340 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



drawn and weak. After the flower-spikes have 

 developed the plants may he taken to a green-house 

 or Vinery, as a cooler temperature preserves the 

 flowers. By potting in September a continuous 

 succession of flowers may he had from about 

 December till May, the latest supply being from the 

 Italian or American bulbs potted about the beginning 

 of the year. In February or March bulbs may be 

 either planted out in frames, or the pots placed in a 

 cold frame, and these plants will flower from about 

 May till Midsummer, and some bulbs may be planted 

 in the open border in June. Tuberoses, in fact, may 

 be successfully grown under cool treatment during 

 spring and early summer, and excellent flowers have 

 even been produced on warm borders in the open 

 air. A good spike will produce on the average about 

 fifteen flowers, and these, as a rule, are picked off 

 separately, and used for button-hole bouquets, as the 

 flower-buds expand in succession. It is useless to 

 attempt to propagate the Tuberose in this country, as 

 the bulbs do not mature, and they are rarely of any 

 use for a second yield of bloom, therefore rub off any 

 bulblets attached to the bulbs when received. The 

 sorts grown are called Double Italian, Pearl, and 

 Double African. There is also a variegated sort. 



Puschkinia scilloides. — A pretty spring- 

 flowering bulb, resembling some of the Scillas. 

 The flowers are a delicate blue, with a dark blue 

 stripe down the centre of each petal. In the variety 

 compacta the flow r ers are more dense. It is sometimes 

 confused with the little Chionodoxa nana, and other 

 names for it in gardens are P. Libanotica and P. 

 sicula. It flowers in March or April, is perfectly 

 hardy, and is a native of Asia Minor. 



RTiinopetalurn Karelini. — A plant allied to 

 Fritillaria. It is dwarf, and bears bell-shaped 

 white flowers, mottled with pink and red. It 

 blooms in spring, and requires pot-culture in frames. 

 Native of Central Asia. 



Rigidella. — Half-hardy bulbs, and requiring 

 frame or green-house culture. There are two species 

 in cultivation — R. flammea and R. immaculata. The 

 flowers of flammea are a brilliant scarlet. R. im- 

 maculata is less showy. The bulbs may be either 

 potted in autumn or kept in sand till March. 



Romulea (Trichonema) . — A small genus of Irida- 

 ceous plants, all of small growth. There are about 

 half a dozen kinds in gardens, the commonest b^ing 

 R. bulbocodinm, a native of South Europe. It has 

 grass}*- foliage, and flowers like a Crocus, of a bright 

 rosy-lilac ; similar to it are Chisii, ramiflora, rosea, 

 and Columnar. The best way to grow these miniature 



plants is in a raised warm border facing south, open 

 to the sun, and so arranged that at any time they 

 may be protected. A sandy loamy soil suits them, 

 but the border must be dry and well drained. 



Schizostylis coccinea.— This is a pretty South 

 African plant, flowering in late autumn, when open- 

 air flowers are scarce. It resembles Gladiolus in 

 growth, and when well grown produces flower- 

 spikes a yard high. The flowers are a bright crim- 

 son. In the Southern counties it is perfectly hardy in 

 the open borders wuthout protection, but in Midland 

 and Northern districts it does not generally thrive 

 well in the open air unprotected. When grown out 

 of doors it likes a light loamy soil, and an open 

 sunny situation, if at the foot of a south wall the 

 better. It is often grown in pots for green-house 

 decoration, for which purpose the plants, after being 

 wintered in frames, are planted out in May in an 

 open border of good soil. By the following Sept- 

 ember the plants will have grown into nice tufts. 

 These should then be lifted and potted, and taken 

 to a frame or green-house. They will begin to 

 flower, and remain in bloom for several weeks. It 

 may be readily increased by division in spring. A 

 native of Kaffraria and Natal. 



Scilla {Squills). — The Squills flower at a time 

 when nature has scarcely awakened from her winter 

 torpor, and their neat growth and glowing ccerulean 

 hues of their flowers render them very charming. 

 The hardy Scillas are natives of Europe, chiefly 

 found in the central and southern parts, whereas 

 the majority of the tender species are natives of 

 South Africa. The following list comprises a selec- 

 tion of the species best suited for general cultiva- 

 tion : — 



S. amcena — flowers a^out 

 three weeks later than 

 the Siberian Squill. It is 

 dwarf, tufted in growth, 

 and a profuse flowerer. 

 Flowers are an inch 

 across, of a dark indigo 

 colour, with pale centre. 

 Native of the Tyrol. 



S . hif olia — one of the earliest 

 harbingers of spring', 

 generally flowering before 

 winter is gone. In the 

 type the colour is a rich 

 turquoise-blue, but there 

 ai-e numerous forms — 

 white (alba) ; pink (car- 

 nea) ; rose (rosea) ; . pale 

 blue (pallida) ; and be- 

 sides these there are some 

 differing in size — for in- 

 stance, maxima, the 

 largest ; prsecox, the ear- 

 liest ; and Taurica, the 

 finest of all, both in point 

 of size and colour. In the 

 choice border or rock 

 garden, this Squill should 

 always be found, and it 



thrives well in any warm 

 light soil. 



S. campanulata (Spanish 

 Squill) — this is a later 

 flowerer than bifolia and 

 Sibirica, and others, and 

 is in perfection in May 

 and June. It is a vigorous 

 grower, like a magnified 

 form of the Wood Hya- 

 cinth or Blue-bell. The 

 type is blue. Then there 

 are white, pink, rose, 

 pale blue, and dark blue, 

 and some are large and 

 called maxima varieties. 

 It grows from twelve to 

 eighteen inches high, and 

 is an excellent plant for 

 the mixed border, shrub- 

 bery margin, or wild gar- 

 den. It is also called S. 

 Hispauica. 



S. Italica is a small kind ; 

 flowering in early summer. 

 It is pale blue. S. au- 

 tumnalis may be classed 

 with this species, and S. 

 verna also. 



