THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



MUSCARI. 



669 



gradually hardened, the leaves are tied 

 up, the plants are lifted with as good 

 balls as possible, and placed in their 

 summer quarters. M. Ensete is the kind 

 generally used in the open air, and in form 

 is one of the noblest plants. Any one 

 with a warm house may grow it, and when 

 planted out in June, in deep, warm, rich 

 soil, and a sheltered position, it will grow 

 well during summer ; such, at least, is 

 our experience in London and the home 

 counties, but such tender plants must 

 ever have a limited use in our country. 

 M. Basjoo, a graceful Japanese species 

 that has some pretensions to hardi- 

 ness, has been tried as a plant for the 

 open, but it is not hardy enough for our 



and its beauty is enhanced by its flower- 

 ing when most other kinds have finished 

 doing so. Its flower-stems are 8 in. high, 

 and are terminated by dense racemes 3 

 to 4 in. long, of bright dark blue flowers, 

 with small whitish teeth. The foliage is 

 much the same as the ordinary M. race- 

 mosum. Another beautiful kind is M. 

 Szovitzianum, which comes into bloom 

 early and continues in blossom till the 

 latest kinds have done flowering. The 

 blooms are a clear blue, the teeth of the 

 corolla white ; the spike oval and larger 

 than in other species. 



M. botryoides is a favourite bulb, with 

 little white teeth on blue globose clusters, 

 about 9 in. high, and suitable for the fronts 



Musa Ensete. 



winters except in Cornwall, where I have 

 seen it very fine in the open air at Caerhays. 



MUSCARI (Grape Hyacinth}. Pi^tiy 

 bulbs of the Lily family, all of the easiest 

 culture and flowering in spring 'and early 

 summer. Their proper position is either 

 the front row of the choice border or the 

 rock-garden, but they may be advantage- 

 ously grown as window-plants in pots or 

 boxes. In all cases they thrive best in 

 rich, deep, sandy loam, and are easily 

 multiplied by separating the bulbs every 

 third or fourth year. There are many 

 names, but few really distinct kinds. 



M. armeniacum is one of the best, 



of borders. The varieties pallidum and 

 album are distinct and beautiful ; and 

 pallidum has pale sky-blue clusters. M. 

 Heldreichi resembles M. botryoides, but 

 is larger, and has a longer spike of flowers. 

 It also flowers later. 



M. comosum monstrosum (Feather 

 Hyacinth} is distinct from any of the fore- 

 going i ft. or more in height ; its beauti- 

 ful mauve .flowers, cut into clusters of 

 wavy filaments, bear some resemblance to 

 purple feathers. M. moschatum has 

 clusters of dull yellow flowers, incon- 

 spicuous, but its delicious fragrance amply 

 atones for this. Another sweet-smelling 



