THE CROCUSES. 139 



few are abundant enough to be cheap, as cheapness 

 goes with Crocuses. They are, however, dainty little 

 flower gems, and some are beautiful to a degree. The 

 individual flowers are large and the colours are ex- 

 tremely pleasing. 



The rock garden is the ideal place for the best species 

 of Crocus. Here they do not fail in effect because 

 they are planted only in half dozens. A small clump 

 has not the " lost '* appearance which it has in a 

 border. Moreover, it can be kept well in hand. It 

 is not broken up by widespread cultural operations, 

 such as digging. The flowers show up well among 

 stones, especially if surrounded by a dwarf carpeting 

 plant. The spring unsightliness can be reduced by 

 tying the withering leaves into neat knots, and the 

 summer bareness corrected by the spreading of the 

 carpeter or the planting of a suitable annual, such as 

 Portulacas. 



The Crocuses like a sandy loam, but they are not 

 fastidious, and the ordinary soil of most gardens will 

 suit them. They might be planted according to their 

 season of flowering, the autumn bloomers in summer, 

 the spring bloomers in autumn. They are not stocked 

 by the rank and file of bulb-dealers, but the large 

 firms can supply them. Amateurs who buy early 

 bulbs, such as Roman Hyacinths, for forcing, should 

 order the autumn Crocuses, Colchicums and any other 

 autumn-flowering bulbs at the same time. They can 

 be divided any time after they die down. Those to 

 whom the sight of fading leafage is a real eyesore 

 may, if they think it worth while to take the trouble. 



