335 

 THE LADIES' GARDEN.— No. X. 



BY J. C CLARKE. 

 Head Gardener at Cothelston House, Taunton. 



BULBS EOE THE DECORATION OE THE ELOWER GARDEN IN" 

 THE SPRING. 



A.BDY flowering Bulbs for the decoration of the Ladies' 

 Garden in spring ought to constitute an important 

 feature, for without them no garden can be complete if 

 the owner aims at anything like a succession of flowers 

 throughout the year. I have before briefly referred to 

 their use for that purpose, but I am quite sure neither my time nor 

 the space this article will occupy will be unprofitably bestowed if I 

 detail a proper system for the use of bulbs in the beds and borders. 

 In the first place, they are not expensive subjects to buy ; and in the 

 second they are, of all the hardy subjects we use, the most easy to 

 manage. 



I will deal with the Hyacinths first, and tell my readers how I 

 manage to get good flowering bulbs of my own growth after one 

 season's rest. This is accomplished by removing them from where 

 they have flowered to make room for the bedding plants at the right 

 season. My original stock for spring bedding cost four shillings per 

 dozen (the colours of those at a cheaper rate I found so indistinct 

 that I would not give them room). They were planted in November 

 and removed again in the middle of the following May. It is 

 necessary to remove them with as many roots as possible. This is 

 how I proceed. I secure a piece of green fresh-cut turf; this I cut 

 up into pieces two inches square and as much in thickness. This 

 piece of turf I place, grass side downwards, six inches under the soil ; 

 in fact, just under the base of the bulb. The bulbs are always 

 planted four inches deep, so that directly they make roots they 

 penetrate the turf beneath. When the bulb is taken up again, after 

 flowering, a great portion of the roots are prisoners intact, because 

 the pieces of turf are carefully taken up with them, and planted 

 again in a shady border. Bulbs of hyacinths so treated will even 

 flower respectably the ensuing season, but by cutting away the 

 flower-spike as soon as it is large enough to get hold of, and allow- 

 ing the bulbs to have another year's growth in rich soil, they come 

 out in a fine healthy condition for flowering the next year. All that 

 our readers have to do is to secure a second stock and treat them as 

 I have just advised, and when any sound offsets appear, take them 

 off and plant in any good soil in the garden, and they will not only 

 keep up the stock, but in a couple of years from the time of planting 

 make good flowering roots. I take all my stock out of the ground 

 early in July, and lay them aside in a dry airy loft until the follow- 

 ing November, which is early enough for planting unless a very early 

 bloom is required. 



