GARDENING BY MYSELF. 207 



than a crowd. Therefore plant in small 

 groups. 



But next, make your groups different. 

 Have no stiff arrangement of colours, yet 

 have an arrangement. You will find a 

 grouping of pink and white hyacinths quite 

 delicious in its harmony and contrast ; while 

 the dark blues go excellently well with the 

 pale yellow and lemon tints. The reds and 

 paler blues are rich together ; or the me- 

 dium blues with the blush whites ; and so 

 on. You will find work enough for your 

 fancy, if you give it a chance. 



It rarely has a good effect to mix different 

 sorts of bulbs .in the same clump. The 

 beauty of tulips, for instance, is so unlike 

 that of hyacinths that they ju«t put each 

 other out. You lose the clear tints of the 

 one, and the gay, dashing hues of the other. 

 Snowdrops are too pale to stand among 

 crocuses, and the Persian iris gets small 

 credit for its lovely markings, if planted 

 near the deep blue scilla or the bright 

 purple bulbocodium. Give each sort a 



