ArcrsT 31, 1912 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



071 



spatliiilata major is a hupeib thing in 

 dazzling scarlet ivitli blue-'black base. 

 Ranging from pale primrose to deep yellow 

 are Mrs. Keighley^ lutea, Bouton d'Or, 

 Mrs. Moon^ Illuminator , and retroflexa. 



Considerable diversity is also noted as to 

 the decorative value of hya-cinths, and this 

 is I'ery pronounced when arranged in masses 

 in large numbers. Amongst dark blue kinds 

 we have nothing to equal King of the Blues 

 and Marie, whilst the most effective 

 amongst those in light shades are Regulus, 

 Czar Peter, Leonidas^ Pieneman^ Electra, 



Blondin, and Enchantress. Scarlet and 

 dark shades are finely represented by La 



Victoria, Linnfeus, Roi des Beiges, Stanley, 

 and Robert Steiger j and I hardly think 

 tliat alba maxima, Blancheur a Merveille, 

 rinnocence, and Snowball have any superior 



amongst white kinds. 



I have nothing 



but praise for Yellow Hammer, Bird of 

 Paradise, City of Haarlem^ and Obelisqiie 

 for this work, not forgetting Gigantea, 

 Pink Beauty, Rose a Merveillo, and rosea 

 maxima in ehades of rose and pink. 



It is quite sxiperfluous to dwell upon the 

 merits of crocuses, snowdrops, scillas, and 

 other of the smaller bulbous plants for 

 massing ; and, pretty as small colonies un- 

 doubtcfllv arc, we should aim at a Kew 

 standard, more especially with regard to 

 the Siberian squill, whose wondrous beauty 

 is the delight of visitors in spring. 



Walter H. Aggett. 



BULBOUS IRISES. 



The bulbous section of the beautiful 

 family of iris provide us with some of the 

 most welcome and useful flowers of early 

 spring. Even during the winter months 



the lovely Scorpion Iris {I. alata) may be 

 had in bloom in sheltered positions, with a 

 covering of glass to protect it from the 

 weather. On a sunny border in the months 

 of Eebriuiry and March there is a no more 

 welcome and charming sight than little 

 groups of these early-flowering species like 

 I. stenophylla, with its beautiful blue and 

 white flowers, or the dainty little I. Dan- 

 fordia?, with its yellow blooms. For culti- 

 vation in pots or pans the smaller ones are 

 indispensable for the cold greenhouse, 

 brightening up the house with their beau- 

 tiful shades of colour. In the rock garden, 

 too, these little bulbous plants may be used 

 with great advantage planted in groups in 

 sheltered corners, or between low carpeting 

 plants, which will form a background for 

 them when in flower. 



Most of the early-flowering kinds come 

 from Asia Minor, the country from which 

 so many bull)s like the Glory of the Snow 

 (Cliionodoxa) and scillas come, to give us 

 such sheets of blue in the iirass and border 

 \\\ eaily s])riiio;. OtluM's, like I. orchioid:^?; 

 J^ihI the <'losely-aliietl I. I)ucbari:'a, witli 1. 

 A\ a i lev(Misis. e(ini(* from farther oast in 

 'I'nrkcstan. 'I'lu^ lat(M'-l!ow{Ming I. tingi- 

 taria and I. jiiucea eonie from Northern 

 Africa, while the iinlispensable English and 

 Spanish iris arc natives of Southern 

 Kurope. 



Apart from tlie English and Spanish 

 irises, which flourish in anv irood irarden 



soil, and are not j)articular as to position, 

 rnost of the other kinds are best suite<l in a 

 warm position in the rock garden, or 

 slightly raised sunny border. Thtn' like a 

 root run of light, well-drained, suidv soik 

 H'lth which has been mixed plentj- of broken 

 nncks or sandstone. All irises of the per- 

 sica or Juno group (well characterised by 

 their two ranked leaves) produce thick, 

 flcshv, permanent roots, wbieli s(M-vn as 

 .storehouses of foml. Tlios,. ]^enetrate 

 de(^ply, beire tlu^ ikmhI of an open, well- 

 <lvniihMl soil to <anv awav surplus water 



It grows well in light 



quickly during the resting period. The 

 following are some of the more showy and 

 easily-grown kinds. 



