CHAPTER XI 



THE NEW TULIP-GROWING 



THE old Tulip-growing consisted in planting the early 

 Dutch section, with their bright but flimsy and ephe- 

 meral flowers, in formal beds ; the new takes the larger, 

 more substantial, more lasting May-flowering class, and 

 puts them in bold groups in the border. 



The rise of the English May-flowering Tulip has not, 

 perhaps, adversely affected the popularity of the early 

 Dutch ; rather by a kind of reflex action it has enhanced 

 the importance of the latter section, with the result that 

 new and improved varieties have been produced. The 

 Tulip-lover is therefore in the happy position of having 

 at his command a large range of beautiful sorts, the 

 flowering season of which extends from March to June. 



Amateurs who still bed Tulips are not content to have 

 bare earth the whole winter through, and interplant the 

 bulbs with beautiful dwarf things such as Primroses, 

 Polyanthuses, Arabis, Aubrietias and Forget-me-nots. 

 For remarks on this subject, see chapter vm. 



In pointing out in chapter in how Tulips and Daffo- 

 dils could be planted between Aubrietias and Arabis at 

 the front of borders for April and May bloom, recognition 

 was made of the claims of these great bulbous flowers 

 to be planted extensively in the best positions in the 

 garden. Look where we may, we find nothing to vie 

 with the late Tulips for brilliant colour groups at any 



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