Wi.jn the striped green petals are closely shut it is hardly March. 

 noticeable, but in the sun each stem bears eight or nine white Chionodoxa 

 satin-like flowers. Nutans is taller, ten or twelve inches in an( j Scilla 

 height, with the flowers arranged up the stem forming a 

 handsome spike. In a light soil it increases very fast and somer 

 times becomes a troublesome weed. 



Another flower which gives us great delight in March is 

 Chionodoxa Lucilitz. Here it takes time to establish itself and 

 then sends up spikes 8 in. high, bearing ten or so most 

 exquisite sky-blue flowers with a pointed white centre to each. 

 A few dozen scattered about a rockery give no idea of its beauty, 

 there should be at least a large group of them. No great 

 preparation is needed when planting, a little leaf mould and 

 sand will content them, and 35. will buy a hundred but will 

 probably not satisfy the purchaser. Chionodoxa Sardensis is a 

 little earlier and a little bluer, but the flowers do not form such 

 a pretty spray. Scilla Siberica is in the same border, but 

 they ought not to be very close together; the two blues a 

 little spoil each other's beauty, and Siberica is dwarfed by 

 its taller neighbour. I feel that all these early blue flowers 

 are helped very much in effect by the addition of some 

 cream-white, such as Hyacinths, white Polyanthus, and the 

 double white Primroses. They are low-growing and not 

 seen to the best advantage against their mother earth : very 

 little green is out except that of the Welsh Poppy, which is a 

 good neighbour to any early bulbs low while they are in flower 

 and growing tall enough later to cover the faded remains with 

 its yellow flowers. 



Two of the sweetest scented plants of the year belong to 

 this month -Daphne Mezereum and the Violet. The Daphne, 



27 



