IN MY LADY'S GARDEN 



South Africa, giving them no fire heat in winter, but 

 merely protection from the frost. 



Freesias, for blooming at Christmas I should now be taken 

 in hand. The corms (which have been standing in their 

 pots of last season close under the glass roof of the vinery) 

 should now be shaken out and sorted, choosing the largest 

 of them for pot work, and planting the many smaller corms 

 formed around those which are of flowering size in a well- 

 drained box about 8 inches deep, for use the following year. 



Narcissi in variety may be chosen, for we can never have 

 too many daffodils. Besides the polyanthus narcissi, which are 

 so fragrant and delightful in the middle of winter in bowls, 2 

 there is the wild garden to consider, where great yellow 

 daffodils should " bring sunshine into a shady place." There 

 are the window boxes, too, and the borders, all of which 

 will be the brighter for these lovely flowers. The Poet's 

 Narcissus in one of the sweetest, and this has of late years 

 been reinforced by various hybrids, Elvira being the name 

 of one of the best of these a hybrid between a polyanthus 

 narcissus and N. Poeticus, with many flowers on each stem. 



Chionodora Lucillas, in sky-blue with a silver star in the 

 centre, is a fascinating flower too. This bulb is an excellent 

 one to naturalise in the grass, for it produces seed in abund- 

 ance (as do some of the daffodils), and so propagates itself 

 when once planted. 



The finer varieties of the self- tinted crocus (in deep 

 violet, pure white, golden yellow) and various striped 

 blossoms should decorate the garden very early in the year. 

 These bulbs, too, multiply themselves quickly in the soil, 

 when they are left undisturbed, and can be grown as edgings 

 to the borders with good effect, leaving spaces between 

 each group of bulbs for summer flowers, which will obviate 

 the need to disturb the crocus bulbs at that time. 



Many irises (especially those for winter flowering, such 



as I. alata, I. persica, I. histrio, &c.) can now be potted, or 



planted, keeping the roots almost dry until growth appears. 



A cold frame is the best place for these plants, whilst later- 



1 See p. 50. 2 See p. 43. 



276 



