Spanish bulbs of Gladiolus or Hyacmthus Candicans, and the sketch shows 



Iris and I. how well this plan succeeds; or in the autumn Spanish Iris can 



Ochroleuca be dibbled in, and will flower till the end of June or beginning 



of July, the orchid-like flowers just topping the leaves of Iris 



Germanica when its own flowers have died away. This is 



rather an extravagant plan, as the Spanish Iris will be stifled by 



the others in time, but, as they are so cheap, it is well worth while 



using them as annuals. In our Iris border I find the most effective 



are : 



Darling . . .) ^ , , 



AI j TLT L u \ -Deep blue. 



Alexander von riumboldt) 



Midley .... Light blue. 



Louise .... Lavender and white. 



Blanche superbe . . White. 



But there are numbers of sorts, and all are pretty. The finest 

 of all, but considerably more expensive, \sjilif olia^ a large deep 

 blue with white markings. All of them flower at an invaluable 

 moment, when spring bulbs are over and there are weak places 

 in borders where annuals are to flower presently. I grow them 

 down such a border in clumps below a hedge of Penzance Sweet 

 Briars, which are glorious at the same time with every shade 

 of pink. The Irises have no objection to a carpeting plant being 

 grown over them such as Arenaria montana or Pinks. 



Before these Spanish Irises come Iris sibirica, and directly 

 after, Iris ochroleuca^ with flowers held four or five feet high of 

 narrow white and yellow petals and handsome leaves almost as 

 tall. These look magnificent grouped with Delphiniums against 

 the feathery masses of Crambc Cordijolia^ which grows nine feet 

 high. Gigantea is a handsomer form of /. ochroleuca or orientalis, 



136 



