Original Designs for Bulb Beds—By Jens Jensen 



Chicago, 

 Illinois 



WITH DIAGRAMS SHOWING JUST WHERE TO PLANT EVERY BULB, THE VARIETIES, COLOR, 



COST AND HOW TO FOLLOW THE BULBS WITH SUMMER AND AUTUMN FLOWERS 



Planting diagrams by the author ; photographs by Henry Troth 



FLOWER beds serve two distinct purposes 

 in relation to the home, and must be 

 planned for accordingly. First, as a part of 

 the general landscape; and second, as indi- 

 vidual ornaments to be looked into at close 

 range, not unlike the rug on the parlor floor. 



WHERE TO PUT THE BEDS 



In the one case, herbaceous or annual 

 flowering plants are arranged in a naturalistic 

 way, together with groups of trees and shrubs ; 

 in the second, they are planted in more or less 

 formal designs. This type of bed is useful 

 for filling out corners at the turn of a walk or 

 drive, for bordering a straight path, or imme- 

 diately adjoining the house. Where condi- 



161. A circular bed of two colors composed of 117 

 white Alliance and 126 Belle tulips: also 135 pansy 

 plants which should bloom all of May and June 



tions are favorable, such beds may fill up and 

 relieve an uninteresting space between a 

 straight drive and a parallel path; or in a 

 half circle directly in front of the porte- 

 cochere, they add color to the architectural 

 design. But it is a sad mistake to put a 

 flower bed in the middle of a lawn. It inter- 

 rupts the green and makes a place look 

 smaller than it really is. 



As to soil mixtures, the professionals differ 

 among themselves, but it is very much like 

 splitting hairs. For all general purposes, the 

 amateur will find a medium black loam is 



162. A circular tulip bed with a gay stripe of 

 another color— just for a change. Bold, simple, dash' 

 ing colors. The right sort of spring tonic 



satisfactory to any kind of plant commonly 

 used for bedding purposes. By a medium 

 black loam is meant a black soil that will 

 crumble away between the fingers when 

 pressed together. The soil should be in a 

 moderately damp condition when so tested. 



BUY SOME GOOD RICH DIRT 



As a general rule the good soil should 

 never be less than twelve inches deep, and 

 eighteen inches is nearer to the right figure. 

 Increase this amount where the subsoil con- 

 sists of sand or gravel. It always pays to 

 have plenty of good soil because the invest- 

 ment in plants remains the same whether 

 in good or poor soil, but the results are as 

 different as night and day. 



The price of good garden soil differs a great 

 deal, and can perhaps best be judged by the 

 distance it has to be transported. In our 

 larger cities — here in the West — or their 

 suburbs, the price for garden soil delivered in 

 large quantities is seldom less than $i per 

 cubic yard, and for smaller amounts from 

 $1.25 to $1.50. 



Dig over the beds to the full depth of the 

 spade just previous to the planting, all roots 

 and stones being carefully picked out, and the 

 bed immediately raked smooth with an iron 

 garden rake. A good tool for digging is the 

 spading fork, and especially where the ground 

 is more or less heavy. Periodically — every 

 three or four years — the beds should be sub- 

 soiled in the fall and left alone until the next 

 spring. By subsoiling, I mean to dig the 

 ground two spades or more deep, throwing 

 the top soil in the bottom and the bottom soil 

 or last spading on top. The plant food so 

 gained will amply pay for the extra labor. 



BULBS YEARLY IN THE SAME BED 



Even with the best kind of soil at disposal, 

 a continued harvest of any kind will impov- 

 erish the land to such an extent that artificial 

 fertilizing is necessary. Decayed stable ma- 

 nure or commercial fertilizers must be added 

 to the flower bed every year. A good way is 

 to use the stable product every third year and 

 a quick-acting fertilizer the two intermediate 

 years. The stable manure should be spaded 

 into the ground, and must always be well 

 rotted. The fertilizer should be raked in. 



THE MOST FAVORABLE PLANTING DATE 



In this latitude (Chicago) October 20th to 

 November 1st is about right for bulb planting, 

 perhaps a few days earlier for narcissus. 

 These directions do not include all of the 

 lilies, some of which have to be planted a 

 great deal earlier — but lilies are not classed 

 as spring bloomers. Information concerning 

 them should be obtained from nurserymen or 

 dealers who catalogue a long list of lilies. 



Tulips, on account of their superior hardi- 

 ness and showy colors, are used more than 

 122 



any other bulbous plants in geometrical beds. 

 To obtain the best effect they should be 

 planted from five to six inches apart and 

 three to four inches deep. Hyacinths and 

 some of the larger narcissi demand a little 

 more space, eight or nine inches being about 

 the proper distance. It is very important 



163. The great strength that comes from planting 

 only one variety in a bed. It is a mistake to mix all 

 sorts of hyacinths in the same bed 



that tulips and hyacinths be set to an even 

 depth ; and be sure to get the top of the bulb 

 toward the surface. Other fall-planted 

 bulbs, such as scilla, chionodoxa, snowdrop, 

 crocus and kindred small bulbs, where they 

 are to be planted in masses and for the pur- 

 pose of saving time, may be planted in drills 

 made two inches deep. The bulbs are set 

 two to three inches apart and the drills cov- 

 ered up with the back of an iron rake. 



WINTER PROTECTION AND SPRING GROWTH 



Most bulbs that are planted in the fall in 

 this latitude need winter protection by straw 

 litter, leaves or evergreen boughs. This 

 should not be spread over the beds before the 

 ground is frozen solid, and in an open winter 

 leave it off entirely. If left on the beds too 

 long in spring the plants will start to grow 

 into the covering and make its removal diffi- 



164. A long, narrow strip between a path and 

 driveway or near the house can be made a blaze of 

 color by filling it with tulips this fall 



