March  22,  1900. 
JOURXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
251 
I(ardy  Flower  Notes. 
“  *  *  Through  the  glades  the  balmy  southern  air, 
And  birds  and  boughs  proclaim  that  spring  is  here.” 
Though  the  lover  of  hardy  flowers  need  not  long  he  yvithout  a  few 
of  the  objects  of  his  care,  this  season  has  been  a  laggard  one.  Not 
that  its  lingering  steps  have  not  brought  compensation,  for  the  flowers 
have  stayed  so  long  in  the  lap  of  Mother  Earth  that  when  they  did 
appear  their  blossoms  have  h»d  a  more  kindly  time  than  often  falls  to 
their  lot  in  this  climate  of  ours.  We  are  enjoying,  as  this  is  written, 
calm  days.  Sunshine  is  not  plentiful,  but  wind  and  rain  are  not 
troubling  us,  and  tender-looking  blooms  stand  longer  in  beauty. 
Though  the  sweet  winsomeness  of  the  greater  number  of  our  spring 
flowers  has  not  yet  appeared,  we  have  many  of  the  early  flowers. 
The  “  Fair  Maids  of  February  ”  have,  many  of  them,  waited  for  the 
coming  of  March  ere  they  drooped  their  pure  blooms  from  the 
fragile- looking  stems.  They  are  as  lovely  as  ever,  whether  they  come 
in  the  form  of  our  common  Snowdrop  or  in  that  noble  flower 
Galanthus  Melvillei.  The  many  beautiful  varieties  of  the  Snowdrop 
are  alluring  in  their  beauty  of  form  and  chaste  colouring  of  white  and 
green;  the  latter  exchanged  in  some  three  or  four  varieties  for 
pleasing  soft  yellow  markings.  Fortunately  even  the  earliest  Snow¬ 
drop  has  lasted  long  this  season. 
Distinct  in  many  ways,  the  Snowflake  is  no  unworthy  rival  or 
companion  to  the  Galanthus.  Its  large  open  bell-like  flowers  do  not 
show  much  likeness  to  the  Snowdrop,  yet  one  finds  a  good  many 
people  still  who  think  it  is  only  a  Galanthus.  Its  flowers  are  charm¬ 
ing  with  their  satiny  lustre,  and  the  beautifully  marked  spots  on  the 
exterior  of  the  segments.  Perhaps  the  best  is  the  tall  robust  species, 
which  generally  gives  two  flowers  on  a  stem.  This  is  the  variety 
Vagneri  of  Mr.  Baker,  though  it  is  usually  sold  as  L.  carpathicum 
(fig.  68)  by  the  bulb  dealers.  It  is  earlier  than  any  of  the  other  forms. 
It  is  unfortunate  that  so  few  know  the  worth  of  Leucoium  vernum,  the 
Spring  Snowflake,  and  its  varieties.  Those  only  who  claim  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  the  Summer  Snowflake  can  have  little  idea  of  the  superior 
beauty  of  its  vernal  sister,  with  its  neater  habit  and  larger  flowers. 
The  fine  weather  since  a  stormy  February  ran  its  course  has  been 
extremely  favourable  to  the  Crocus.  The  season  being  late,  not  many 
of  the  varieties  of  Crocus  vernus  are  in  bloom  las  this  is  written,  save 
in  the  sunnier  spots.  It  is  a  misfortune  that  people  know  so  little 
about  the  Crocuses  which  are  not  usually  embraced  in  the  lists  of 
bulbs  sold  by  the  ordinary  dealer.  Without  fouching  on  the  charm¬ 
ing  Crocus  species,  we  have  varieties  of  Crocus  vernus  which  are  not 
generally  known.  I  have  one  beautiful  variety  in  flower  at  present 
that  is  named  C.  vernus  picturatus.  The  ground  colour  is  white, 
exquisitely  decorated  on  the  outside  of  the  (outer  segments  with  a 
charming  feathering  of  purple.  Near  it  I  have  just  coming  into 
bloom  that  curiously  pretty  form  known  as  Giorge  Maw,  whose  white 
flowers  have  a  golden  stigmatic  band  up  each  segment.  Then  there 
is  the  very  pretty  variety  of  the  same  species  called  leucorhyncus, 
whose  white  flowers  are  so  distinctly  feathered  with  purple.  It  bears 
the  popular  name  of  “Pheasant’s  Feather  Cro;us.” 
Crocus  biflorus,  too,  yields  us  some  pret  y  flowers.  I  am  never 
tired  of  looking  upon  the  typical  form,  whose  white  flowers  with  their 
yellow  zone  peep  from  among  the  grassy  leaves.  There  are,  however, 
varieties  of  great  beauty,  though  a  little  higher  in  price,  which  are 
worth  looking  out  for.  There  is  the  exqtisite  little  gem  named 
Pestalozzoe,  whose  small  and  shapely  white  flowers  look  so  charming 
in  the  rock  garden  at  the  present  tinje.  Th<  variety  Weldeni  is  also 
very  fine  with  its  pretty  blue  markings  on  th«  outside  of  the  segments. 
