INTRODUCTION. xxiii 



reside the year round at their country seats, and to the 

 very large classes of owners of suburban villas, amateurs 

 generally, and cottagers, this alternate feast and famine 

 of Flora, consequent on the too exclusive culture of sum- 

 mer-flowering plants, is becoming unendurable. A very 

 large number of brilliant spring - flowering perennial 

 plants of the simplest cultural requirements are capable 

 of being used for garden embellishment in the same way 

 as that which is fashionable in the summer flower-garden, 

 or in mixed fashion. In a few places in the country, by 

 a skilful use of spring-flowering perennial plants and 

 annuals, that comparatively recent style of flower-garden- 

 ing called " spring massing " has been introduced with 

 the best results; and there is no doubt but that, on some 

 scale suited to the requirements of individual cases, the 

 reintroduction of the beautiful flowers of spring into our 

 gardens would be a boon to all. The wonder is that 

 they have not been called back long ago. In most 

 gardens we are accustomed to see a few Snowdrops, 

 Crocuses, and it may be a few Winter Aconites, but they 

 are generally few and solitary enough, reminding us 

 of the desirability of flowers in spring of all seasons of 

 the year, and making us yearn for summer when their 

 abundance is greater and less enjoyable. The beds and 

 borders of the smaller gardens should be filled with at 

 least all the spring-flowering bulbs in an orderly way, 

 whatever may be the nature of their summer occupants; 

 and there are many fibrous-rooted perennials which may 

 be used in conjunction with these as temporary orna- 

 ments, such as Primroses, Daisies, Ajuga, Iberis, and 

 others included and described in this work, which will 

 bear frequent removals without injury, and may there- 



