188 CALIFORNIA GARDEN FLOWERS 



be mentioned later, is desirable toward that end. Depth of planting 

 bulbs, as related to the character of the soil, is analogous to that dis- 

 cussed for seeds on page 58. An arbitrary rule often cited is that the 

 depth below the surface should be twice the greater diameter of the 

 bulb that is, measured vertically if it is a tall bulb, like a narcissus; 

 or measured horizontally, if it is a flat bulb or corm, like a gladiolus. 

 If one must have a rule, perhaps this is as good as any for a well- 

 made garden soil, as discussed in Chapter III, but the depth should be 

 greater on light, sandy soils and less on heavy soils, likely to be cold 

 and wet and so reasoning becomes indispensable. In determining the 

 depth of planting, distance should be measured from the top of the 

 bulb to the ground surface, and not from the base of the bulb. 



Garden-Places for Bulbs. Although scattered clusters of bulbs 

 can be effectively used in borders of mixed flowers or put in singly 

 here and there is you like, the most rational way is to grow them in 

 beds or borders by themselves so that you can arrange for their rest 

 or activity without compromising with other growths in some way. 

 Of course you can make a great front-lawn display with bulbs in suc- 

 cession or you can transplant other plants to take the places of bulbs 

 as they mature and to conceal their decrepitude when they are neces- 

 sarily in the sere and yellow leaf, but unless you have an unusual 

 amount of leisure you will have to hire a gardener, and that throws 

 you out of our class of working amateurs. 



Our choice is to locate the bulb-areas in the rear yard or at the 

 side and not to rely upon them to please the passer on the highway, 

 except as he may catch vistas of them between and beneath the trees 

 although we have had very good success with them along the sec- 

 ondary walks through the fruit trees, just back of the violet edgings. 

 In this way they stray into and out of sight from the street and do 

 not flash boldly into view. 



In their own areas we prefer to grow bulbs in straight rows not 

 less than a foot and a half between the rows, so that one can freely 

 hoe up and down the rows; or in curves, if you like, providing good 

 hoeing space is given. It is a mistake to put them in fantastic figures 

 or to jumble them up and thus make cultivation always dangerous, if 

 not impossible. In the well separated rows, the bulbs should not be 

 set too thickly. The dealers usually give wide range in their sug- 

 gestions as, for instance, "from six to twelve inches apart." We 

 always take the greater distance when a range is given. The seeds- 

 man cannot be blamed for trying to help the amateur, who has small 

 space to get in as many dozen bulbs as possible. So many bulbs 

 should be left undisturbed for several years, and they show their joy 

 of it by making such a large clump, that it is a mistake to set them 

 too thickly at the beginning. 



