SOIL AND SITUATION 35 



deserve to be grown in a place to themselves, where 

 they can be properly studied and attended to. But beds 

 given up to them entirely in the front garden will be 

 untidy while the leaves are dying off, and empty during 

 the summer and autumn. It is a good plan, therefore, 

 to assign to the Narcissi some portions of ground in 

 suitable parts of the kitchen garden. Long rectangular 

 beds are the most convenient, made four feet wide, so that 

 it is easy to reach to the middle from either side, 

 without setting foot upon them. I enclose mine with 

 wood edging boards which have been well tarred. 

 This not only prevents the edges of the bed getting 

 trampled upon, but makes it easy to raise the level a 

 few inches above the surrounding surface, which is a 

 •uery beneficial arrangement in gardens inclined to be wet. 



The more vigorous varieties will do well with almost 

 any aspect which is not absolutely sunless ; but sunshine 

 is necessary to properly ripen the leaves while the next 

 year's flowers are forming, and so any bulbs that are 

 planted in a very shady place should not be allowed 

 to remain unmoved more than one or at the most two 

 seasons. Undoubtedly Narcissi prefer to have a fair 

 amount of sunshine, but to be partially shaded from the 

 midday sun. The White Daffodils are particularly 

 grateful for the shade of trees, as long as the sun is 

 not wholly kept from them, and these varieties do 

 much better when planted near to (but not immediately 

 under) a hedge or shrubs. They then have to maintain 

 a contest with the fibrous roots of their encroaching 

 neighbour, and their health is best when they have to 

 fight for their living. Wherever your beds may be 

 placed, let the ground be deeply dug (I prefer it double 

 trenched), and well drained, if there is not good natural 

 drainage. But the digging should be done long enough 

 before planting time (say two or three weeks) to let the 

 soil settle, for the Narcissus does not like to be planted 



