GARDEN FLOWERS. 



169 



THE SNOWDROP. 

 (galanthus nivalis.) 



The glory of the snow, OMonodoxa ImcilioB, is a bulb 

 from the mountains of Asia Minor. It grows from four to 

 eight inches high, and in early spring 

 is covered with spikes of the most 

 beautiful sky-blue, white-centred flo^'^'- 

 ers. Winter aconite ( Erantliis liyema- 

 lis), also bears beautiful bright-yellow 

 flowers in early spring. But the ear- 

 liest of all these early bulbs is the 

 snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis and 

 G. Elwesii, bearing large bell-shaped 

 white flowers, which often peep out 

 in January. All these very early-blooming bulbs are 

 specially attractive planted in the greensward, vrhere their 

 charms are relieved by the first green of spring. Yet the 

 border in the flower garden is the most congenial after all, 

 the place where the best flowers bloom. 



Many of the irises are beautiful, but there are none more 

 delicately and daintily beautiful than 

 the bulbous and tuberous-rooted species. 

 Chief among these are the golden-netted 

 ii'ises ( Iris reticulata ) . The flowers are 

 deep violet-blue, netted with fine golden- 

 yellow lines. It is early blooming, 

 fragrant, and hardy. Iris Iberica 

 (Chalcedonian iris) is a showy species 

 with large rich purple flowers, beauti- 

 fully veined, and spotted with a black 

 spot on each petal. It blooms somewhat later than Iris 

 retimdata. There is a well-known pomponian lily, Lilium 



SCARLET TURBAN LILY. 

 (lilium pomponium.) 



