IN MY LADY'S GARDEN 



for they prefer a dry atmosphere, and will stand a certain 

 amount of cold if kept out of the way of winter damp. 



Chrysanthemums, on the other hand, last longer and are 

 less subject to the attacks of green-fly in a cool place (the 

 later varieties being only just over), but they must have 

 plenty of air and sunshine, or mildew may injure the blooms. 

 These are plants which can be grown best on hardy lines ; 

 cuttings rooted without fire heat are more sturdy than others, 

 and the young plants can be hardened off and grown entirely 

 in the open air from April till October, after which time 

 they will only need a glass roof over them to do well. 



Before the last of these bright blossoms fades, the early 

 bulbs of many kinds should be open ; Roman hyacinths, 

 Van Thol tulips, narcissus in variety, the sky-blue Scilla 

 sibirica, snowdrops, and golden crocuses being amongst the 

 first to appear, with the exquisite blossoms of the early irises, 

 alata, persica, Bakeriana, and reticulata, which are quickly 

 followed by Italian hyacinths and others, tulips in many 

 brilliant tints, and these by such irises as bucharica and 

 sindjarensis, with the new hybrid between this variety and 

 I. persica, named I. sindpers. 



These bulbs look best when allowed to peep out between 

 the fronds of ferns, and a collection of hardy ferns will be 

 found useful in grouping most pot plants ; but the more 

 delicate maidenhairs (adiantums) must not be relied upon 

 for this work in a cool house, though there are plenty of 

 other ferns which will do well. 



Pteris tremula (always one of the most useful of our ferns) 

 is hardy enough to stand a little frost, and very light and 

 decorative in effect ; Onychium japonicum with finely-cut 

 shining fronds of great beauty is equally robust ; Adiantum 

 pedatum, the Canadian maidenhair, thinks nothing of our 

 cold after that of Canada ; Cyrtomium Fortunei is very 

 distinct and handsome, also hardy, though coming from 

 Japan ; and the fine woodwardias from the South of Europe 

 (W. radicans) and from North America (W. americana) 

 make magnificent basket plants, with fronds which reach the 

 length of 5 feet. Both are hardy enough to grow in the 



34 



