158 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



Crocus. Most of the spring-flowering Croci were at their 

 best during February, but several continued to display their 

 attractive flowers well into the month of March, including 

 the purple C. Sieberi, the white-striped C. versicolor and 

 C. biflorus, with C. cerius, to mention only a few of the 

 numerous worthy kinds. 



Cyclamen. These charming plants are suitable for pans, 

 and usually open their flowers in February, but remain attrac- 

 tive for several weeks. There is C* ibericum, with its rosy 

 purple flowers and faintly zoned leaves, and C. Coum, which 

 differs from the other in having unspotted dark green leaves. 

 There is also a white-flowered variety of the latter, a desirable 

 plant. After flowering they should be placed outside to com- 

 plete their growth, and the corms should then be well ripened 

 off by exposing the pans to the full sun. 



Narcissus. The Narcissi form another valuable bulbous 

 family, some of the smaller-growing kinds being well adapted 

 for the alpine house. The earliest flowering kind is the snowy 

 white Hoop-Petticoat Daffodil from Algiers (N. Bulbocodium 

 var. monophylla}. Others are Angels' Tears (N. Triandrus\ 

 with its two and three cream-coloured flowers on a stem, the 

 Cyclamen-flowered Daffodil (N. cyclamineus), N. Cernuus and 

 N. minimus, one of the smallest in the family. 



Primula. This is represented by the Himalayan P. denticu- 

 lata, with its dense heads of lilac purple and white flowers ; 

 P. Fortunei, closely allied to the Bird's-eye Primrose (P.fari- 

 nosa) ; P. marginata, with its silvery margined leaves and pale 

 lilac flowers ; and P. verticillata, with mealy leaves and whorls 

 of yellow flowers. 



Saxifraga. This is one of the most important families 

 of spring-flowering plants, and the varieties in cultivation 

 are numerous. The best-known are the various forms of 

 6*. burseriana, with large white flowers borne on slender stalks 

 above a cushion of glaucous foliage. Other white-flowered 

 kinds are S. scardica, var. obtusa, S. Petraschii, S. Salomonii, 

 S. rocheliana, and 5. Boydii alba.. Yellow-flowered kinds are 

 the lovely S. Boydii, S. Paulince, S. apiculata, and S. sancta. 

 Among those having red flowers is the Macedonian 5. Grise- 

 bachii, S. Stribrnyi, and S. Frederici Augusti, while for making 

 a charming show in pans there is nothing to excel the purple- 

 red 5. oppositifolia and its variety grandiflora. The white 

 variety of the last is also very pretty. 



Tulipa. The Cretan T. saxatilis, with its flesh-pink 

 flowers having a yellow base, which opened its flowers at the 

 end of February, was still in full beauty the third week in 



