ON HYACINTHS 115 



neck of the glass, and they render the task of " staking " 

 very simple. Support is really necessary ; without it 

 the whole plant would topple over when the truss of 

 bloom became heavy, and might be quite spoiled by 

 the crash. 



In Bowls. Hyacinths do very well in bowls of peat 

 moss fibre, and may be treated as advised for Daffodils 

 in Chapter XIV. 



In Flower Beds. They have declined somewhat as 

 garden plants, perhaps, since the rise of Daffodils, but 

 their day is far from being done. The gardeners in 

 the public parks still find them indispensable, and 

 although private growers may not go to the lengths of 

 the County Council horticulturists, and fill whole beds 

 with Hyacinths alone, they will continue to use them 

 in groups both in beds and borders. 



Hyacinths give quite different effects from either 

 Daffodils or Tulips. Their growth is closer and dwarfer. 

 This, combined with the massiveness of the flower- 

 heads, renders them a little dumpy, and it is well to 

 have them surrounded by cushions of white Arabis and 

 mauve Aubrietia, which not only form a pretty carpet, 

 but give the Hyacinths an effect of greater height. The 

 Arabis and Aubrietia are perennials, but they are so 

 easily and cheaply raised from seed out of doors in 

 June, that the old plants can be thrown away when the 

 Hyacinths are taken up. 



If many first-size Hyacinths were planted, the cost 

 would be rather serious, but dealers supply a second 

 size suitable for the garden. If the soil is fertile and 

 moist, and the stems are removed directly the flowers 

 fade, these bulbs will very likely develop and bloom 

 well again the following year. But they will not do 

 much good in poor, dry soil after the first year. 