I  have  on  the  table  before  me  a  variety  of  Meldeni  that  was  sent  me 
by  a  Crocus-loving  friend  in  the  south.  Tlfe  marking  on  the  outside 
possess  so  pretty  a  form, 
which  now  enamels  the 
to  purple  and  from  pale 
Space  forbids,  and 
is  much  deeper  than  usual,  and  one  longs  to 
One  could  say  much  more  of  that  flower 
ground  with  almost  all  colours,  from  whitejl 
yellow  to  orange  with  many  lovely  markiugs. 
other  flowers  must  have  their  due. 
We  catch  here  and  there  a  glimpse  of  blhe  and  white,  purple  and 
pink,  from  the  flowers  of  the  Hepaticas.  [They  are  charming  where 
they  are  at  home,  and  I  often  wonder  that  tHose  who  have  time  do  not 
raise  seedlings  from  their  own  flowers.  It  ij  interesting  work,  holding 
forth  always  the  hope  of  something  new. 
Charming  flowers  are  those  hardy  Cyctmens  nestling  under  the 
rockwork’s  semi-shade.  They  are  Cyclarmn  Coum  and  three  of  its 
varieties.  Their  beauties  are  incontestabjb,  though  there  are  some 
who  worship  the  fetish  of  size  who  look  it  them  a  little  disdainfully 
because,  forsooth,  their  blooms  are  not  sol  large  as  those  of  Cyclamen 
persicum.  This  is  quite  true,  but  tlieni  the  latter  needs  not  only 
glass  to  shelter  it,  but  also  heat  to  bring  it  into  bloom  at  this  season, 
while  this  little  beauty  of  which  I  speak  is  not  only  content  but  happy 
in  the  open. 
If,  as  some  hold,  expectation  is  better  than  realisation,'we  who  love 
the  Daffodil  ought  to  be  supremely  happy.  All  about  us'are  the  signs 
of  a  bountiful  crop  of  the  charmin »  flowers  of  the  Narcissus.  Healthy 
leaves  from  which  are  emerging  many  buds  give  the  prospect  of  a  time 
when  the  silver  and  gold  of  the  classic  flower  will  be  strewn  far  and 
wide,  so  that  all  may  enjoy  the  wealth  of  beauty  it  yields.  Daily,  as 
we  stroll  round  or  work  near  them,  we  think  of  the  promise  of  the 
future,  and  wait — not  impatiently,  for  other  flowers  give  us  pleasure 
now — for  the  opening  of  these  perfect  flowers. 
We  have  had  for  some  time  the  earnest  of  the  reward  which  awaits 
us  in  the  curiously  beautiful  little  Narcissus  minimus.  I  call  it 
“  curiously  beautiful  ”  because  it  is.  It  is  curious  because  of  its  minia¬ 
ture  size,  and  it  is  beautiful  with  the  most  of  the  charms  possessed  by  the 
more  striking  loveliness  of  its  taller  sisters.  Its  earliness  is'no  slight 
Fig.  68. — Leucoium  carpathicum. 
merit.  Ere  passing  from  it,  one  would  remark  upon  the  variation  among 
collected  bulbs.  Some  few  of  the  flowers  may  be  like  the  small  form 
first  introduced  as  minimus,  while  others  more  nearly  approach  in 
size  minor  or  nanus.  Any  one  is  worth  having  and  worth  protecting 
from  the  ravages  of  the  slugs,  which  in  some  seasons  delight  in 
cropping  the  flowers,  and  thus  depriving  us  of  our  pleasure  in  seeing 
these  shapely  little  yellow  flowers. 
Never  before  have  I  had  so  much  pleasure  from  Hyacinthus 
azureus  (Muscari  azureum).  For  one  thing,  it  is  now  increasing 
quickly,  and  the  greater  size  of  the  clump  gives  a  brighter  effect 
with  its  clusters  of  closely  packed  blue  flowers.  For  another,  the 
prolonged  cold  and  snowfall  have  made  it  later,  and  one  now  reaps 
the  benefit.  It  is  shielded  from  its  arch  enemies,  the  slugs,  by  its 
zinc  ring,  whose  sharp  edges  form  a  barrier  to  the  foe. 
But  one  must  call  a  halt,  even  though  our  tale  is  not  fully  told. 
Much  as  one  delights  in  telling  of  one’s  favourites,  the  tale  may  weary 
some.  The  garden,  too,  has  its  needs,  and  as  one  goes  round  more 
