190 



"Cape bulb" has lost its sign 

 the present article, bulbs an- 

 ing general heads : ^•"■■'' -• 

 (ling ; hardy bulbs 

 tiower border or lawn ; 

 tender bulbs for spring 



287. Example of a rhizome 



in the house and greenhouse ; keeping dormant bulbs, 

 tubers, etc. ; hints on buying and selecting bulbs ; 

 catalogue of bulbs. 



Hardy SpRiNa-FLOWERiNG Bulbs for Design Bed- 

 ding.— The only bulbs adapted for geometrical beds are 

 Dutch hyacinths and tulips. It is not best to use both 

 in the same bed for really fine effects. While there are 

 hundreds of varieties in both hyacinths and tulips with 

 colors, gradations and variegations innumerable, yet for 

 this style of bedding only solid, bright, contrasting 

 colors should be used. This limits the selection in hya- 

 cinths to dark crimson, rose-red. pink, purple, blue, 

 lavender, white and yellow (the latter is seldom satis- 

 factory), and in tulips to dnrk blood-rMl, scarlet, rose, 

 blush-pink. y.ll..\v, wlnt.-. an.l :i l.liii-h cKiret, which 

 last is si-M..ni ii~. .1. In .-ra. 11 Hi/ ili.' l.iili.s for this Style 

 of bediiiiiL'. it IS iiii|.M,iiLiit iM -.1,-1 km. Is that bloom 

 at the SHiiM- liiiii- an.l aiv ..f iiinf..ini li.iirht. The bulb 

 catalogues give this information; or, deal with a reliable 

 firm and leave the selection to them. In planting bulbs 

 in "design beds," it pays for the extra trouble to first 

 the soil to 



BULBS 



are cut freely in bud or when just approaching their 

 prime, which is the best possible time for the benefit of 

 the bulb, for the efforts of any bulb to form seeds weak- 

 ens the bulb. A hyacinth bulb that matures seed is 

 virtually destroyed. Then, again, in an herbaceous bor- 

 der the bulbs are not disturbed. The foliage remains 

 uninjured until ripe, thus fulfilling its duty of re- 

 charging the bulb with new energy for the next 

 season's display. 



Bold clumps of the taller bulbous plants are 

 very effective on the lawn, where beds of one kind 

 should be isolated, and be given a position not too 

 prominent nor too near. The object desired is a 

 mass of one color, which at a little distance is 

 more striking on account of the contrast with the 

 surrounding green grass and trees. Among the 

 best hardy bulbous plants for this purpose are : 

 hemerocailis, such lilies as candidum. tigrinum, 

 speciosum and auratiim: also di.^ciitra. crown im- 

 perials, moutbri tia-. tiit..iHas, pci.nies, Koempferi 

 and Germanica iri^.s. , tr. 



Bulbs planted rml.t in th.' s...l ..n tl..- lawn make 

 a very pleasing pi.-turu when in bloom in the early 

 spring. Make patches here and there of golden, 

 white and purple crocus, the little chionodoxas, 

 snowdrops. Scilla amcena, winter aconite, snow- 

 flakes, bulbocodium and triteleia. These grow, increase, 

 bloom and ripen the foliage before it is necessary to 

 use the lawn mower, so that the surface of the lawn in 

 summer is not marred. The bulbs may be dibbled in 

 when the ground is moist and soft during the fall rains, 

 but it is better to cut and turn back the sod here and 

 there, plant the bulbs under it, then press the sod back 

 again. 



For parks, groves and wild outlying grounds beyond 

 the closely clipped lawn, a very happy style of "natural- 

 izing" bulbous and other plants is coming much into 

 vogue. Such bulbs should be used as can be planted in 

 quantity, twenty-five to a hundred or more of a kind in 

 a patch, and only those should be used which are hardy, 

 and will flower and thrive and increase under neglect. 

 Fortunately, there are many bulbous plants that suc- 

 ceed even "better in such rough places than in the prim 



bulb or displace it. Hu 

 vised, being all of an .x . 

 often, whi-u ].lani. .1 ^^ ii' 



early si.riii^' mal,. ■ ■ - 

 of blouniin:;. I;.-;.). -. > 

 trowel or dibl.lf, tlicic i 

 occasionally, where it n 

 touching bottom. 



Hardy Bulbs in the 

 Flower Border, or Lawn.- 

 favorite place for most hardy 

 planted in little colonies here ai 

 plants and shrubs ; and it is 

 thrive and give the most pi. 



proaches, the sombre winter browns and dull greens of 

 the deciduous and evergreen plants are suddenly trans- 

 formed into an unrivaled setting, studded with bril- 

 liantly colored and fragrant flowers, the contrasts being 

 exceedingly effective and cheery; and besides, from the 

 border one does not hesitate to cut a few flowers for the 

 house for fear of spoiling the "effect, as would be the 

 case in formal bedding. Furthermore, bulbs seem to do 

 better and last longer in a border because the flowers 



s Garden, Mr, 

 The mixed border i., .. 

 bulbs. They should be 

 III there among the hardy 

 here that bulbs seem to 

 spring ap 



^-^ 



288. Various types of bulbs and tubers. 

 1. Tuberose. 2. Colocasia Antiquorum ( Caiadmm esculrmtu 

 3. Easter Lily. 4, Jonquil. 5. Gladiolus. 6. Lilium 

 pardaUnum. 7. Hyacinth. 8. Ldy-ot-the- Valley. 



and heating) should b( 

 the ground ib:i-].ly. It i 



too near theii- lia-.-. 11 



liberally applied and dug into 

 nist be where the long, feeding 

 V . t not touch the bulbs, nor be 

 i- is easUy accomplished by re- 



tbe top soil first, as described 

 under "Design Beddiu^'," above. If it is impracticable to 



