102 MY GARDEN 



a lovely, pure, rich golden torch-lily of great size, 

 and some of the dwarf sorts would look well on large 

 rock-work. With yuccas they make a handsome show. 

 Of terrestrial orchids I know nothing, except a little 

 about the family of ophrys. Several of these I have 

 dug up in Africa and in France. Lutea is handsome, 

 and speculum a very lovely thing. Apifera is hardy, 

 and grows wild within a walk of me. I have dallied 

 with serapias, but to see him wild in his home is joy 

 enough ; and since these things are blooming when 

 one is in their company, it seems almost useless to 

 move them unless you take a good lump of France 

 or Italy at the same time. But when one considers 

 what overweight means on the journey home, one 

 hesitates. Cyprepedium spectabile and the rare 

 British C. Calceolus I have, but others of the hardy 

 cyprepediums are even more beautiful. 



Gladiolus ought to command a chapter, but it 

 cannot be done. The subject is huge and fascinating, 

 though here I may only name a few of my own favourite 

 species. As a rule I practically ignore hybrids, but 

 with gladiolus they must be considered. Blandus one 

 grows, of course a delicate and delightful thing; 

 colvillei, in the shape of the familiar and ubiquitous 

 " Bride," leaps in little sheafs upward on my rockery 

 with roseus and trimaculatus. Insignis, a splendid 

 scarlet gladiolus flaked with purple, and cardinalis 

 scarlet, with white flake cannot be refused a place. 

 Sulphureus I have failed to flower in the open, and 

 am reluctantly giving him a pot this year. Purpureo 

 auratus and gandevensis are the parents of the lovely 



