362 



OASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



small, pale pink flowers, ia dusters of from one to 

 three on a stalk. It is a native of Spain, Portugal, 

 Sicily, and Algeria, and is the strongest in constitu- 

 tion of all. The other species are A. hyetnalia, which 

 hears small white flowers in April (not winter, as its 

 name would imijly) ; A. trichophylla, and its variety 

 grandifiom, toth with white flowers; and A. rosea, 

 a pretty Corsican plant, having rosy-pink flowers. 



The best place to grow these delicate little hulhs is 

 in a warm sheltered border, or better still, in a frame 

 so that they could be protected well during winter. 

 They are most successfully grown in a fine sandy soil, 

 which must be well drained so as to be always dry. 

 The chief consideration is to allow the bulbs to be- 

 come thoroughly ripened in full sun after the foliage 

 is decayed. 



Allium {Onion). — Persona not much acquainted 

 with plants would hardly suspect that there were any 

 Onions worth growing for the sake of their flowers ; 

 yet there are about half a dozen species that are 

 highly ornamental, though this is a small number in- 

 deed compared with the enormous number of species 

 which constitutes the genus. AH the desirable species, 

 happily, are hardy, and easily grown. 



The ornamental species that can be recommended 

 include the following : — 



A. pedemontantim, a most beautiful plant, from the 

 European Alps, bearing dense drooping clusters of 

 rose-pink blossoms, produced on slender stems, about 

 a foot high. 



A. Murrayamim, A. acuminatmn, and A. Maenah- 

 ianum are three species very similar to each other, 

 each being characterised by broad, flat beads of small 

 blossoms, varying in colour from a deep carmine to a 

 pale rose. 



A. neapolitanwn, A. Cltisii, A. triquetrum, all bear 

 dense clusters of small^ white blossoms, produced plen- 

 tifully on stalks rising a foot high, and very desirable 

 for cutting in early summer, as the characteristic 

 garlic odour is scarcely perceptible in them. 



A. neapolitmnmn is the kind whose flowers are so 

 largely imported from the South of France to our 

 flower markets in spring, and sold about Eastertide 

 for floral decorations. Then there are two yellow- 

 flowered kinds, both desirable. These are A. Molt/, 

 an old-fashioned garden plant, very showy on ac- 

 count of its large heads of bright yellow flowers, 

 and A. Jlavum, an elegant as well as attractive 

 plant. 



The foregoing comprise a representative selection 

 ■ from this large genus, though, of course, those who 

 seek for collections of hardy bulbous plants, would 

 find among the others many that would prove at- 

 tractive in a garden. 



The ornamental Alliums succeed well in any ordi- 



narj' soil, if not too stiff, and they are readily props- 

 gated by division or seeds. Some, such as A. MoVy, 

 become troublesome weeds in a garden, as they pro- 

 pagate so freely, both by seeds and bulblets. A. 

 pedemontamim is worthy of the most attention, and 

 the best position in a warm, sunny border should 

 be given to it. All are perfectly hardy in light 

 soils. 



Albuca.— A small genus of Lilyworts, native of 

 South Africa, but of not much importance as garden 

 plants. They somewhat resemble the Omithogalums 

 in growth, having narrow deciduous leaves, erect, 

 often tail and slender flower-stems, bearing nume- 

 rous flowers, in loose racemes, borne on slender and 

 generally pendulous stalks. The prevalent colour is 

 white, yellow, pale and deep, and green. There arc 

 haU a dozen species that are fairly good plants ; the 

 finest, A. Nelsoni, a rather recent introduction from 

 Natal, being by far the handsomest plant in the 

 genus. Its large bulbs bear numerous leaves, which 

 grow from two to three feet in length, the flower- 

 stems attain a height of from three to five feet, 

 and carry in a loose raceme on the upper half nume- 

 rous erect flowers, one and a half inches in length, 

 pure white, striped with dull red. It is, therefore, 

 well deserving of attention as a green-house plant, 

 but is as yet very rare. The other species to be 

 recommended are : — A. aurea, a dwarfer and smaller 

 plant than the preceding, bearing racemes of flowers 

 about an inch long, of a deep yellow, striped con- 

 spicuously with green. A. fragram has yellowish 

 flowers, deliciously fragrant. A. caudata, with white 

 flowers, A. juncifolia, A. major, and A. minor, all 

 with yellow flowers, are among the showiest in the 

 genus. All of them need green-house culture, and 

 require a decided rest. Those mentioned usually 

 flower in early summer, and then make their annual 

 growth. 



Amaryllis — Amaryllis has long been a familiar 

 name in gardens. It has been applied to various 

 bulbous plants which are now called by other names. 

 For instance, the Jacobean Lily (Sprekelia), the 

 Zephyr Flower (Zephyranthes), some of the Crinums, 

 Sternbergia, and the Scarborough LUy ( FaWoia) have 

 aU been called Amaryllises. Even now some confu- 

 sion exists in the application of the name, for the 

 Amaryllis of the botanist does not agree with that of 

 the gardener. "What are now popularly called Ama- 

 ryllises in gardens belong strictly to the genus 

 Hippeastrum, a name, however, seldom used in gar- 

 dens; and, according to botanists, there is but one 

 Amaryllis, and that is the beautiful Belladonna Lily 

 of the Cape. The most obvious difference between 

 the true Amaryllis and the Hippeastrum exists in the 



