34 



THB GREENING PICTORIAL SYSTEM OP LANDSCAPE GARDENING 



FALL BULBS 



THESE are a class of plants that store up nourishment 

 in their roots in the form of large hulbous forma- 

 tions : hence the name. Most of them resemble onions. 



Nearly all the bulbs used in this country are grown in 

 Holland, which is at present the bulb market of the world. 

 But as indicating the versatility of the American people 

 and the wide range of soil and climate under our flag, it is 

 pleasant to note the development of the bulb lousiness in 

 the Puget Sound district, where experiments have passed 

 the tentative stage ; and it is a hopeful sign of the times 

 to see this " infant industry " assimilate the Asiatic cheap 

 labor of the Pacific Coast, and thus remove what has been 

 heretofore a very fruitful cause of international friction. 

 Nevertheless we are still dependent on Holland for the 

 bulk of our supply and probably will be for many years yet 

 to come. Alillions upon millions of bulbs are brought into 

 this country every year, the first receipts coming in near 

 the first of September and continuing for about three 

 months. 



These plants require so little attention, and are withal 

 so cheap, that everyone can enjoy their beauty, from the 

 dweller in a boarding-house who is monarch of all he 

 surveys, within the rim of a six-inch flower-pot, to the 

 merchant prince whose grounds are park like in extent. 



TULIPS IN BEDS 

 Beds of tulips at the intersection of walks in a park make a gorgeous show in 

 the early spring. They should be planted in October or early November in well- 

 drained, loamy soil, about three inches deep and four inches apart. Mulch with 

 long manure and remove it when growth starts in the spring. 



SOIL 



The most important rec|uisite in the 

 soil is that it be well drained, for bulbs 

 are very intolerant of soggy ground. 

 Even when the ground is tiled it is well 

 to raise the beds somewhat above the level of the yard, so as \o 

 shed surface water, and it will also be found that a slight convexitv 

 will be a material assistance to that end as well as display the 

 flowers to better advantage. y\s to quality, the best soil is a friable 

 sandy loam, enriched with well-rotted barnyard manure. If this 

 is not available, bone meal will help ; but in no case should fresh 

 horse-manure be used, as the fermentation generates enough heat 

 to kill the Inilbs. 



As the bulbs come in known, dis- 

 tinct colors, it is possible to execute very 

 pretty designs with them, though few 

 arc more satisfactory than plain figures, 

 like a circle, oval or rectangle; and after the bulbs ha\ e ripened 

 the ground can be f)ccupied by 1)edding ])lants, like Geraniums or 

 Salvias; or self-seeding annuals can be used, like Verbenas, 



LOCATION OF BEDS 



Nasturtiums, Poppies, etc., which require no care except thinning" 



out. One of the most successful amateur gardeners that we know 



uses Verbenas exclusi\^ely to succeed the bulbs, and he has a very 



enjoyable secjuence of flowers. 



In natural gardens the best place for the bulbs is along the 



border of the shrubbery beds, and interspersed among the shrubs 



where\'er there is an opening large enough to nestle a colony of 



them. Some of the bulbs, like Snowdrops, Crocuses, and Scillas 



can be naturalized in the lawn, and as they will be out of the 



way before the grass needs mowing they will come year after year 



without further care. Others, like the Poet's Narcissus, are fine 



to naturalize in the wild border. 



So far as 



concerned, like 

 REPLANTING ^. . . , 



Narcissi, when 



it is best to get a fresh supply of bull)s 

 e\'erv vear ; but ordinarily bulbs will gi\'e a satisfactory bloom 

 "about three vears, when they should be taken up and dix ided. The 

 large bulbs may be used again. 



the bedding kinds are 

 Hyacinths, Tulips, and 

 select bloom is desired 



