THE WELL-CONSIDERED GARDEN 



"Bulbous plants are the 'Timmies' of the vege- 

 table kingdom. When they have retired into 

 their shells, they can be sent about so readily and 

 so safely that if they lived to about ten times 

 the age of Methuselah, I should not be surprised 

 to find that, if it is really true what botanists 

 tell about dispersion and propagation being the 

 two things that plants worry themselves most 

 about, then all well-brought-up plantlets would 

 be taught, just as we teach the 'three R's' to-day, 

 how to take on a bulbous state as an essential 

 part of their life cycle." 



With Mr. Jacob's whimsical wish I heartily 

 agree, more particularly as I recall the few choice 

 aubrietias by post from Ireland, the glories in 

 delphinium from England in the same manner, all 

 of which, when opened, were found to be exhausted 

 by their journey. 



Now, before rushing toward — before leaping 

 to our main flower, the crocus, may I pay a word 

 of tribute to the tribe of muscari, the grape hya- 

 cinth.^ While these small bits of perfection in 

 flowers, in blue flowers — yes, a true blue in some 

 forms — are wonderful in color, they must, in my 

 experience, be packed closely together in planting 

 for any really good effect. While several flowers 

 92 



