LIST OF FLOWERS 



HYACINTH (Feather, Grape, Italian, etc.). See Muscari. 



HYACINTHUS. The Hyacinth is quite hardy, and a good dis- 

 play may be obtained in the open garden without any difficulty, 

 unless the spring weather be unusually wet and boisterous; wind 

 and rain, not frost, are the deterrents to its successful blooming. 

 It wUl thrive in any ordinarily good soil, but a weU-drained, rich 

 sandy loam is what it prefers, and a cold water-logged soil is almost 

 fatal to it. The bulbs for outdoor blooming should be planted early 

 in the autumn with as much as 6 inches of soil to cover the crowns; 

 for though a shallower planting may ensure an earlier bloom the 

 flowers are stronger and fuller for deep planting. In the case of a 

 severe frost occurring it is advisable to protect them with a covering 

 of dry htter or half-rotten manure. After blooming the plants 

 should be allowed to remain in position until the leaves have withered, 

 whea the bulbs may be lifted, dried in the sun for a short time, and, 

 after removing the offsets, may be stored in dry sand or cocoanut 

 fibre until the iiext planting time comes round. To obtain the best 

 effect from a bed of Hyacinths they should be massed close together, 

 and it may be wiser to plant the bulbs at 6 inches from each other, 

 and restrict the area planted, rather than attempt to fill a larger 

 space by planting them farther apart. Selections of distinct colours, 

 in various shades of white, red and blue, either in the single or double 

 form of flower, may be obtained, and in making choice it is well to 

 bear in mind that the quality of a bulb can generally be determined 

 by its density — a sound and prolific bulb is both hard and heavy. 

 Finally, it may be permissible to advise that the single varieties 

 among Hyaciaths be not neglected, as in them are retained more 

 freedom and elegance than is generally found in the double kinds. 



HYACINTHUS-CANDICANS. See Galtonia. 



HYDRANGEA. A handsome flowering shrub, valuable both 

 for the garden and the greenhouse. It thrives best in a warm, moist 

 climate, such as may be found on our southern and western 

 coasts, while in the island of Madeira it is seen to perfection. H. 

 Hortensia is the common Hydrangea of the garden and embraces 

 many varieties, such as acuminata, a sturdy, well-formed plant with 

 blue flowers; japonica, very like acuminata but with flowers tinged 

 with red; communis, with pink flowers; and stellata, with rose- 

 tinted flowers turning to a greenish hue. H. paniculata should also 

 be mentioned for its fine heads of white flowers, borne in dense 

 panicles of about a foot long and remaining in bloom for a long time, 



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