I. alata .^The Algerian iris is a charming 

 winter-flowering member of the Juno 

 group, and in mild seasons is often in bloom 

 in mid-winter. Thes'e beautiful irises, 

 however, need (protection against- the 

 weather, which destroys their beauty at 

 that time of the year. A handglass, or 

 even a piece of glass, is sufficient to throw 

 off the heavy rain. The flowers are large 

 and vary much in colour from a deep blue 

 to pure wliite. 



soil in a warm border, but the chief diffi- 

 culty is to get the bulbs ripened sufficiently 

 to produce flowers the following season. 

 They must either be taken up, or kept dry 

 by a covering during their resting period. 



I. Danfordise.-.On account of its earli- 

 ness this is one of the most charming little 

 plants of the family, with its bright yellow 

 flowers. It is quite hardy, and does well 

 on sunny borders, but it is worth grow- 

 ing in pans for the alpine house. The 

 bulbs should be potted up early in the 

 autumn in light, rich soil, and then may be 

 plunged in ashes in a cold frame, or even 

 outside. As soon as the bulbs show signs 

 of growth they may then be taken into 

 the house. After flowering the pots shouM 

 be re-plunged in a sunny place to ripen off 

 the bulbs, using the larger bulbs for pot- 

 ting up, and planting out the smaller ones. 



I. juncea <'an be grown in any warm 

 border. The bulbs are small, and produce 

 slender stems with long leaves, while tht^ 

 floAvors are about four inches across, and 

 golden-yellow in colour, the falls being very 

 broad and long, marked with carmine on 

 the keel. It is an Algerian plant, and 

 looks better when growing amongst some 

 low-growing plants to form a background 



for it. There is also a pure white variety 

 of this species in cultivation. 



I. orchioides is a valuable hardy plant, 

 and one of the best of its section. It grows 

 freely, and increases when planted in good, 

 loamy soil, with plenty of broken brick and 

 mortar rubbish mixed Avith it. The bright 

 yellow flowers are produced freely in March 

 and April. A closely-allied and beautiful 

 species is I. bucharica, with similar habit, 

 growing about a foot high. It has 

 flowers which are pure white in the upper 

 portion, with golden-yellow falls and crest. 

 Both are good plants for growing in pans. 



I. persica. — A nati^^e of Asia Minor, that 

 has the distinction of being t. 1 in the 

 " Botanical Magazine." It is less hardv 



be 



than manv of the others, but niiiA 

 grown wnth a little protection in Avinter. 

 On account of its exquisite colouring it is 

 AA^ell AA'orth a little trouble. 



I. reticulata. — This favourite plant is so 

 well knoAvn that it needs no d<^Rcription. 

 There are seA'eral forms of it of which the 

 vari(^ty major lias the largest flowers. I. r. 

 hi.strioi<hvs, which <'ome.s from SA'ria, is an 

 E^arly-iloAvtM ing form of great beauty, A'ary- 

 ing much in colouring and size of floAvers. 

 It is one of the hardiest for the border, as 

 wel 1 as bei n g of great A^a I u e f <^ r use in 

 ])ans. The flowers, Avhich are produced in 



March, haA'e their falls mottled Avith Avhite 

 and rich lilac spots. There is also a ])ale 

 blue A\ariety knoAvn as A^ar. cvanea. I. r. 

 var. Krelagei is an early-floAA*ering form, 

 A\ ith sonieAA'hat dull-coloure<l floAA'ers. All 

 are valuable for use in the cold greenhou.se. 



I. Sieheana, from Asia Minor, also knoAvn 

 as I. Haussknechta. is a charming little 

 bulb Avith floAvers of a curious mixture of 

 silver-grey and purple. 



I. simljarensis is oiu^ of tlie t;iller-gr(iwing 

 kinds, with ;ii-ching leaves :uid somewhat 

 vellowish-wliile flowers. It is A'crv har<lv, 

 and (Iocs \\ell in the Itorder. 



I. stenophylla (1. Heldreiclii). — A very 

 <Iistinct species of the j)ersica group, Avitli 

 very large flowers on stems about three 

 inches high. The stantlai'ds are of a soft 

 blue shade, the talis intense blue, bordered 

 with Avhite. 



