My Garden in Spring 



is another broad-leaved Snowdrop, G. Ikariae from the 

 Island of Nikara, which is a much better thing, and 

 valuable as being one of the latest to flower. Its broad, 

 glossy leaves look as though they belong to some species 

 of Scilla, but are charming in the way they curve outwards 

 and set off the large flowers, which are of a very pure 

 white, and have a particularly effective, large green spot on 

 the inner segments. In one part of the garden it is sowing 

 itself freely, and I hope for great things from these babes in 

 years to come. I think it likes a warmer situation than 

 most other Snowdrops, except perhaps G. Imperati, for both 

 of these do best under a south wall or in a very sunny spot. 

 I have never seen more than one variety of it, that is 

 an early flowering seedling with deeper coloured leaves 

 that appeared under the celebrated south wall at Bitton. 

 A bulb, kindly given to me by Canon Ellacombe, has re- 

 tained its character here, and is always over before the 

 true Ikariae is out. By the side of this in the rock garden 

 I grow another beautiful seedling given me by Mr. Elwes, 

 who found it among a group of G. Elwesii at Colesborne. 

 I call it Colesborne Seedling, and believe it must be a 

 hybrid between Elwesii and caucasicus, as it has the inner 

 segments marked with the second green spot of the former 

 but has the leaves of the latter. The flowers are very 

 large and of a fine globose form, but it has too short 

 a stem to lift them up sufficiently, otherwise I should rank 

 it among the most beautiful of all. I suppose I must not 

 linger much longer over my beloved Snowdrops, nor 

 mention all the forms I grow, but must say a word 

 in praise of a few more. One of these is G. nivalis 

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