626 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Selection of Favourite Bulbs 



4LLIUM (Onion) includes many 

 /% different sorts, but comparatively 

 *- -^-few are worthy of general culti- 

 vation. They thrive in ordinary well- 

 drained garden soil, most of them in- 

 creasing fairly rapidly by means of offsets 

 or bulbils. They are also readily raised 

 from seeds. Several of the choice kinds 

 deserve a position in the rock garden, 



2 feet ; A. giganteum (nobile), greyish-lilac 

 flowers, June, height 3 feet ; A. Karataviense, 

 a striking plant with broad glaucous-green 

 foliage, and large heads of lilac flowers, May, 

 height \ to | foot ; A. Moly, the Lily Leek 

 or Golden Garlic, large heads of showy 

 yellow flowers, May, height 1 foot ; A. 

 neapolitanum, the Daffodil Garlic, the most 

 popular of all the Alliums, thriving well in 



The Belladonna Lily (Amaryllis Belladonna). 



others may worthily find a place in the 

 mixed flower border. Such as A. Moly, 

 A. neapolitanum and A. ursinum are delight- 

 ful bulbs to plant in the wild garden among 

 hardy ferns and naturalise in odd corners. 

 Plant the bulbs in sun or partial shade, some 

 2 to 4 inches deep, according to their size. 

 The fact that these plants are close relatives 

 of the Onion is apparent when the foliage 

 is braised, for the characteristic odour is at 

 once detected. The best known and most 

 showy sorts are : A. caeruleum (azureum), 

 intense blue flowers during July, height 



shady spots, among shrubs and hardy ferns r 

 for the cold greenhouse it is a most useful 

 pot plant, and one of the best bulbs for a 

 hanging basket : flowers pure white, in May, 

 height 15 inches ; A. ostrowskianum, pretty 

 heads of rose-coloured flowers, July, height 

 \ foot, valuable for the rock garden and 

 front of border ; A. narcissiflorum (pede- 

 montanum), rosy-purple bell-shaped fragrant 

 flowers, June, height 9 inches ; A. roseum, 

 rose-coloured flowers., June, height 1 foot ; 

 A. ursinum, white blooms, 9 inches high, 

 suitable for shady spots under trees. 



