4 VARIETY IN THE LITTLE GARDEN 



The common variety of the snowdrop is called Galanthus 

 nivalis. A far finer one, to my thinking, is G. elwesii — taller and 

 for that reason more easily gathered, and more efiFective in the 

 border. One cannot imagine a stiff planting of snowdrops, ex- 

 cept perhaps in the hands of a child, who naturally sets things 

 out in lines or squares. The two great points in setting these 

 things in the October earth are to plant in loose groups for an 

 easy effect, and in far comers if possible, for once sown, they 

 should never be touched. If they are not, the chances are that 

 they will increase fairly fast and grow according to one's hopes 

 by spreading in their own inimitable way. 



The Puschkinia is another of these delicious little early things. 

 Its nodding flower is held on a stem about four inches high, and 

 is striped, bluish and white. On our ground it is fair to see, for 

 it has spread itself about from the first sowing till long reaches of 

 it now appear imder lilacs, and the interesting thing is to see the 

 amount of fine grass-like leaves among the newer blooming 

 bulbs. All these leaves give promise of flowers within a year or 

 two. In fact, when the blue- white mist of Puschkinia lies around 

 a little semicircular brick platform, — used as a sitting-place 

 just at one side of the garden, — runs off through pale yellow 

 tulips, and rises through the handsome leaves of Euonymus 

 skirting the curve of brick, I think this one of spring's most 

 endearing moments. 



Puschkinias, however, bloom after crocus, and in the crocus 

 we have a whole boxful of colors with which to paint the surface 

 of our bit of ground in April. There are pinks, mauves, violets, 

 lavenders, and rich waxen whites; there are stripes and flakes of 

 color upon white; there are tall and short flowers, slim or round- 

 ing flowers, and when grown among myrtle, as now many of 

 ours are, they sometimes rise for air and light to a height of eight 

 or nine inches in the border. Let me give here the names, first of 



