38 HENDERSON'S GARDEN GUIDE AND RECORD. 



Flowering Bulbs. 



CULTURE in GARDEN, POTS and NATURALIZED. 



Bulbous flowering plants are a unique class of the vegetable kingdom, the bulb being 

 a storehouse of reserve food and energy within which is formed after flowering and before 

 maturing a new plant, in embryo — flowers, leaves and stems complete, simply awaiting 

 development. During their dormant period -bulbs may be taken out of the ground and 

 stored for future planting, their places being utilized by other plants. 



The proper time to plant hardy spring-flowering bulbs, such as Tulips, Hyacinths, 

 Narcissus, Crocus, etc., in the garden is about 6 weeks before freezing weather sets in; this 

 gives them time to root well — whfle the cool nights deter top growth so the latter is not so 

 liable to be injured by freezing. 



PREPARATION OF BULB BEDS, PLANTING AND TREATMENT. As a 

 rule, well rotted manure (be sure it is well rotted, not fresh and heating) should be hberally 

 applied and dug in the ground deeply; it must be where the long, feeding roots can get at 

 it and yet not touch the bulbs, nor be too near their base. This is easily accomplished by 

 removing a few inches of the top soil first. If it is impracticable to do this, then it is not 

 advisable to use manure at all, for the bulbs are liable to come in contact with it and become 

 diseased. Bone meal alone is then the safest fertilizer to use. Liberal applications of 

 manure water when the bulbs are in bud often produces magnificent results. 



DEPTH TO PLANT BULBS. It is a common fault to plant bulbs too near the 

 surface. Some kinds, notably the Californian lilies Humboldtii, Washingtonianum, etc., 

 do best when ten to twelve kiches deep; Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, and similar large 

 bulbs from four to six inches deep — smaller bulbs somewhat shallower. Hardy bulbs 

 root during the fall and early winter, and if planted too near the surface, the freezing, thaw- 

 ing and heaving of the upper crust of the soil in mild winters often causes the bulbs to break 

 from their roots and in consequence only inferior flowers are produced. 



MULCHING. When good cold weather has set in and a hght crust has been frozen 

 on the soil, then cover the bed with leaves, straw, marsh hay or reeds to a depth of from 

 four to six inches; this protects not only from severe freezing but from equally injurious 

 tmseasonable thaws. Do not put the covering on too early for it might warm the soil so the 

 leaves and flowers in the bulbs would commence to grow and afterwards be injured from 

 freezing. Remove the covering in the spring gradually. 



NATURALIZING BULBS: FOR PARKS, GROVES, MEADOWS and wild out- 

 lying grounds beyond the closely clipped lawn, a very happy style of "naturalizing" bulbous 

 plants is coming much in vogue. Such bulbs should be used as can be planted in quantity, 

 twenty-five to a hundred or more of a kind in a patch, and only sorts should be used as are 

 hardy and will flower and thrive and kicrease with neglect; fortunately in bulbous plants 

 there are many that succeed even better in such rough places than in the prim garden, 

 among them we wfll mention hardy Anemones, Crocus, Chionodoxas, Camassias, Conval- 

 larias, Dicentras, Erythroniums, Funkias, Liliums, Narcissus, Scillas, Snowdrops, Trilliums, 

 and some of the late-flowering Tulips. The bulbs may be dibbled in when the ground is 

 moist and soft during the fall rains, but it is better to cut and turn back the sod here and 

 there, place the bulbs under and press the sod back again. 



SUMMER AND AUTUMN FLOWERING GARDEN BULBS FOR SPRING 

 PLANTING. This class, not hardy, include some of our showiest garden flo.wers, and are 

 almost indispensable. They are of the easiest possible culture; planted in the spring after 

 danger from frost is over, in a sunny position in good, rich, loamy soil, they will flower with 

 great certainty the same season. After flowering and the foliage has ripened, they are to 

 be taken up and stored for the winter in a dry cool place excepting those marked F must 

 be kept in a semi-dormant condition in a coldframe or greenhouse during the 

 winter. Among the more important species of this class of bulbs are the under-mentioned: 

 Alstromeria (F), AmorphophaUus, Anomatheca (F), Antholyza (F), Tuberous Begonia, 

 Bessera, Colocasia (Caladium),Cooperia, Crinum, CypeUa, Gladiolus, Galtonia (Hyacinthus 

 Candicans), Boussingaultia (Maderia Vine), Montbretia, Border Oxalis, Ornithogalum 

 (F), Pancratium, Richardia (Callas), Schizostylis (F), Sprekelia, Tigridia, Tuberose, Wat- 

 sonia, Zephvranthes. 



