S. C. 



ioo THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



though useful, are not nearly so valuable for their effect as the late 

 tulips. The new species coming from Central Asia and other lands 

 promise to be very valuable, too, for their effect, though our climate 

 may not suit all of them, as it does the fine hardy Gesneriana. The 

 colour of these tulips is too fine to be missed, and, as the bloom is too 

 short-lived to give beds under the windows to it, the best way is to 

 plant them in borders, and, when scarce, in the nursery ; when plenti- 

 ful in the wild garden. I put some in new hedgerow banks a few 

 years ago, and also the wood tulip in a meadow regularly mown, and 

 now have a splendid bloom every spring. As wild tulips abound in 

 the south of Europe travellers might often get many roots which 

 could be tried in this and other ways. Some of the bedding tulips 

 have very ugly slaty colours, and there is much waste in planting 

 them. The Dutch bulb raisers care more for variety than beauty of 

 colour, but the aim in our gardens should be to get more of the fine 

 simple colours, and the wild kinds planted so far as we may in effective 

 ways; a few trials in that way will show that it is a much more effective 

 one than setting out the plants in tile or other patterns. The later 

 these wild tulips come into bloom the better, as it brings their 

 nobler colour in when the harsh changes of the spring are nearly 

 over, and in the north they will come in with the early summer days. 

 These ideas of the more picturesque planting of the hardier Tulips 

 need not take from the lover of the old florist kinds his Tulip garden, 

 which was very charming with its long beds of good soil, and at its 

 best in some sheltered hedged in or walled garden. 



CROCUS. If the Crocus has any fault it is courage in coming so 

 early that it has to face every trouble of the spring, and green winters 

 induce it to open too early. Yet what promise it brings us of the 

 many-blossomed spring in border and in lawn ; for, in addition to the 

 old and good way in garden borders, the Crocus, at least all the forms 

 and series and the hardy and vigorous European kinds, is easily 

 naturalised in lawns or meadow turf, and others even under Beech trees 

 as in Crowsley Park. As regards this question, it should be remem- 

 bered that the Crocus is wild in rich meadow grass in various parts of 

 England, at Nottingham and in Essex. The autumnal kinds may be 

 naturalised too, but they ask perhaps for a warmer soil than the vernal 

 kinds. Recent years have brought us many new Crocuses. The effect 

 of the old kinds is not surpassed, but their beauty may be more fully 

 shown than in lines and dots by scattering them in natural-looking 

 groups in grassy places among trees or in the open turf. 



SNOWDROP AND SNOWFLAKE. The old Snowdrop gives as good 

 an effect as any other, but the many new varieties give the Snowdrop 

 more value. Whether these new forms are species or varieties matters 

 little ; their value as garden plants is the only question that concerns 



