38 BOOK OF OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERS 



The Crocuses will grow and prosper in almost any 

 good soil, especially if it rest on chalk or other porous 

 subsoil. The commoner kinds may advantageously, 

 especially in soils not too heavy and wet, be left in the 

 ground undisturbed for many years, and there are few 

 floral sights more beautiful than that afforded by a 

 skilful grouping of yellow crocuses naturalised in grass 

 either under deciduous trees or in the open. The very 

 early species should be grown in a warm and sheltered 

 position, where the winds and frosts of January will not 

 be able to destroy their beauty. Almost as valuable as 

 the crocus, and even more easy to grow, are several of 

 the species of scilla, a bulb long cultivated in English 

 gardens. Two of the species, which are especially worth 

 growing on account of their beauty and extreme earliness, 

 are the dark-blue S, bifolia {vj'ixh. its varieties, /r^ri?;v and 

 taurka) and iS. sibirica, with its intense, vivid blue 

 colour, as of some gem resting on the dark green leaves. 

 Later, larger and sturdier, though scarcely so valuable, 

 are the well known light blue Spanish Scilla, S. 

 campanulata, and the numerous varieties of our beautiful 

 wild bluebell, S. nutans, Scillas, like crocuses, should 

 be planted in bold natural groups among other plants, 

 or naturalised in woodland glades or shady lawns and 

 meadows. Somewhat resembling the Scillas, though 

 even more beautiful, are the recently introduced 

 Chionodoxas (C Luciliae, C, Sardensis, and C, grandiflora), 

 which exhibit every shade of purest blue, mingled in 

 varying proportions with white. In light soils they 

 increase very rapidly both by division of bulbs and by 

 seed. 



A stately flower, which formerly held a much more 

 respected place in the garden than it now occupies, is 

 the Crown Imperial (^Fritillaria imperiaUs), In rich, deep, 

 garden soil, or in a rich shrubbery border, it usually 

 thrives ; and when well established is an interesting and 



