October 19, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



797 



delight. A belt of the winter Crocus, C. 

 Imperati, violet, buff, and black-purple: 

 AUTUMN AND WINTER, or C. biflorus, white, marked w.th 



BULBOUS FLOWERS OF 



Gardeners who fail to make jud"cious 

 plantings of bulbs during July, August, and 

 ^ptember miss one of the chief opportuni- 

 ties of the whole year ; the preparation of 

 ^eauty that will cheer the pleasure grounds 

 iuring the dull months is, in too many 

 places, infinitesimal. Because floaver beds 

 md borders full of bloom in November^ De- 

 ^ember, January, and February are rare 

 jbjectSj certain to attract admiration — 

 that non-jealous delight which soothes both 

 soul and ey-e — espeoial (pleasure should be 

 taken in creating such displays in front 



sma 



ions. 



The common deterring idea is that a per- 

 fect climate and dry^ warm soil is needed, 

 and that without them time, labourj and 

 noney will virtually be thrown away. Now 

 this does not apply to the culture of oolohi- 

 c'ums, autumn crocuses, and winter crocuses 

 at all, while even the exquisite winter- 

 blooming irises can easily be accommodated 

 with low rockeries made up of suitable 

 ompost, and so planned as to concen- 

 trate south sunshine and shut oflF cold 

 ivinds, the large slabs of stone being kid 

 so as to protect the roots from stagnant 

 moisture, their one foe. 



It may be doubted if Colchicum autum- 

 nale is to be found in one front garden 

 out of a hundred, and when it is grown 

 't is generally as an isolated group or two, 

 =-ar in the shrubbery. This hardy bulb 

 vill bloom well under trees, or close against 

 he objectionable privet and other hedges 

 :hat destroy the healthfulness of so much 

 )order soil, but it is entitled also to better 

 ;reatment. An edifying display was made 

 ast year in the east border against a villa 

 iront; during summer begonias were gay, 

 in September Colchicum autumnale was 

 added, one bulb between each begonia, so 

 that during November, after the tender 

 plants had been store<l, the ground was 

 one flush of peach-mauve. Small golden 

 shrubs were added, in the places of the be- 

 gonias, as soon as the meadow saffrons 



failed. 



This plan could have been improved upon, 

 liovvGver, by the use of a fine <'ollection of 

 olchicum species iiistea<l of the employ- 

 nent of one, as all the mauve, rose, crim- 

 en, and purplish colours tone excellently ; 

 vhile later blossom might have been given 

 >y the winter and early spring species that 

 H-e so little known. From November to 

 ';nmary ( ^{>l<'hi( uni IM'aisnei can bo had 

 11 perfection, and this is a flesh-coloured 



V"n ^^^^^^^^ which is about four 



>"illings a dozen hulhs, be re(-k(nuxl extra- 

 vagant for a peronnial addition of such 

 ^^('rit. Cohhicuni brarliyjihyllnni, pinky, 

 vhite, blosNonis in Drrrnibor and daimary; 

 ^f'veral otbrrs be<ri„ in oarlv Fohrnarj', 

 if)tal)ly (\ lutf'uin. (»ranu,-vv'l|()\v ; hy- 



''■'^pliylliuii. ]>iui»lisli-n)so;* C. cilicicum, 

 *»>y;rrinison : and the violrtliiuNl White C. 

 '^■witloruni. two more expensive gem.s. Yet 

 niak:ng bold bank sides or summits of 

 ^each colour the common C. antuninale ran 

 ^cordially recommendinl, or use niav be 

 ^ade, for other effix^ts, of its varieties, 

 ^^^^eum, roseum plennm. pur])lish-orimv^on, 

 plenum, pale lilac. 



There are aristocrats, too, among these 

 Wiimn saff'rons. notablv Colchicum Born- 

 nullen, rosy-peach, white <'entred ; C. by- 

 -antinum^ rose; C. Parkinsoni, lilac and 

 ^hite; C. Sibthorpi, red-purple; and C. 

 'Peciosum rubrum, crimson. 



A l)ed filled with golden euonvnnis ein;h- 

 ^een inrhes high, and the antumn Crocns 

 ^P^^^^us. a reallv hri-ht blue, will be a 



, - lilac, 



might be added ; and finally a broad edge 



of the early spring Crocus Tommasinianus, 

 a peculiar amethyst-blue shade; this would 

 blossom before the ordinary mixed crocuses 

 of our gardens. 



Golden winter crocuses can be well massed 

 around green or silvery shrubs. Crocus 

 Susianus is most used, but C. ancyrensis is 

 deep orange-yellow, therefore vastly supe- 

 rior, and oosts only a penny a bulb. An 

 effective species is Crocus Sieberi, mauve 

 with yellow base. The autumn Crocus 

 longiflorus is soft mauve, and deliciously 

 fragrant. 



In considering the possibilities of the 

 winter iris we may give Iris stylosa, Iris 

 reticulata, I. histrio, and I. histrioides first 

 place in order of merit for January 

 blossoming, but a charm all its own belongs 

 to the small azure Iris Vartani, which 

 comes from the Holy Land, and is s;iid +^ 

 be always open by Christmas. 



could be induced to flower a good deal 

 earlier than that. 



The bulbs which are now retarded in 

 such a wholes-lie manner come chiefly from 

 J apan^ the first consignments reaching 

 here, as a rule, about the end of October. 

 The greater number consist of the variety 

 Wilsoni, a superior form to the typical 1j. 

 longiflorum, but large quantities of the 

 vigorous-growing giganteum and the dark- 

 stemmed Takesima are also sent. All of 



the Japanese bulbs are splendidly ripened, 

 and even 



the comparatively small ones will 

 flower well, while the larger ones yield a 

 ,ma.gniif*cent diisplay. A variety sent to 

 this country in very limited numbers is 

 foliis albo-marginatis. In this, each leaf 

 has a clear and decided edging of white ; 

 and when well grown it is, from a foliage 

 point of view, equal to a dracsena. 



