September  18.  1902.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
271 
Border  Bulbs:  Some  Suggestions. 
While  there  are  many  plants  which  look  more  beautiful  in 
grass  than  in  the  border,  it  is  not  every  garden  which  has  suit¬ 
able  places  for  this,  save  it  may  be,  to  a  small  extent.  Everyone 
who  has  a  garden  may,  however,  grow  bulbs  in  beds  or  borders, 
and  may  thus  add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  garden  and  to 
their  own  enjoyment*.  The  border,  also,  is  the  better  place  for 
some  subjects,  such  as  the  Gladiolus,  the  Tulip,  the  Ixia,  the 
Ixioliron,  and  such  other  bulbs  as  require  to  be  lifted  and  stored 
away,  or  to  have  some  protection  in  winter.  It  may  be  taken 
for  granted  that  almost  any  plant  which  can  be  cultivated  in 
grass  may,  less  naturally,  perhaps,  be  grown  in  borders  or  beds, 
and  that  a  considerable  number  of  others  may  be  used  to  beautify 
them.  Uufortunately,  in  cultivated  ground,  where  high  cultiva¬ 
tion  and  liberal  manuring  is  followed  for  the  sake  of  other  plants, 
diseases  are  much  more  prevalent  to  injure  the  beauty  or  to 
destroy  the  bulbs. 
We  cannot,  however,  do  without  bulbous  plants  in  either  the 
mixed  borders  or  where  we  have  separate  beds  of  flowers.  The 
effects  which  can  be  and  are  produced  in  the  spring  garden  by 
massed  beds  of  bulbs  are  known  to  all,  yet  they  are  less  beautiful 
and  give  less  pleasure  than  do  groups  of  the  same  flowers  in  the 
mixed  borders,  where  they  have  as  a  setting  the  leaves  of  the 
plants  which  are  to  bloom  later,  and  which  tone  down,  just  as 
does  the  grass,  the  brilliant  colouring  of  some  of  these  bulbous 
flowers.  To  secure  satisfactory  results  it  is  necessary  that  the 
planter  should  study  so  as  to  have  a  proper  balance  between  the 
different  parts  of  the  border  at  the  various  seasons  at  which  the 
bulbs  will  be  in  bloom.  How  often  we  see  the  Snowdrop  or  the 
Crocus  carefully  planted  at  the  front  of  the  border,  the  result 
being  that  when  these  and  other  early  spring  flowers  are  in 
bloom  there  is  brightness  in  the  foreground  and  nought  but 
dulness  behind. 
This  is  easily  avoided  by  planting  these  early  bulbs  further 
back.  By  the  exercise  of  some  forethought  it  is  easy,  also,  to 
have  these  things  so  placed  that  a  later-blooming  plant  of  another 
habit  will  almost  or  quite  hide  the  withering  leaves  from  view. 
In  the  border,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  it  is  bold  planting  which 
tells,  and  one  had  better  plant  a  dozen  bulbs  of  a  kind  than  one 
of  each  of  a  dozen  different  species  or  varieties ;  that  is,  unless 
you  have  a  liking  for  a  6ollc"~tion  of  plants,  rather  than  for  the 
Darwin  Tulip,  Loveliness,  rose. 
Narcissus,  Cecil  Rhodes. 
decorative  effect  of  the  border.  It  is  also  the  place  where  these 
who  have  but  little  space  can  make  the  most  of  it  by  a  cunning 
planting  of  early  and  late-blooming  flowers  together.  A  clump 
of  spring  Crocuses,  Snowdrops,  Scillas,  or  Muscaris  may  have 
below  it  a  few  bulbs  of  Lilies,  which  will  spear  up  thfough  the 
early  bulbs  and  make  the  place  bright  again  without  injury  to 
them.  Or  a  mass  of  Spring  Snowflakes  may  be  followed  in 
autumn  by  a  group  of  any  of  the  Meadow  Saffrons  or  Colchicums. 
A  pleasing  variant  upon  this,  and  one,  too,  which  is  beautiful 
in  its  effect,  is  that  produced  by  carpeting  a  bulb  with  some 
dwarf,  surface-rooting  plant,  either  to  flower  with,  or  before  or 
after  the  bulb.  By  judicious  consideration  many  fine  effects  may 
be  produced,  either  by  the  use  of  contrasts  or  harmonies.  A 
favourite  combination  has  been  a  bed  of  Myosotis,  through  which 
grow  white  Tulips.  White  Arabis  makes  a  good  groundwork  for 
Tulips,  and  by  its  use  one  can  either  have  a  harmony  in  whites  or 
the  contrast  of  scarlet. 
One  drawback  to  the  employment  of  permanently  planted 
bulbs  on  borders  is  the  trouble  they  cause  by  being  invisible  when 
they  are  at  rest.  If  not  properly  labelled  with  a  good,  long,  metal 
tally,  they  ought  to  have  a  stout  hardwood  wooden  pin,  renewed 
when  necessary,  firmly  inserted  in  the  ground  in  the  centre  of 
the  clump.  This  will  not  only  frequently  save  the  bulbs  from 
being  injured  by  the  spade,  but  will  also  be  a  good  indication  of 
where  they  are  to  be  found  if  required  for  lifting. — Soieway. 
NARCISSUS,  CECIL  RHODES. 
This  new  variety  has  been  fittingly  described  as  ‘‘  a  giant  pale- 
flowered  Queen  of  Spain.”  What  the  parentage  is  we  cannot 
state,  but  N.  triandrus  and  N.  Emperor  have  been  suggested. 
Our  illustration  on  this  page,,  from  a  sketch  by  Mr.  G.  Shay. 1  or, 
furnishes  a  good  likeness  of  it.  Miss  \\  illinott,  of  Great  W  arK\\  . 
had  an  Award  of  Merit  for  the  variety  when  she  staged  blooms  m 
the  Drill  Hall,  Westminster,  on  May  G, 
