APRIL NOTES IN THE GARDEN 79 



planted last autumn are now in full blossom. Since 

 they are all imported from Portugal, they flower 

 some weeks earlier than bulbs that have been some 

 years in English groimd. The Queen of Spain often 

 dies out quickly in a border, particularly if the soil 

 is rich. In the grass, in a northerly half-shaded slope 

 full of the roots of trees, it flourishes as well as in its 

 native home, and it surpasses nearly all the most 

 costly new varieties in beauty. There is still a good 

 deal of uncertainty about the question what bulbs 

 will thrive in the grass and what will not. Tulipa 

 silvestris, for instance, is supposed to be an excellent 

 grass plant; but the present writer finds that it ceases 

 to flower and dwindles away in the grass after a year 

 or two. Tulips in this respect are peculiarly uncertain. 

 It is probable that those which require great summer 

 heat to ripen them off are kept too cool by a covering 

 of grass; but this scarcely applies to T. silvestris, 

 which is a native species. It is to be desired that some 

 one should make large experiments with Tulips in the 

 grass and should publish the results; but few gardeners 

 would care to sacrifice a great number of bulbs for 

 the public good. Grape Hyacinths of all kinds seem 

 to thrive even in coarse grass, so do Ornithogalum 

 umbellatum, O. nutans, and O. pyramidale. Scilla 

 sibirica is apt to dwindle in coarse grass, and so are 

 the Chionodoxas and Pushkinia libanotica. The more 

 vigorous Alliums will thrive in grass not too coarse 

 and in full sun. A. neapolitanum will soon be in 

 flower. Fritillaria Meleagris, of course, is at home 



