210 YARD AND GARDEN 



snowdrops are the earliest. They appear in 

 March and seem eminently capable of taking 

 good care of themselves. They require little 

 or no attention at all and possess in addition 

 the extraordinary virtue of being able to adapt 

 themselves to situations where other bulbs could 

 not be expected to prosper. The snowdrop, for 

 instance, will do exceptionally well, compared, 

 of course, to other flowers, on the north side 

 of a house, or in a narrow and poorly lighted 

 passageway where one would expect that ferns 

 alone would thrive. Galanthus Ehcesii is the 

 giant of the genus and its large size of flower 

 is not attained by any sacrifice of refinement. 

 It is not so early, however, as the little snow- 

 drop, following it some two weeks. 



Occasionally the spring snowflake (Leucojum 

 vernum) is mistaken for the snowdrop. It 

 possesses a white flower and blooms in March. 

 There is also an autumn snowflake, but it is 

 not reliably hardy; and there is a summer 

 flower of the same sort blooming about the 

 first part of May. 



Scilla Sibirica is another excellent flower 

 appearing early in spring. Its blooms, while 

 small and borne only one to three on a stem, 

 are of a rich blue color especially desirable at 



