58 BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS 



after flowering, but new ones form. If the soil is good the 

 largest of the new bulbs will be strong enough to bloom the 

 following year; the remainder will be little offsets that will require 

 a year or two's time to grow to flowering size. It is well to lift 

 the plants after the foliage has decayed, dry and clean the bulbs, 

 and replant in autumn. If the plants are growing in positions 

 where the decaying leaves are unsightly, or if the ground they 

 occupy is wanted for other plants, the flower-stems may be broken 

 off directly the blooms fade, and the plants carefully lifted and 

 transferred to a reserve bed. This tractability on the part of the 

 Tulips encourages the flower gardener to make groups of them in 

 the front of his herbaceous borders, where they interfere with 

 nothing, and make brilliant clumps of colour in spring; and 

 whence they can be moved in early summer if desired. 



Some of the species of Tulips are very beautiful, and must 

 not be overlooked. The one shown in the coloured plate, 

 Clusiana, with its charming rose-flaked flowers, is only one of 

 several that are worth growing in flower gardens. There is a 

 white variety of it, called alba. They are low growers and late 

 bloomers, often flowering as late as June. Billietiana, yellow, is 

 a much larger species, and also flowers late. A variety of this, 

 called Sunset, is often included in catalogue lists of Cottage 

 Tulips, and is a very fine thing indeed. Gesneriana is one of 

 the noblest of the species, and bears huge red flowers in May. 

 Among many varieties the pale yellow one, called lutea, is par- 

 ticularly fine. Greigi, a dwarf April bloomer, with red or red and 

 yellow flowers, is a popular species. These are a few of the best, 

 but the following are also good : macrospeila, crimson with black 

 blotch, two feet high, a May bloomer; patens or persica, a dwarf 

 yellow species, flowering in May; sylvestris, yellow, about eighteen 

 inches high, blooming in May ; Batalinii, dwarf, lemon coloured ; 

 Leichtlini, pink and white, dwarf; linifolia, dwarf, scarlet; primu- 

 lina, dwarf, red and yellow ; retroflexa, dwarf, yellow, petals curved 



