SPRING GARDENS. I0 g 



plant. The larger Snowflakes are more free in ordinary soils, 

 and easily naturalised in river bank soil. The Crocus, the most 

 brilliant of spring flowers, does not always lend itself to growing 

 naturally in every soil, but on some it is quite at home, especially 

 those of a chalky nature, and will naturalise itself under trees, 

 while in many garden soils it is delightful for edgings and in 

 many ways. 



To the Scilla we owe much, from the wild plants of our woods to 

 the vivid Siberian kind ; some kinds are essential in the garden, and 

 some, like the Spanish Scilla (S. Campanulata), may be naturalised in 

 free soils. Allies of these lovely early flowers have come of recent 

 years to our gardens the beautiful Chionodoxa from Asia Minor, of 

 about the same stature and effect as the prettiest of the Scillas, and 

 some of them even more precious for colour. These are among the 

 plants which may be planted with best results in bold groups on the 

 surface of beds planted with permanent flowers, such as Roses where 

 Rose beds are not surfaced with manure, as all Rose-growers unwisely 

 advise. 



In warm soils some of the more beautiful of the flowers of spring 

 are the early Irises, but in gardens generally the most beautiful of 

 Irises come in late spring with the German Iris, 

 Iris, Narcissus, which is so free and hardy throughout our 

 and Tulip. country. Orchid-houses themselves cannot give 

 any such array as these when in bloom, and they 

 are often deserving of a little garden to themselves, where there is 

 room for it, while they are useful in many ways in borders and 

 as groups. About the same time come the precious Spanish Iris 

 in many colours, lovely as Orchids, and very easily grown, and 

 the English Iris. The Grape Hyacinths are pretty and early 

 plants of Southern Europe, beautiful in colour. They increase 

 rapidly, and some kinds do very well in the grass in free and 

 peaty soils, but the rarer ones are best on warm borders and 

 groups in the rock garden. The Narcissus is worth growing in 

 every way, the rarer kinds in prepared borders or beds and the 

 many that are plentiful in almost any cool soil in the grass. In our 

 country, where there are so many cool and rich soils allowing of the 

 Narcissus being naturalised and grown admirably in many ways, 

 it is, perhaps, on the whole, the most precious of all our spring 

 flowers. But the Tulip is the most gorgeous in colour of all the 

 flowers of spring, and for its effectiveness is better worthy of special 

 culture than most ; indeed, the florists' kinds and the various rare 

 garden Tulips must be well grown to show their full size and 

 beauty. 



Paeonies are nobly effective in many ways. Where single or 



