12 



The Florists^ Review 



NOVBMBBB B, 1914. 



OUTDOOB BULB PLANTINQ. 



Preparing the Ground. 



, All the Dutch bulbs which are wanted 

 for forcing purposes were in the soil 

 some time ago; or, if they were not, 

 tl)ey should have been. The planting 

 (^ bulbs outdoors cannot conveniently 

 be done so early and the month of 

 November is suitable for this work. 

 As a large part of the bulbs are used 

 $0 follow tender bedding plants, and 

 as many of these have lasted surpris- 

 ingly late this season, the bulb planting 

 is somewhat delayed. I have always 

 found, however, that splendid success is 

 attained from plantings made to Novem- 

 ber 20 or even later. It is always 

 an advantage to have the ground moder- 

 ately moist and these conditions did not 

 exist over a wide stretch of country 

 nntil a short time ago. 



To have good success with outdoor 

 bulbs, be sure to spade the beds deeply 

 and work in some old, decayed manure, 

 but be sure it is well rotted or it will 

 prove more harmful than helpful. Pul- 

 verize the sou well and, if it is natur- 

 ally stiff and retentive, work in a good 

 coating of sharp sand, fne coal ashes 

 or some other g^'i^^y material. 



Depth to Plant. 



Plant hyacinths and the larger bulbed 

 narcissi, such as Emperor, Sir Watkin, 

 Yictoria, etc., five inches deep, the bulk 

 of other narcissi and all tulips four 

 inches deep, and small bulbed varieties, 

 such as snowdrops, crocus, scillas, chion- 

 odoxas and winter aconites, three inches. 

 Spanish and English iris should be cov- 

 ered four inches, but the planting of 

 these is better if left until the last, 

 as they commence to grow quite early. 



There is an ample supply of bulbs in 

 the country this fall and the quality 

 is unusually good. The troublous times 

 in Europe have reduced the demand 

 there enormously, but the call here ap- 

 pears to be unusually good. Bulbs have 

 a strong fascination, coming into bloom 

 so early in the year, and it is no wonder 

 that their popularity increases. They 

 are all hardy, of easy culture and, in 

 many cases, are even better the second 

 than the first year. Here is a branch 

 which florists can easily develop tre- 

 mendously and, as the work comes in 

 the fall, when our energies are not over- 

 taxed as they so often are in the 

 bedding-out season, we should use all 

 legitimate means to encourage bulb 

 planting. 



Tulips and Hyacinths. 



The bulbs for bedding purposes are 

 usually confined to tulips and hyacinths. 

 The latter are, if anything, less planteil 

 out than a decade ago, while the num- 

 ber of tulips shows a tremendous in- 

 crease. Hyacinths are effective when 

 grown in masses, with the colors care 



fully harmonized. They are undesirable 

 when planted in mixtures, while mixed 

 tulips are quite pleasing. Tulips and 

 hyacinths should not be planted in the 

 same beds. If no regular flower beds 

 are at disposal and there is a mixed 

 border used for hardy perennials and 

 annuals, this is the ideal place for 

 batches of bulbs, which should be scat- 

 tered irregularly over the full width of 

 the border. 



Tulips are most effective in beds of 

 one variety. Of course it is a simple 

 matter to quarter circular beds to make 

 square beds of one color with a thick 

 band of some other color for a border- 

 ing. Pink and white, scarlet and white, 

 and scarlet and yellow make excellent 

 color combinations, but the solid bed is 

 far and away the best. However, for 

 the customer of moderate means a bed 

 of well mixed single tulips will give the 

 maximum of pleasure at the minimum 

 of cost. 



Natural Planting in Grass. 



While bulbous plants in more or less 

 formally planted beds are attractive, 

 I would itnake a strong plea for the 

 natural planting of many varieties in 

 grass on the margins of stream or pond, 

 or in woodlands. Do not set them 

 out on lawns which are to be closely 

 mowed, for even crocus, scillas and 

 other small, early blooming bulbs must 

 b"e allowed to ripen their foliage off, 

 or they will flower disappointingly the 

 following year. Use no formality when 

 naturalizing bulbs; spread them around 



with the hand and plant them where 

 they fall. 



. A few of the best bedding tulips are 

 White Joost van Vondel, White Potte- 

 bakker. Pink Beauty, Queen of the 

 Netherlands, Chrysolora, Ophir d'Or, 

 Keizerskroon, Vermilion Brilliant, Cot- 

 tage Maid, Proserpine, Prince of Aus- 

 tria and Couleur Cardinal. For indi- 

 vidual beds the following are grand: 

 Proserpine, Keizerskroon, Pink Beauty, 

 Prince of Austria, White Pottebakker 

 and Chrysolora. 



Late Tulips. 



Do not overlook the late tulips. These 

 are the coming favorites, as is evidenced 

 by the immensely increased sales of 

 late years. It is astonishing that so 

 far nearly all our parks and public 

 gardens have practically ignored this 

 class. They are later flowering than 

 the regular bedding tulips, taller grow- 

 ing, and embrace a wonderful range of 

 colors. For cutting they are incom- 

 parably superior to the early section. 

 Here are a few good sorts which are 

 inexpensive: Darwins — Clara Butt, 

 Gretchen, King Harold, Mme. Krell^e, 

 La Candeur and Pride of Haarlem. 

 May flowering or cottage tulips — Pico- 

 tee, Bouton d 'Or, Oesneriana spathulfita, 

 Gesneriana lutea. Golden Crown, Ingles- 

 combe Pink, White Swan and Leghorn 

 Bonnet. 



Narcissi. 



The narcissi are better adapted for 

 planting in clumps or as bordering along 



Ofchli Group! at Last Week's Show In New York. 



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