52 EVERSLEY GARDENS 



in a cold frame or under a north wall, and well 

 covered in ashes or coconut fibre, can be 

 brought into the house to develop when well 

 rooted. But the growth of all these is slow as 

 compared with that of bulbs planted in peat 

 fibre, and grown in glazed pots, bowls, or 

 vases, without drainage. The rapidity with 

 which they bloom is astonishing. There is no 

 mess of overflowing saucers no heavy pots to 

 mark finely polished furniture, no sour smell 

 of damp earth. And by planting them in 

 succession, the house, as I say, is gay with 

 lovely flowers from November till spring. 

 Especially do the delicate and charming early 

 white Roman Hyacinths lend themselves to 

 this treatment. My plantings of them and 

 other bulbs begin in the end of September and 

 beginning of October. This ensures a supply 

 of the Hyacinths from early November. 



Any china or pottery bowl may be used, no 

 matter how precious, for the fibre does not 

 stain it. A lump of charcoal the size of a 

 walnut is placed at the bottom, and the bowl 

 filled three parts full with fine peat fibre and 



