484 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



BEAUTIFUL BULBOUS FLOWERS 



BY ELMER E. SUMMEV, 



liOMPARED with the almost universal 

 use of our ordinary flowering plants 

 it is remarkable that the bulbous 

 class should be so little appreciated. 

 It is true that there is a constantly growings 

 interest manifest, but this is not so g-reat as 

 the merit of this class deserves. 



I wish to incite the reader to a greater 

 degree of familiarity with these worthy 

 plants. With them, the season of flowers 

 may be extended from the first warm days 

 of spring to the sharp frosts of autumn. 

 The earlier flowers, modest though they 

 are, from their welcome contrast to the win- 

 ter's bareness, are more enjoyable than 

 many of the gorgeous blooms of summer, 

 when all nature is clothed in beautiful ar- 

 ray. 



Even now is none too early to begin the 

 consideration of which to use, and the ef- 

 fects for which to aim. The bed should be 

 designed and prepared in readiness for 

 planting, by the last of September, or the 

 first week of October at the latest. Where 

 the Easter Lily {Lilium Candidum), are 

 used, eff"orts should be made to get them 

 planted during August. 



With these bulbous flowers as with nearly 

 everything else, the greater the care and 

 preparation bestowed upon thtf soil in which 

 they are to grow, the more satisfactory will 

 be the return, alihough it is also true that 

 many bulbs will do fairly well in the most 

 neglected of situations. 



With the combination of taste and ingen- 

 uity many pleasing eff'ects may be produced 

 by the use of the various brilliant hues, and 

 taking advantage of the diff"erence in habit 

 of growth of the many desirable forms. 

 Where one has grounds of sufficient extent, 

 a good sized bed could be devoted solely to 

 bulbous subjects, as a proper selection 



would produce flowers almost continuously 

 throughout the season. Such a bed should 

 be arranged to present at diff"erent seasons 

 certain particular effects ; for instance, with 

 the first signs of spring, the bed should ap- 

 pear as though wholly planted to crocuses 

 in their various colors, together with snow- 

 drops. The first should be planted in fancy 

 outline designs all over the bed, the latter 

 being used in several places for filling in the 

 design. 





'S3?5Vr5r$94^i, 



Fig. 1952. Plan for Lily Bed. 



The crocuses begin to bloom in March 

 and April if the season is forward, and 

 continue until the Hyacinth come to the 

 front. The colors are white, blue, striped 

 and yellow, and present a gay appearance. 

 The bulbs should be planted about two 

 inches deep and about four inches apart, 

 when a thick line of foliage and flowers will 

 be formed. 



The Snowdrop {Galanthus) are delightful 

 pure white flowers, both double and single, 

 which are frequently in bloom before the 

 snow is gone. Plant the bulbs about three 

 inches deep and about the same distance 

 apart, in clumps a foot or more across. 

 Every three years they should be taken up 

 and replanted. 



After these earliest flowers are nearlv 



