8 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 3, 1898. 
NARCISSUS CERNUUS. 
This may be described as one of the white Trumpet 
Daffodils, and was considered as a true species by 
Haworth. Ideas have greatly altered since his day 
regarding the relative values of species in this genus, 
and all the trumpet forms of Narcissus are now 
classified under N. Pseudo-narcissus. N. cernuus 
finds its position under the N. moschatus of Linn¬ 
aeus, a sub-species of the wild English Daffodil. N. 
moschatus is well known as a tiny and lovely white 
Daffodil, that is rather difficult to cultivate after the 
first year from imported bulbs. This objection does 
not apply to N. cernuus, which is a large, early, 
white Daffodil of easy cultivation. The segments 
are white, and sometimes exceed the corona in 
length. The corona is pale lemon when it first ex¬ 
pands, but when fully developed it becomes pure 
white. The flower is distinctly drooping, as the 
name cernuus would imply, and nods gracefully on 
the top of its stems. Every part of the plant, in¬ 
cluding the flower, is several times as large as that 
of N. moschatus, the type under which it is imme¬ 
diately placed, and which is entirely confined to the 
Pyrenees and the Iberian Peninsula in a wild state. 
N. cernuus is amongst the earliest of the trumpet 
Daffodils to bloom in the open air, and remains in 
perfection for a considerable time during the month 
of March. It is equally amenable for pot culture 
as for planting in the open ground. Turfy or 
fibrous loam with a sufficiency of sand to ensure 
porosity, is all that is really necessary to obtain good 
results with imported bulbs. A little leaf mould 
may be added if necessary to render the loam more 
friable. A good sprinkling of bone meal and wood 
ashes over the compost previous to mixing it would 
stimulate the growth of the plant and give larger 
flowers. When growth is active close attention must 
be paid to watering so that the soil may never at any 
time get very dry. The bulbs may even be grown 
on a second year in the same pots and compost for 
the earliest supply of cut flowers. After flowering 
the first time, the pots may be stood in the open air 
and kept well watered till the fol'age dies down. 
The bulbs may remain in the open air till the 
autumn rains start them into growth, when they 
should be placed under the shelter of glass on the 
approach of winter. Newly imported bulbs always 
give the shortest stems and the largest flowers, and 
are therefore best for conservatory work and for ex- 
hib tion. The accompanying illustration of this 
early flowering Daffodil was lent us by Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, Reading, who import bulbs of all 
sorts extensively. 
-—*»- 
DAFFODILS AMONGST SHRUBS. 
Of all hardy spring flowering subjects few are belter 
adapted for associating with trees and shrubs thau 
the Daffodils, both single and double. The rockery 
proper looks best when covered with dwarf, creeping 
or trailing subjects of an evergreen character lor 
preference. Very often, however, there are spots or 
situations in the grounds of public and private 
establishments, where charming effects may be pro¬ 
duced by planting Daffodils in a free and easy man¬ 
ner so as to resemble semi-wild conditions. 
That Daffodils associate very well with trees, 
shrubs and even hedges has been quite evident to us 
from boyhood; and during the latter part of the period 
when the whole family was suffering neglect and 
obscurity from which they have emerged during 
more recent times, the double N. Telamonius 
plenus and the brighter yellow double form of N. 
Pseudo-narcissus were the mcst abundant and 
evidently the best fitted to take care of themselves, 
when simply left alone to their own resources, under 
tall trees in half shady situations, by woodland walks 
and under the shelter of hedges. Each colony formed 
a dense tuft that flowered abundantly every year, 
the crowded state of the bulbs being due to the 
natural increase of the bulbs by offset. Under these 
conditions the flowers would be smaller than these 
from bulbs lifted every year, but not the less attrac¬ 
tive and ornamental even when seen from a distance. 
The accompanying illustration, put at our disposal 
by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd., Chelsea, shows a 
mixture of Daffodils in shrubbery. There is a grow¬ 
ing tendency in many modern gardens to introduce 
the roots and stumps of trees amongst shrubs, Ferns, 
&c., so as to impart a semi-wild character to the 
spot selected in harmony with the surroundings. 
Various beautiful forms of Ivies may also be planted, 
so as to climb over the tree stumps and thus add to 
the variety. Where space is limited, numerous 
species and varieties may be planted more or less 
thickly all over the ground, but always in clumps of 
a sort. Thus the specialist may enjoy his hobby 
apart from the formality of a garden border generally 
in request for some other kind of floral display 
during the summer months. The shrubbery or the 
rootery where Daffodils constitute the display in 
spring will not look bare in summer, owing to the 
presence of shrubs, Ferns, Ivies and other subjects 
that may be planted to covtr the ground without 
disturbing it. 
--+*- 
TWO EARLY FLOWERING GLADIOLI. 
The Gladiolus gandavensis and other large flowering 
bulbs are not expected to bloom till August and 
September, but several pretty species, varieties aod 
hybrids with flowers only half the size, and exceed¬ 
ingly graceful for cut flower purposes, bloom in July, 
and are popularly known as early flowering Gladioli 
for this reason. The most popular and most exten¬ 
sively grown of all is The Bride (G. Colvillei albus), 
which is grown in the open air to cut for market 
purposes, and in pots for conservatory decoration. 
It is grown under glass in a compost consisting 
chiefly of substantial, but friable and turfy loam, so 
as to hasten growth and obtain flowers earlier than 
from those in the open air. The equable climate of 
Guernsey is highly favourable to the welfare of this 
Narcissus cernuus. 
