CHAPTER IX 



Bulbs and Tuberous-Rooted Plants 



THE growing of bulbs is real fun. They are nearly mature plants 

 all grown when we buy them; many of them even have stored 

 in them the food for the leaves, flowers and roots. All we need 

 to do is to place them under some favorable conditions for growth; 

 then they send out their roots and by merely absorbing water produce 

 their blooms. They are useful for the woods, the lawn, the border, 

 the water garden, the rockery and the window in Winter; in fact, 

 they have a most unusual adaptability. 



Many readers will never try a single new bulb nor even read about 

 any plant which is strange to them. They will never try an attrac- 

 tive clump of Eranthis hyemalis, the Winter Aconite, that very 

 bright, cheery yellow flower of February or March; nor would they 

 know of the striped Scilla, the Puschkinia libanotica, a dainty blue 

 and white flower, which is of value but little known. Our sug- 

 gestion is* to try a few of the bulbs in the list which follows. They 

 have been chosen because they are really good. 



PREPARATION OF BEDS FOR BULBS. Bulbs may be grown on a 

 great range of soils. They succeed especially well on the sandier 

 loams, but will even grow on nearly pure sand or heavy clay. The 

 heavy clay soils are easily loosened by the addition of sand or coal 

 ashes. Manure if used at all must be so thoroughly incorporated 

 with the soil that it is impossible for any of it to be in contact with 

 the roots, or bulbs, both of which appear to be very sensitive to manure. 

 Bonemeal, spread over the soil at planting, is excellent. Leafmold 

 is ideal for mixing with the soil if it is obtainable. 



TIME OF PLANTING. Some bulbs do not stand the cold; they 

 are planted in Spring and must be dug before Whiter each year. 

 Examples of such bulbs are: Gladiolus, Summer Hyacinth (Galtonia 

 candicans), Montbretia, Tigridia, Tuberose, Zephyranthes, tuberous 

 Begonia, Canna, Dahlia. Most other bulbs should be planted in 

 the Autumn. It is best to plant them as soon as they can be obtained 

 from the dealer. If they remain out of the soil too long much of 

 the nourishment is evaporated. Especially susceptible to deteriora- 

 tion due to deferred planting are Crocus, Lilies, Snowdrops and Fritil- 

 laria. This will bring the greater share of bulb planting in October. 



PLANTING BULBS, The rule for depth of planting is that they 



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