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There are few sights so satisfying as a vine growing and flowering lushly up and around a greenhouse door, or along the ridge. And how lushly they do grow! I have seen Plumbago capensis, which seldom outgrows a six- or eight-inch pot in my house, with its roots in a greenhouse bed and its sky-blue flowers spread out over a hundred square feet of wall. Bougainvilleas are as riotous in a Northern greenhouse as in a Southern garden. Stephanotis fragrance fills the air. Hoyas grow to incredible size and luxuriance, and flower again and again.

From the first curled stems that push through in spring to the star-shaped seed pods in late fall, Dictamnus albus (Dittany, Fraxinella, Burning Bush or Gas Plant) is ornamental.

English children chant the phrase “Remember, remember the 5th of November” – Guy Fawkes Day to them – but we could change that to “Remember, remember the chrysanthemums in November.” At any rate my greenhouse is full of bloom right now and I hope yours is, too, for they bring much warm color to an otherwise drab month.

Some say you can, some say you can’t. All I know is that we do grow orchids in our living-room. Quietly defying all the people who said we could never grow them at home, we brought some budding plants back with us from Guatemala after getting permission from the proper authorities.

The pseudobulb, a green, banana-like object at the base of the leaves, is a very interesting and vital part of the orchid plant. In it the food and moisture obtained from the air and water (the orchid’s sources of nourishment) are stored.

Roses need to be “winterized” for the season. The bushes should be checked closely for dead or diseased wood which should be removed; competing branches that cross or rub need to be corrected; it is also wise to remove or shorten unusually long canes that might be injured by high winds or snow and ice.

Treillage – A highly stylized, ornamental-on-its-own design usually made of one-inch round wood or metal pipe, attached in a formal design against a wall. (This is also a specific term for the wires to which tree branches are tied, in espalier.) When small-leaved vines, like ivy, are meticulously trained and pruned in geometric diamonds, squares, fans, or other patterns, this is treillage.

Wherever there is a window or doorway to be framed, a large expanse of wall to be embellished, or a building to be anchored into its setting; where there are harsh architectural lines to be softened, architectural features to be linked, eyesores to be concealed – on buildings of contemporary or any other design – there is a place for a vine to perform a decorative function, and there is a right vine for the job.

Which comes first – the vine, or the support it grows on? Sometimes one, sometimes the other; but ideally, both together. Whether it’s an expensive pergola or a simple wire netting, no support should be either so elaborate or so out of proportion that it is in discord with the rest of the garden and the architecture. And unless the vine is in tune with all three, it does more aesthetic harm than good. A vine is only as effective as it is suited to its supporting structure, and the reverse.

Dutch Iris are one of the most colorful of all fall-planted bulbs. They have been propagated heavily in Oregon and Washington for the Pacific Coast market. The flower is excellent for cutting and a generous crop may be expected. The colors include white, yellow, lavender, blue and purple. The plants are fairly hardy although they require some protection if planted in a windy spot. Plant in the open sun or semi-shade with the bulbs. 3 inches deep and 3 inches apart. Average garden soil will suffice and the bulbs should not be disturbed until the plants become so thick that the clumps need dividing.