Prior to the advent of these Japanese 

 bulbs, we used to obtain our supplies of 

 L. longiflorum from Holland, but we do 

 not draw many from that country now. 

 The longiflorum of the Dutch has shorter 

 The deep blue Iris verna of early spring flowers and leaves than the Japanese form. 



is tolerably hardy in any sunny open border 

 of the southern counties, and the March 

 Iris Sindjarens's will give azure and white 

 blooms on stems a foot tall. The beautiful 

 Iris reticulata, violet and yellow, and the 

 blue, white, and violet Iris Bakeriana, both 

 gifted with the perfume of violets, flower 

 freely in borders against south walls. 



If more use were made of bulbous and 

 other plants that flower in dreary months 

 of the year our gardens would gain im- 



interest. The old-fashioned 



and 



mensely in 

 hepaticas, double 

 single nodding snowdrops, 

 star-like winter aconite, si 

 eluded in beds and borders, 

 beine ensured bv earlv nla 



single ; 

 and 



the tall 

 the ffold 



M. H. 



LILIUM LONGIFLORUM. 



This occupies a foremost place among the 

 most popular of all lilies, and deservedly so 

 for whether its beautiful silvery trumpets 

 are borne out of doors during the summer, 

 or under glass throughout the entire year, 

 they are admired by everyone. Though it 

 iwill flower well for one or two seasons after 

 planting in many gardens, it is only occa- 

 sionally that it can be permanently estab- 

 lished, in the sense that Lilium candidum 

 and L. croceum may be. 



Bulbs of this lily must nowadays be im- 

 ported into our coimtry by millions^ for in 

 many coanmercial establishments they are 

 flowered in a wholesale manner. The bulk 



of them are sent here from Japan, but we 

 also receive large quantities from South 

 Africa, and a^so from Bermuda. From this 

 last-named island the first ^bulbs were sent 

 about thirty years ago under the name of 

 L. Harrisi, which name is still retained, 

 though it is really but a fonn of L. longi- 

 florum. Tliese Bernnula-grown bulbs 

 ''cau(xht on" at once, as in the first place 

 they attaine<l a dovrlojunent to which we 

 wvro at that tinio quite una<"<'ustonie<l ; and 

 no\t .invinii to tlu» carlv i>eric(l at wlnVh thev 

 ripoiuMl, they reached Iutc long before it 

 was pos.sible to obtain dorniiint bulbs of L. 

 longiflorum from any other source, for the 

 retarding system which has now attained 

 such dimensions was at that time undreamt 

 of. It was, I remember, considered to be a 

 most noteworthy fact when we obtained 

 flowers of Lilium Harrisi at Christmas; 

 while now, thanks to retarding, they may 

 be had in plenty at that season. A popular 

 name for L. Harrisi was that of the Easter 

 Lily of Bermuda, on the grouml that the 

 silvery trumpets were available for Piaster 

 <lecorations, but as a matter of fact they 



This retarding, not only of lilies, but also 

 of such things as spiiaeas, lily of the valley, 

 etc., has been in vogue about a dozen years. 

 At all events, my first introduction to this 

 method was a group contributed by Mr. T, 

 Rochford^ of the Turnford Nurseries, when 

 the meetings of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society were held at the Drill Hall, Buck- 

 ingham Gate, on October 23, 1900. The 

 exhibit at that time aroused a great deal 

 of attention. 



Where Lilium longiflorum is cultivated 

 for sale, the bulbs are usually either potted 

 singly in 5in. pots, or three bulbs arQ 

 arranged triangular-wise in pots Gin. in 

 diameter. In common with all lilies that 

 flower in a perfectly satisfactory manner 

 the first season after they are moved, 

 Lilium longiflorum pushes out a cx)nsider- 

 able number of roots from the base of the 

 stem, and these convey a large portion of 

 nourishment to the flowers. For this reason 

 many cultivators, when potting the bulbs, 

 leave a space of a couple of inches or so to 

 allow of a top-dressing of good soil when 

 the stem roots are ready to take possession 

 of it. Apart from this, as the ]>ots get full 

 of roots, an occasional dose of liquid manure 

 is very beneficial. 



When Lilium longiflorum and its varie- 

 ties are grown under glass it is very neces- 

 sary to keep a sharp look-out for aphides 

 or green-fly, as these are very apt to collect 

 in the tender, unfolding leaves, and may 

 do a great de^I of damage before their pre- 

 sence is suspected. They attack the buds 

 while quite small, and cause the flowers to 

 become deformed. Dipping the points of 

 the shoots in an inse<^ticide, or vaporising, 

 is the best way to get rid of them. 



Planted out of doors the Japanese bulbs 

 may be depended upon to make a grand 

 display the first season, hut, as above 

 stated, unless exceptionally situated, they 

 are likely to deteriorate afterwards. The 

 conditions most favourable to this lily are 

 a free, sandy, well-drained soil, and a shel- 

 tered position. The ibulbs are none too 

 hardy, hence a good plan is to cover the 

 ground in the winter with some protecting 

 material such as leaves, bracken, or coco- 

 nut fibre refuse. S. W. 



Wistaria sinensis for Forcing. 



— The forcing of hardy flowering- shrubs for 

 greenhouse decoration has made considerable 

 headway within recent years, a great num- 

 ber of different subjects having proved amen- 

 able to that treatment. In making a selc- 

 tien of the best^ the wistaria must on no 

 account be passed over, for, grown as stan- 

 dards, it will flower freely, and 

 distinct from its associates.— T. 



IS 



quite 



