My Garden in Spring 



counterpane, tucking them snugly in bed. In the first 

 stretch I planted we mixed up three forms, purpureus 

 grandijlorusj Mme. Mina, and Mont-blanc, stirring them well 

 together, but in a later planting we did a stretch with one 

 colour, and then began mixing in another form, about one 

 of the new to four of the old, and gradually increased the 

 percentage of the new until we had used up our stock of the 

 old, and the line became all of one sort again. This has 

 a very good effect, and if colours that blend prettily are 

 chosen is the better plan to follow. 



Now back to the Yellows. Among them are some very 

 dainty gems, suitable for the rock garden. C. ancyrensis has 

 several good points; it is inexpensive, early, seeds freely, and 

 sows itself, and it has such a rough netted jacket that it is 

 avoided by mice (has been so far, I must write, or perhaps 

 to-morrow I shall find holes, empty corm tunics and room 

 for repentance). That does seem to be a fact, though : 

 they will dig out certain species with soft jackets, especially 

 Salzmannii and Tournefortei, and finish off a whole clump if 

 not trapped first, but they leave Sieberi, susianus, and such 

 reticulated armoured kinds alone. I suppose it would be 

 rather like having the tennis-net entangled in our front 

 teeth to chew such tunics. C. Korolkowii, especially Van 

 Tubergen's large forms from Bokhara, are good for a warm 

 nook, and often commence flowering in the old year. They 

 are mostly of a glistening clear yellow, like that of a Lesser 

 Celandine, and have deep bronze and purple frecklings on 

 the outside. They make the largest corms of any Crocus 

 I know, and when first sent from Bokhara were planted 

 for a Gladiolus species. The older form of Korolkowii from 

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