THE TREATMENT OF BULBS 193 



in regiments; and when they were out of flower they 

 were taken up to make room for other plants. This 

 treatment took no heed of their individual beauty of 

 form. Each plant was considered only as contribut- 

 ing to a great mass of colour, and certainly these 

 masses of colour were very splendid. But a great 

 part of the beauty of a Tulip consists in its form, in 

 the shape of its flower, the manner in which it carries 

 its flower, and the contrast between the shape and 

 carriage of the flower and the shape and carriage of 

 the leaves. All this beauty was lost when Tulips 

 were arranged in regiments. But, on the other hand, 

 it must be admitted that a single Tulip is too small 

 and too simple in its form to produce much effect 

 in any arrangement of flowers; and this is true also 

 of most bulbous plants; besides this, their flowering 

 period is usually short. Therefore, if we are to make 

 the best possible use of their beauty, we must arrange 

 them so that a great part of that beauty may not be 

 lost in a blaze of colour, but also so that it may not 

 be frittered away by too scattered planting. The 

 best way to do this is to combine them with plants 

 of a very different habit of growth and character of 

 flowers; and of such combinations there is an infinite 

 variety. We have spoken of the difference in the 

 beauty of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. 

 That difference is a fortunate fact in Nature, by 

 means of which she produces some of her most ex- 

 quisite contrasts; and it is the gardener's business 

 to observe such contrasts and to base his own ar- 



