BULBOUS FLOWERS 109 



A good plan is to place an inverted pot over the crown until 

 the latter has become green. During this period they should 

 be kept cool. A frame, cool greenhouse, or a window, is a 

 suitable place for them. 



Fortunately the Hyacinth is not difficult to grow, no matter 

 whether the garden to be planted is in town or country ; and, 

 as we have already mentioned, the flowers are deliciously 

 sweet. The breath of the Hyacinth in the greenhouse or 

 in the house is a reminder of the brighter days to come, 

 when the Daffodil is dancing in the spring wind and the 

 Tulips are beginning to raise their buds on strong stems. 

 I have a stronger affection for the single varieties than the 

 double, but each group has its charms. They are welcome, 

 too, in spring decorations, not only for the sweet scent of the 

 flowers, but for variety of telling colours. When the bulbs in 

 pots or in glasses have flowered, allow them to gradually 

 ripen until the leaves are quite yellow. They are of no further 

 use under glass, but, planted out in a corner of the garden, 

 will flower freely for years ; the spikes will not be large, but 

 quite as attractive. 



The Roman Hyacinth has small spikes of white flowers. 

 It is useful for pots, as it flowers earlier than the large Dutch 

 or bedding Hyacinths. These bulbs should be grown in a 

 pot 6 inches in diameter at the top. During recent years 

 miniature Hyacinths have become very popular for growing 

 in pots and also for bedding. They are small forms of the 

 bedding Hyacinths, and need the same treatment. 



Iris. The English Iris (/. xiphioides) and the Spanish Iris (/. 

 xiphium) are the best known of the bulbous section of this family. Both 

 are handsome plants. The English Iris bears white, lavender, deep- 

 blue, purple, maroon, and striped flowers, while in the Spanish the 

 colours are blue, yellow, white, and striped. The striped varieties are 

 far inferior to the self colours for effect. The bronze, purple, and yellow 

 Thunderbolt, belonging to the Spanish section, is an interesting flower. 

 These Irises succeed best in a light, well-drained soil. In heavy, retentive 

 soils they often perish during the winter. Plant the bulbs about four 

 inches deep. /. reticulata (the Netted Iris), /. alata, and /. persica are 

 three dwarf plants flowering in the early spring. It is well to have some 

 of these in pots in a cold frame quite early in the year. 



/. reticulata is an especially sweetly fragrant flower. There is a 

 variety named major, which has larger flowers than the type. A few of 

 the deep-purple flowers will scent a large room. A well-known gardener, 

 writing about this bulb, says : "I planted them in large groups in the 

 hardy plant border, which is well drained and faces south. The only 

 attention they receive consists in clearing off the old foliage in autumn, 



