HOUSE AND GARDEN 
October, i 
909 
With snowdrops combine squills ( Scilla Sibirica) to get blue with the white 
Snowdrops bloom early in the spring before there is a sign 
of life anywhere—even earlier than the pussy-willows come— 
beside snow patches if not actually \ip through them; conse¬ 
quently there is no danger of injury to them by the lawn 
mower, as they are ripened long before time to cut the 
grass. The grass does not crowd them out in time either, 
as it does the crocuses which are so generally recom¬ 
mended for lawns—these are injured by the mower too, in 
spite of the statements to the contrary—and, last but not 
least, they are cheap, costing less than a dollar a hundred. 
Do not select the large-flowering forms for naturalizing, 
but choose the common, old-fashioned kind —Galanthus nivalis 
— and remember that they do not endure the intense heat 
of a very open and sunny situation; it bakes the bulbs 
in summer. 
With the snowdrops combine Scilla Sibirica — old- 
fashioned squills—for the color effect. This is a most 
wonderful heavenly blue and its blossoms appear along 
with the snowdrops, though it is not always so early as 
the very first of these. They are very nearly as delicate 
and must be planted quite as lavishly; and they are simi¬ 
larly adapted to close-shaven lawns, being dwarf and ripen¬ 
ing early. 
Scilla bifolia is another variety that blooms in March, of 
which there are blue, rose and white forms, as there are also 
of Scilla campanulata which blossoms in May. The latter 
will thrive under evergreens quite like the snowdrop. These 
bulbs average one dollar per hundred. 
There are one or two other things usually suggested for 
planting along with snowdrops and squills, but I am pur¬ 
posely omitting them for the reason that with these two, 
thickly set, there is no need for further species. Indeed, the 
introduction of anything more would spoil the effect of 
natural simplicity. 
Wherever grass is not to be cut until after July first—and 
then not with a lawn mower—it is possible to plant such a 
variety of bulbs as will give practically eight weeks of con¬ 
stant bloom; and in a place of any size at all, if the house and 
locality are not strictly formal, it may be worth while to 
let what would ordinarily be close-shaven lawn take on 
the character of meadow, for the sake of the 
different varieties of narcissi which may be 
naturalized in the grass. 
They like best a cool location, in a soil 
that is neither extreme of sand or clay, thor¬ 
oughly drained — there are one or two varieties 
which will grow in comparatively wet places 
— and lacking the meadow they may be 
planted with delightful effect in an orchard, 
in open woods, or among shrubbery. Indeed, 
they can be tucked in in clumps in every 
vacant corner, if there is no better place. 
The common pheasant’s eye —Narcissus 
poeiicus —which blossoms in May after other 
bulbs have gone by, is unsurpassed for 
naturalizing and the one most commonly 
used, being cheap — $7.50 a thousand or fi.oo 
a hundred—and I should not advise planting 
any other narcissus in quantity unless the 
ground is wet. In that case do not use this, 
but try the earlier variety which blooms the 
last of April— N. poeiicus, ornatus — and does 
not mind moisture so much. 
Jonquils may be freely strewn among the 
narcissi with excellent effect and their delicious 
fragrance adds to their desirability. These 
and the jubilant daffy-down-dilly are really 
only varying forms of narcissi, the latter name being applied usually 
to the double, trumpet-shaped yellow variety. Notwithstanding 
the objections which I have cited against the crocus — the injury 
Why not have poet’s narcissus among the rhododendrons ? 
