CHAPTER XVI 



THE HAKDT LILT BED 



Peom the middle of August until the ground freezes 

 one may plant bulbs of hardy lilies with certainty 

 of successful florescence and growth the following 

 spring, but if the planting is deferred until spring, 

 nothing but disaster may be looked for. I know 

 that many catalogues offer bulbs of hardy lilies and 

 recommend their planting in the spring, but the bulbs 

 so offered are those which remained unsold in the fall 

 and this method is taken to reduce the loss as much 

 as possible. Lily bulbs, to do well after transplant- 

 ing, should remain out of the ground the shortest 

 possible length of time and bulbs that have been out 

 of the ground from August, September or even Octo- 

 ber until spring are practically worthless. 



The well-known hardy garden lily candidum, or 

 lily of the Annunciation, is one of the first to ripen 

 its bulbs as it is the first to bloom. In August it 

 completes its period of growth and takes a brief rest 

 before throwing out the crown of leaves which re- 

 main green throughout the winter ; this is the season 



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