jggj^ THE GARDEN BOOK OF CALIFORNIA j^ 



de-Iis," and the magnificent Spanish iris or Iris hispanica. 

 Surely there is nothing else of the flower kind that so nearly 

 equals the choicest of the orchids as these hardy irises; they 

 are so simple of culture, succeeding in almost any soil or po- 

 sition, and the bloom lasts so long. I do not mention 

 varieties because any catalogue will furnish these. There 

 are several handsome English types grown in and about 

 Los Angeles, a few of the German and many of the dainty 

 Japanese type. The colors of the Japanese iris are un- 

 equaled, and they are particularly effective in depressed 

 positions as in the small arroyos or along the bank of a tiny 

 stream or pond. When not blooming, the plant is inconspicu- 

 ous and requires no particular care. Anemones, brodiaeas 

 and watsonias are grown with equal ease. Hyacinths re- 

 quire a little special shading during the forcing period. It 

 is very easy for them to become too warm or too dry when 

 planted in the garden bed, and the result is that they bloom 

 before they have acquired a proper stem. It would be well 

 to keep them covered until a flower stalk has been perfected, 

 though there is danger, of course, of weakening the plant 

 by too much shade. 



[44] 



