EARLY BULBS 



on or descriptions of these flowers, I offer no apol- 

 ogy for quoting from him, as I mention the flowers 

 of which he knows so much, through years of col- 

 lecting, growing, and study. 



Now, in spite of my aversion to the large yel- 

 low florists' crocus, I do like Crocus susianus, 

 which is one of the bright-yellows before mentioned 

 (Color chart. Cadmium yellow. No. 1) . But Crocus 

 susianus, blooming as early as April 9, planted 

 very thickly, gave in my border the interesting 

 impression of a large-flowering yellow Phlox suhu- 

 lata — practically no green leaf visible below the 

 masses of bloom. Five to seven flowers appear 

 in small, tight bunches from one bulb; and back 

 of and among this flowering mass of yellow I had 

 colonies of the white crocus Mont Blanc. Let 

 me commend this very simple and unstudied ar- 

 rangement. C. susianus is much dwarfer than 

 Mont Blanc, therefore have it mainly to the 

 front. 



Crocus Sieberi I call a warm pinkish-lavender 

 (Color chart, Violet mauve, No. 1). Six to eight 

 flowers come from a bulb, and the bright-orange 

 stigmata within give a glowing centre to the little 

 flower. This is very small and low. Mr. Bowles 

 calls it a "crocus for everj^ garden" and adds that 

 97 