I. Tauri is a closely allied plant, a!so 

 from Asia Minor, AA^ith deeper viol(*t-])urp]e 

 floAvers of various shades, tinted in \ ai ious 

 parts Avith gold or l)ronze. 



I. tingitana. — Exci^pt in the more 

 southern counties the Tangiers iris does 

 not floAver so freely as on<^ <*onld wish. It 

 is very beautiful, Avith tlu^ hal)it of the 

 English iris, and large 11ow<ms of a pale 

 blue merging into ])ale ])ui])l<\ wiili a keel 

 of goklen-yelloAV. To su-c<'ee<] with it the 

 bulbs must ))e Avell ri])ened off, eitht^r by 

 lifting and storing, oi- by covering them 

 up from Avet. It shoukl be planlc<] in rich. 

 AvelWrained soil on a Avarm soutii border. 



I. Vartani is a Avinter-floAvering kind from 

 Palestine, Avith pale blue floAvers. 



I. Warleyensis is a member of the orchi- 

 oides group from Eastern Bokhara, A^ery 

 free floAvering, and one of the easiest to 

 groAv. T'he floAvcns A ary fro»n ])ale to deep 

 violet, Avith d*M'pei-coloured falls, Avhich. 

 again, are margined Avith A\liite. Another 

 closely allied kind is I AVillmottiana, from 

 Eastern Turkestan ,A\-ith lavender-coloured 

 flowers, haAnng blotches of white on the 

 fall. 



I. xiphioides.— The Englisli iris is mueh 

 larger than the Spanish iris, and comes 

 into flower about a fortnight later. It 

 prefers a somewhat heavy and moist soil. 



and may be naturalised in fern borders <u 

 similar places Avhere the necessary condi- 

 tions of moisture obtain. The garden 

 forms of this iris are numerous, and manv 

 are of great beauty. 



I. xiphium (Spanish iris). — This well- 

 known iris embraces many beautiful forms, 

 AA'hich are of great value in the garden. 

 They are of easy cultivation, and do Avell 

 in somewhat dry soils. From the numerous 

 varieties of all shades of colour that are 

 offered in catalogues it is easy to make a 

 good selection. W. I. 



THE ASTURIAN CROCUS. 



The cr(Huses of autunm are very Avel- 

 oome, and ar^ wncrailv \erv beautiful as 

 well. Thev come with the sliorteneil <]avs. 



% 



and giA'e us a toii^taste of Avhat Ave may 

 expect Avhen spiing comes round. an<l the 

 almost flowerle.ss daA^s of Avinter give pb'u^e 

 to those of the gladsome spring. 



There are many valuable an<l beautiful 

 autumn-floAvering crocus species, but none 

 is more easily grown than the Asturian 



cr(K'Us (Crocus asturicus), a shoAvv and 

 pretty one from the Asturias mountains. 

 It has the merit — for those Avith slender 

 purses, at aiiA' rate of being com])ara- 

 tiA^ely cheap; AA'hile a^ some dealers sell it 

 in distinct shades, groups of different tints 

 can be formed for the garden. The range 

 of colours is not large, but it is sufficient 

 to giA'e a change, although even a group 

 of mixecl Crocus asturicus is beautiful in its 

 way. What is known as the tA'pi<al C. 

 asturicus has flowers of a kind of purple- 

 lilac, striped with darker marks towards 



the base. 



Then there is a pretty blue variety, called 

 C. azureus, Avhich makes a pleasing grou]^ 

 in the rock garden, on grass, or in the 

 border. In atro-purpureus we have a fine 

 Aariety of a distinct and handsome dee)) 

 purple, and one of the most effective of 

 the group. A pleasing <^rocus. Avitli ni^e. 

 soft, lilac flowers, is calle<l lilacinus. and 

 A-ariety is giA-en by n maine one nanie<i j>a!- 



!idu>. All tlie^c cro(M]s(\s shculd bf' p'-mti d. 

 as e'l rl V as they c-ni l'*' pre -u red. at a 

 d(*ptb of an in<-h oi- t o. D- 



