INTRODUCTORY 5 



the different seasons. Bulbous plants, like most others, 

 look better in groups than scattered singly in lines, and 

 it is wiser, as a rule, to plant a clump of one kind than 

 a mixed mass. One exception, at least, is in the 

 Montbretias, which, when mixed, look even prettier 

 than in separate groups of one shade. Colour arrange- 

 ment is always a troublesome question in planting these 

 flowers, and there is more satisfaction, if harmony instead 

 of sharp contrast is aimed at, by arranging, say, different 

 shades of yellow together, than in working to secure 

 strong contrasting effects. Such a contrast as the white 

 Galtonia candicans and Gladiolus brenchleyensis is 

 striking at the time, but it is not one on which the eye 

 would love to dwell from day to day and from hour to 

 hour. 



BULBS FOR CUTTING 



These plants afford an almost endless choice for 

 cutting purposes, although some cannot be cut of great 

 length of stem without destroying the strength of the 

 bulb for another year. The flowers are generally best 

 when cut before quite open, and such flowers will 

 usually open perfectly in water, and will last much 

 longer than if pulled when fully expanded. Where 

 many flowers are used, it is better to grow a stock in 

 the reserve garden or in an out-of-the-way border, to 

 avoid destroying the beauty of the more conspicuous 

 parts of the garden. 



PROPAGATING BULBS 



The greater number of bulbs are propagated by 

 offsets, produced from the old bulbs, and which are best 

 removed when the foliage has died down. Named 

 Hyacinths are increased by cutting across the base of 



