variety, together with those named in another chapter, may all be drawn upon.
Eccremocarpus scaber. - A summer bloomer, with cheerful orange flowers. Many treat it as a half-hardy annual, raising it early every year in heat. As it is not thoroughly hardy it is well to know that it can be so readily propagated.
Kerria Japonica flore pleno. - This, which is frequently used as a wall shrub, and is much admired when full of its bright yellow balls of bloom, may be pressed into service.
Lonicera (Honeysuckle). - The lover of sweet flowers will certainly want to include one or two of these dear old favourites. He may lean to the native Woodbine, L. Periclymenum, and if so there is no reason why his wish should not be gratified. He should, however, also try L. Japonica flexuosa, which is deliciously scented, and also the netted-leaved variety aureo-reticulata. For winter there is L. fragrantissima.
Passiflora (Passion Flower). - This naturally tempts us. Both caerulea and its white form, Constance Elliott, are beautiful, but they are not thoroughly hardy.
Periploca Graeca. - A pretty climber, with brown and green flowers, borne in July. It is worth including where a collection of plants is being made.
Roses. - An indispensable class, which has already been discussed at length. Nearly all arch and pillar Roses are good for pergolas.
Tropaeolum. - This genus gives us several brilliant plants. Aduncum (Canariense), the Canary Creeper, which is generally treated as a half-hardy annual, is well known, and so is the hardy annual majus (Nasturtium). Speciosum is a most brilliant plant, but only thrives in moist, cool localities. Vitis (Vine). - Several members of this valuable genus are grown for the beauty of their leaves, notably Coignetiae and inconstans (Ampélopsis Veitchii - Veitch's Virginian Creeper), both of which colour beautifully in autumn. On the whole, they are more suitable for arbours and walls than pergolas.
Wistaria Chinensis. - A very beautiful old rambler, with long bunches of mauve flowers in early summer. It is really too well known to need description. It is, unfortunately, a painfully slow grower while young.
It will be seen that material is in no way limited. Many plants of great beauty, and embracing considerable diversity, are at the service of whoever wishes to add a pergola to the attractions of his garden.
 
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