TLhc XiUcs of the ficlb. 



THE MIDSUMMER DISPLAY. 



The bulbs which bloomed in early -.pringtime are 

 only a memory now, but the present month and its suc- 

 cessors give us the most noticeable display of the season 

 in the lily-garden. Most of the very showy lilies are 

 coming into blossom, the gladioluses give a complete 

 show themselves, and there are many other plants in 

 bloom which seem just made to grow with bulbs. For 

 instance, tuberous-rooted begonias ; in the opinion of this 

 humble scribe they fit in so beautifully with the lilies 

 that no bulb-garden should be without them. And their 

 dwarf growth makes a desirable border for the taller 

 plants ; but of this more later. 



In planting lilies, as everything else, white flowers must 

 not be overlooked; as Ellwanger says, "White is the lens 

 of the garden's eye," and in a class so generally conspic- 

 uous for its glowing colors we need the snowy purity of 

 the Madonna lily (L. candidum) or the stately waxen 

 blooms of the tall annunciation lily (Z. loyigijloritm) , 

 Nor should we neglect L. speciosum album; the strong, 

 boldly recurved flowers of the latter form a good contrast 

 with those of other white varieties. Indeed, the specio- 

 sum group forms one of the most interesting classes 

 among Japanese lilies, and they thrive well in our cli- 

 mate. L. speciosum roseiim is handsomely marked 

 with rose on a white ground. L. speciosum rubrum is 

 similar, but the staining is a rich crimson rather than 

 rose. L. speciosum punctatum is the most beautiful of 

 the group. The flower is bluish-tinted and marked with 

 crimson dots, raised like a stud on its surface. This va- 

 riety is rather scarce and we rarely see it now, although 

 every collection of lilies should include it. A rather stiff 

 clayey loam seems to suit this group, though most of the 

 Japanese lilies seem to like a sandy soil. 



Here it may be remarked that when any lilies are to be 

 transplanted the operation should not be delayed too 

 long ; they should be moved as soon as they have had a 

 chance to ripen their bulbs after flowering. 



Among Japanese lilies, L. Kratneri is particularly 

 handsome, the flower being large and in color a bright 

 rose-pink. Its introduction a few years ago caused a 

 marked sensation, and it has never become common. It 

 does best in a sandy loam, and is very satisfactory when 

 grown in pots. 



If we were to begin talking about gladiolus the subject 

 might be prolonged indefinitely. There are so many fine 

 sorts and so many new sorts that it would take a prodig- 

 ious wealth of adjectives even to begin discussing them. A 



few suggestions only will be given. "We don't believe in 

 putting a single melancholy gladiolus, securely manacled 

 to a tall stake, in solitary confinement in a bed all to 

 itself — but this seems quite a common practice in some 

 gardens. We can recall a lawn edged with a series of 

 little round beds, like cells, each containing a single gladi- 

 olus ; and how lonesome and melancholy those poor 

 plants did look ! To get the best effect, these plants 

 should be planted in whole regiments, where the formal- 

 ity of the arrangement shows off their stiff green swords 

 and tall banners of glowing color. Have one border a 

 mass of red, another dainty pink fading gradually to 

 white ; the inharmony is positively painful when red and 

 pink are mixed without any regard for the natural 

 preferences of color. The gladiolus will develop best in 

 a sandy loam. One may see these flowers making a grand 

 show in the light lands of Long Island and New Jersey, 

 where one might suspect that nothing but purslane and 

 jimson-weed would flourish. A bulb that grows well 

 under the same conditions as gladiolus is the tigridia, or 

 shell-flower. This is extremely brilliant in color, and 

 very easy of culture. It is not particularly common, 

 either ; indeed, it is entirely unfamiliar to many. The 

 flowers are orange and red, handsomely marked. They 

 may almost be likened to an immense tripetaled tulip. 

 We can remember seeing them grown by the acre in New 

 Jersey some time ago ; they were suggestively tropical in 

 their luxuriance. 



Everyone that has a bulb-garden is pretty sure to want 

 a few tuberoses. Query ; W'hy do so many people, edu- 

 cated and illiterate alike, insist on calling these flowers 

 tube-roses ? Their proper name is Polianthes tubcrosa, 

 the common term being in this case a contraction of the 

 specific name, which refers to the root, not the flower ; 

 so that to call it a tube-rose is not only incorrect but 

 absurd. 



The double Pearl tuberose is the finest in every way, 

 and is very desirable for those that like the flower ; but 

 the cloying sweetness of the odor is so offensive to many 

 people that it is well to avoid putting them too near the 

 house. It is only a few years since these flowers were 

 highly popular for florists' use, but they are now en- 

 tirely out of date in the New York market, and are 

 hardly ever seen in a flower-store, though still sold by 

 street-peddlers. There is no doubt that the overpower- 

 ing fragrance of tuberose blossoms has had a good deal 

 to do with this loss of favor, and it is wiser not to bring 



