My Garden in Spring 



The small spawnlike corms are but feebly attached to 

 the large central one, and fall off so easily that it is hard 

 to lift the colony intact, and once off they are hard to 

 collect, many of them being about the same size and dingy 

 colour as the pupal cocoons of the common black ant, 

 known as ants' eggs to bird-fanciers and gamekeepers. 

 These soon get dispersed in the dry soil, and apparently 

 every one grows into a fair-sized corm with babes of its 

 own before next lifting-time. In the open border they are 

 rather more delicate, and require a very warm, well- 

 drained corner and frequent lifting. They are worth 

 some trouble, for the sturdy little flowers are prettily 

 shaded with plum-purples and deep blues, and last fresh 

 and fair for several days, but they open so close to the 

 ground that they are not suitable for picking, though a 

 patch of a dozen or so is worth looking at in the rock 

 garden at that flowerless time of year. The typical form 

 of /. histrioides varies a good deal in size and in period of 

 flowering, so that a clump of it, unless formed of off- 

 sets from one form, will send up a flower or two at a 

 time for some weeks. In its best forms it is very lovely, 

 and surprisingly large and blue to be smiling at one from 

 the surface of the cold, wet soil so early in the year. 



The best form I have came from Messrs. Van Tubergen, 

 who seem to have been fortunate in receiving this superior 

 variety from their collector, for they allow it to appear in 

 their list without any additional varietal name, but I have 

 seen it labelled "var. major" when shown by others. 



It is not only larger than the old form, but also earlier 

 and of a better substance, and as 45. will purchase 

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