48 Encyclopaedia of Gardening 



Musk Hyacinth (Muscari moschatus), with yellow, musk-scented 

 iflowers, is an interesting plant which may be treated like the 

 Muscaris. 



The mauve Feather Hyacinth (Muscari plumosus), the blue 

 Starch Hyacinth (Muscari racemosus) , and the Amethyst Hyacinth 

 (Muscari amethystinus) , may also be grown. 



Hyacinthus (Galtonia) candicans. This is the noblest of all the 

 Hyacinths, bearing a flower-spike which rises to a height of 4 ft., 

 and a cluster of large, expanded, pendent, bell-shaped flowers. A 

 :group of it in a border, or a bed, planted 3 ft. apart and interspersed 

 with the cheap scarlet Gladiolus Brenchleyensis, looks very fine. 

 .Both plants will thrive in any well-drained soil, and will probably 

 *be at their best in August. 



Iris. See Iris. 



Ixia. Pretty, if somewhat artificial -looking, bulbs, well adapted 

 for culture in pots, but also thriving in sunny spots outdoors where 

 the soil is light and well drained. They are useful for a cool green- 

 . house, succeeding the spring bulbs. Three may be put in a 5~ m - 

 pot and given the bulb soil and treatment generally. The leaves 

 .are long and slender, like those of Gladioli, and the flowers are borne 

 in Gladiolus-like spikes. The following are pretty varieties : 



Azurea, blue I Lady Slade, pink 



Brutus, yellow 

 Bucephalus, carmine 

 Crateroides, scarlet 



Queen of Roses, rose 

 Snowflake, white 

 Viridiflora, green 



Lachenalia. Pretty, graceful, free-blooming bulbs, suited for 

 pot culture, and still more for hanging baskets. Five bulbs could 

 be put in a 6-in. pot, or several 2 ins. apart round the sides of a 

 wire basket lined with moss and filled with bulb soil. They are 

 charming for cool greenhouses, flowering late in spring. The most 



popular kinds are pendula, red, 

 green, and purple; Nelsoni, yellow; 

 and tricolor, yellow, green, and red. 

 Lilium. A large and very im- 

 portant genus, giving us beautiful 

 plants for conservatory, greenhouse, 

 and garden; and exquisite flowers 

 for wreaths and table and church 

 decoration. The Liliums are true 

 bulbs, and thrive in the bulb soil 

 already recommended. The only 

 real difference in culture is that as 

 they have a habit of producing 

 roots above the bulb, at the lower 

 part of the stem, it is desirable to 

 OFFSETS ON LILIUMS. place the bulbs rather low in the 



i. Fibrous roots. 2. Offsets. P ots > and g ive a top-dressing of soil 

 when the stem roots appear. Other- 



wise they may be treated like Hyacinths. They also do well in 

 bowls or pots of peat-moss fibre and shell. When used for garden 

 tdecoration Liliums should be given sheltered places. The soil should 



