CHAPTER IX 



HARDY BULBS 



Liliums Liliums in Pots Malvastrum Merenderas 

 Millas Narcissi Narcissi in Pots 



LILIUMS 



THE Lily is the noblest of bulbous plants, and it is to 

 be regretted that its cultivation often presents insuperable 

 difficulties in many gardens. There are a few species 

 which can be grown almost anywhere, it is true, but 

 the greater number require special conditions of soil 

 or climate. As this noble plant may form the subject 

 of a separate work in this series, I shall only give a 

 brief summary of the leading species and their require- 

 ments for the benefit of the general reader. 



The easiest to grow in the garden are those which are 

 satisfied with ordinary, well-dug soil, with the addition 

 of some leaf-soil, if it is heavy, or some loam, if light. 

 This class comprises the favourite candidum, the Madonna 

 Lily, of which there are several varieties, such as one 

 with a golden margin to the leaves ; spicatum, also 

 known as flore pleno, which has partly double flowers ; 

 and striatum, with flowers streaked purple outside. 

 There are also chalcedonicum, with scarlet " Turk's- 

 cap " flowers and its variety Heldreichii ; the dark-hued 

 hybrid dalhansoni ; bulbiferum ; the pretty concolor, 

 with its forms Coridion and pulchellum ; the brilliant 

 croceum ; dauricum, known as umbellatum in some 

 gardens ; the pretty elegans (syn. thunbergianum) ; the 



54 



