DRYING GRASSES,— HARDY BULBS. 



281 



and planting out in the spring. Pennisetum longistylum, though classed as a perennial, 

 is more often treated as an annual, and is an effective summer bedding plant. 



Ornamental grasses associate well with everlasting flowers, such as helichrysums, 

 which are raised in exactly the same way as stocks and asters (see page 200), and dried 

 the same as the grasses. Such combinations render rooms cheerful during the winter 

 when fresh flowers cannot always be obtained. The small illustrations, supplied by 

 Messrs. Webb & Sons, Stourbridge, show how elegant these grasses are. 



Drying Grasses. — A certain amount of judgment must be exercised in cutting and 

 drying grasses for winter use. Directly the inflorescence is expanded, neither before nor 

 many days after, they should be cut with long stems, and laid thinly on sheets of paper 

 in a cool dry room. All will not be ready at one time, and if any are cut prematurely 

 they will shrivel ; if cut when wet, they will probably become discoloured, while if left 

 till the seed is ripe, this will drop, and much of the beauty of the grasses be lost 

 accordingly. 



BULBS FOB SUMMEB AND AUTUMN. 



Spring bulbs are treated in another part of this work (page 199), but there is a 

 considerable number of others, flowering at a later season, which are of the highest 

 value in the decoration of the flower garden. Lilies are spoken of by themselves ; but 

 the judicious use of those named in the following selections will give the garden 

 varied beauty and greater interest from early summer until the coming of winter. 



SELECTIONS. 



Allium. — The varieties of the Allium are very- 

 numerous ; such as the following come in well 

 among other flowers. A. acuminatum, rose, 1 ft. ; 

 Moly, yellow, 1 ft., June; pulchellum, purple, 

 9 ins., July ; pulchellum flavum, yellow, 9 ins., 

 July; descendens, purple, August. Any soil or 

 position. Plant in autumn, 5 or 6 inches deep, 

 and leave them undisturbed during the winter. 



Brodlea. — Beautiful bulbous plants. May and June. 

 Well-drained light soil, and south border. Capitata, 

 violet, 2 ft. ; c. alba, white ; *coccinea, scarlet, 

 2 to 3 ft. ; grandiflora, violet, 9 ins. ; *Howelli, 

 porcelain, \\ ft. ; *ixioides, yellow, 1 ft. ; laxa, 

 blue, 1 to 2 ft. Plant in autumn, 4 inches deep. 



Calocuortus (Mariposa Lily). — Lovely plants of the 

 most refined beauty, 4 ins. to 3 ft., June and July. 

 Plant from the end of September to November, 



VOL. I. 



3 inches deep, in raised, sunny border of light soil. 

 Cover with reeds or other dry litter until February 

 or March. The following are among the easiest 

 to grow. *Pulchellus, yellow ; lilacinus, purple ; 

 luteus, yellow and red ; *splendens, lilac ; venustus 

 in variety ; *the Eldorado strain in variety. When 

 the foliage has become yellow, lift the bulbs. 



Colchicum (Meadow Saffron).— Valuable autumn 

 flowering bulbs ; good soil. Varieties numerous, 



4 to 12 ins.. *Autumnale album plenum, white; 

 *plenum, purple ; roseuni plenum, rose ; byzan- 

 themum, rose ; Bornmulleri, pale purple ; *Sib- 

 thorpi, purple and white; *speciosum rubrum, 

 ruby crimson ; variegatum, purple and white. 

 Plant early in August, 4 to 6 inches deep. 



Crinum. — Noble bulbous plants, requiring a warm 

 sunny and sheltered position with plenty of 







