CHAPTER XX. 



A FEW BULBOUS PLAKTS. 



No garden should be without a bed of bulbs. Beginning 

 so early in the season,— weeks and weeks before the blooni' 

 ing period of the earliest annuals,— their brilliant and beau- 

 tiful flowers are enjoyed more than those of summer. 



jE. E. liexford. 



Nothing can exceed the brilliancy and variety of color 

 displayed by their flowers, and nothing can be more simple 

 than their culture. Mrs. Loudon. 



Along with the herbaceous perennuils naturally 

 come the hardy and lialf-liardy bulbous plants. They 

 have in general the same requirements and the same 

 capabilities as the herbaceous perennials. Many of them 

 will live untended in the open border quite without pro- 

 tection, and thrive niid blossom year after year. Some 

 require winter protection, but all of those named here 

 will last without replantiug for several or many years. 



It is to be noted that few or none of these plants 

 are desirable for their foliage. They are all grown for 

 the brilliancy of their blossoms. This requires that 

 they be judiciously set to show against shrubs or such 

 other foliage-covered plants as shall give them a suitable 

 background. This is seldom taken into consideration. 

 Lilies, gladioli and irises are almost always planted by 

 themselves. They are left without support. They look 

 lost and out of place. Anyone can see, as soon as it is 

 mentioned, how much better they would look comfort- 

 ably grouped with other plants. 



The following list includes the best bulbous plants, 

 with a few which do not grow from the bulbs, but 

 which, in view of the use we make of them, may be 

 best understood just here. 



136 



