72 
THE LADIES’ MAGAZINE OF GARDENING. 
ON THE MEANS OF IMPROVING THE GENERAL APPEARANCE OF 
SMALL GARDENS, BY INTRODUCING PLANTS NOT IN COMMON 
CULTIVATION. 
BY FLORA. 
It has often struck me that there are many beautiful plants that might 
be introduced to give diversity to our gardens, instead of repeating the 
same things over and over again, till 
“ Every garden looks just like another, 
And one long alley but reflects its brother. ” 
To prove my assertion, let us only consider what are the bulbs usually 
found in gardens. You, madam, are now publishing a work on bulbs, 
and I am sure you must be aware of the truth of what I am about to 
say. The only bulbs we see in ordinary gardens are a few crocuses in 
spring, nearly all the oldest and commonest varieties ; such as the Scotch 
crocus, the cloth-of-gold, the large yellow, the purple, and the cream- 
coloured ; the latter two being of comparatively rare occurrence. In 
some gardens we find a few lilac and white varieties, but the common 
Scotch crocus and the cloth-of-gold are by far more common than any 
others; and yet I have been told there are eighty or ninety distinct kinds, 
including varieties. 
After the crocuses come the Scillas or Squills, very pretty flowers, 
but the prettiest are the least common. I say nothing of the hyacinths, 
as those grown in the open ground are seldom worth looking at, unless 
they are in regular beds, and then they are generally the best sorts. 
The tulips are like the hyacinths in some respects, and particularly as far 
as regards florists’ tulips; but there are several kinds that are quite 
hardy, and will grow in the open ground for several years without taking 
up, or occasioning any trouble. One of these is the yellow French tulip, 
which is not only very elegant, but very fragrant; a quality the more 
valuable, as the smell of tulips is generally very unpleasant. 
When the tulips are over, there are perhaps a few plants of the 
common corn-flag, the crown imperial, the yellow, white, and .Martagon 
lilies, the common daffodil, the poet’s narcisse, the jonquil, and perhaps a 
few grape hyacinths, and the common star of Bethlehem. 
I believe I have now enumerated the principal bulbs usually found in 
gardens; and though many of them are very handsome in themselves, we 
have seen them so often that we have become weary of them. Now, I 
am very fond of bulbous plants, and having a small garden which I 
manage myself by the help of a man-servant, I thought I would try 
