ox HARDY BULBS AND TUBERS. 



349 



For naturalising, there is nothing better than S. nutans^ 

 the Wood Hyacinth or Bluebell of our copses, and its white and 

 red forms resembling in shape 

 the Lily of the Valley ; and S. 

 hispanica {campanulata) (Fig. 228) 

 and its white form (alba). They 

 are strong growers, and can hardly 

 be too freely planted, especially in 

 grass, while they rank among the 

 very best bulbous subjects for 

 planting under the shade of the 

 larger trees ; they flower in late 

 spring. S. italica is another bright- 

 coloured species, flowering in late 

 spring ; it is sweetly fragrant, 

 flowering in summer, are two or 

 should be found : .5. peruviana 

 are perfectly hardy, and are 



Fig. 229. — SciLLA peruyiaxa. 



summer; and 6'. autiiin?taHs, purple-blue, 

 Scillas make capital pot plants, and 



Distinct and beautiful, and 

 three sorts for which room 

 (Fig. 229), S. p. alba, which 

 handsome border plants in 



flowering in autumn, 

 are very frequently 

 employed as room 

 plants, the bright 

 flowers of say sibi- 

 rica and bifolia being 

 much appreciated in 

 spring. 



Hardy Scillas may 

 be planted about 

 3in. deep in autumn, 

 and are best not 

 interfered with for 

 several years, unless 

 the soil shows signs 

 of exhaustion. With 

 these, as with Cro- 

 cuses, however, this 

 difficulty is best got 

 over by periodical 

 top-dressings of good 

 manure. Propagated 

 by offsets taken in 

 late summer, or by 

 seeds, the latter, of 

 course, being a some- 

 what slow process. 



SiSYRiNCHiuM (Satiu Flower). — K not very popular genus of 

 iridaceous plants, though there are one or two species which 

 have great claims upon the gardener's attention. Those in 



Fig. 



230. — SiSYRINCHIUM GRANDIFLORUM 

 ALBUM. 



