House on Garden Tour Decorated with a Victorian Era Vine

Recently I visited the gardens on a tour in Newburyport, Mass. sponsored by the Historical Society of Old Newbury.

One of my favorite gardens featured the vine called Dutchman’s pipe climbing up a porch railing.  This is the vine with big leaves that provides plenty of shade where it is needed.

Dutchman’s pipe was popular in the nineteenth century Victorian era as a vine suitable for any home in America.

New Jersey seedsman Peter Henderson, in his book Gardening for Pleasure, written in 1875, said, “Climbers are indispensable”. He listed this vine under the category “Hardy Vines.”

Years ago I remember we had a Dutchman’s pipe vine on the side of the house, and I will not forget the size of the leaves. They were enormous.

The house on this tour last week was a Victorian. The owners certainly chose well in selecting this vine to represent a plant variety popular for that period of  American gardening.

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