October  22,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Sr’  rr 
1 1 
Interior  View  of  Winter-Garden  at  Moulton  Paddocks. 
Reminders  About  Bulbs  for  Beds. 
Although  there  are  hosts  of  other  bright  flowering  plants 
employed  for  spring  bedding,  there  can  be  no  mistaking  the  fact 
that  bulb.s  and  tubers  are  each  year  more  largely  used  for  the 
same  purpose.  Their  period  of  beauty,  though  of  short  duration, 
is  often  the  time  when  gardens  appear  in  their  most  brilliant 
dress  of  the  season,  and  brightness  we  need  everywhere.  Let 
the  rich  h^ve  them  in  their  thou.sands,  and  others  in  their 
hundreds  or  dozens,  and  each  will  find  the  investment  a  good  one. 
Nothing,  in  my  opinion,  tends  so  much  to  promote  the 
“  strenuous  ”  life  as  the  pur.suit  of  gardening. 
Although  we  have  so  far  escaped  any  very  severe  autumn 
frosts,  the  season  has  arrived  when  flower  beds  and  borders  will 
need  a  thorough  overhauling  to  prepare  them  for  the  spring 
display,  and  it  is  also  a  time  when  flower  beds  may  conveniently 
be  given  their  annual  dressing  of  manure.  The  materials  em¬ 
ployed  for  the  purpose  should  to  .some  extent  be  regulated  by 
the  plants  to  be  grown  in  them.  If  bulbs  are  to  be  largely 
planted,  it  is  not  wise  to  add  manure  except  in  a  thoroughly 
decayed  state,  as  the  tender,  fleshy  roots  do  not  work  freely  in, 
fre.sh  manure,  which  often  harbours  hosts  of  minute  yet  trouble¬ 
some  grubs.  Old  hotbed  manure  in  a  sweet  condition,  with  the 
addition  of  a  little  soot,  answers  well.  When  the  soil  is  stiff, 
plenty  of  sweet  leaf  soil  and  burnt  refuse  form  splendid  material 
for  biilb  beds,  and  in  many  establishments  these  are  always  pre- 
liared  in  readiness  for  such  occasions. 
As  the  weather  is  often  so  changeable  at  this  season,  it  is  an 
excellent  plan  to  clear  a  number  of  beds  each  morning,  dig  them 
roughly,  and,  after  a  few  hours’  exposure  to  air  and  sunshine, 
level  and  plant  them  :  because  if  rains  come  during  the  night  it 
is  often  several  days  before  the  .soil  is  again  in  a  sufficiently  dry 
condition  for  planting.  With  a  well  worked  .soil,  the  .dibble 
answers  well  for  planting.  A  suitable  depth  for  planting  Tulips 
is  from  five  to  six  inches;  Daffodils  slightly  deeper;  and  smaller 
bulb.s,  such  as  Crocuses,  from  three  to  four  inches.  Shallow 
planting  is  not  to  be  commended,  as  there  is  nothing  like 
securing  plenty  of  active  roots  before  the  tops  push  through  the 
.soil.  Fortunately,  during  recent  years  there  have  been  many 
striking  departures  from  old  methods  of  planting,  and  instead 
of  invariably  massing  bulbs  in  beds,  they  are  often  with  advantage 
associated  with  other  plants. 
In  flower  gardens  of  geometrical  design,  masses  of  distinct 
colours  and  prominent  growths  are  exceedingly  effective,  but 
they  are  shown  up  to  greater  advantage  when  separated  by  less 
formally  arranged  beds,  in  which  the  colours  and  forms  of  the 
flowers  used  are  skilfully  arranged. 
The  charms  of  the  many  varieties  of  Crocuses  cannot  be  over¬ 
looked,  because  they  bring  the  first  touch  of  real  brightness  in 
early  spring.  It  is  a  pity,  in  some  respects,  that  they  are  so 
early,  taecause,  although  often  recommended  for  edging  beds 
with,  their  flowers  fade  before  those  of  most  other  bulbous  plants 
open.  Scilla  siberica,  however,  if  planted  at  the  same  time,  will 
generally  begin  to  flower  before  the  brightness  of  the  Crocuses 
is  over.  And  Chionodoxa  Lucilise  follows  the  Scilla  closely. 
These,  might  therefore  be  associated  in  beds  where  dwarf  plants 
are  needed,  or  each  be  planted  separately  in  small  beds  where  a 
touch  of  early  colouring  is  desirable. 
Among  Daffodils  and  Narcissi,  the  follo\ving  are  particularly 
good  for  planting  in  quantity,  when  high  prices  cannot  be  paid  : 
Van  Sion,  Princeps  (pale  yellow),  Obvallaris  (early),  Golden  Spur, 
Bulbocodium  citrinum  (sulphur  coloured).  Sir  Watkin,  and 
poeticus  ornatu.s.  These,  with  Orange  Phoenix  and  poeticus, 
give  a  late  display. 
Single  Tulips  form  beautiful  combinations  if  planted  among 
Wallflowers  or  Myosotis.  Yellow  Wallflowers,  planted  a  foot  or 
more  apart,  according  to  the  size  of  the  plants,  with  Tulipa  chrys- 
olora  between,  makes  a  particularly  bright  bed;  and  yellow, 
white,  or  pink  Tulips,  represented  by  such  fine  varieties  as 
Canary  Bird,  Pottebakker,  L’lmmaculee,  or  Rose  Gris  de  Lin, 
planted  a  foot  apart,  with  Myosotis  as  a  groundwork,  are  com¬ 
binations  always  admired.  The  Scarlet  Due  Van  Thol  is  a  well- 
known  dwarf  early  variety.  Cottage  Maid  (white,  edged  rose) 
and  Couleur  Ponceau  (beautifully  feathered)  are  telling  kinds 
to  plant.  Fverybody  should  also  plant  a  few  bulbs  of  the  pecu¬ 
liarly  beautiful  Thos.  Moore  (oraime  buff). 
Violas  form  an  excellent  groundwork  for  Tulips  of  all  descrip¬ 
tions,  provided  the  latter  are  not  planted  closer  than  a  foot 
apart.  The  double  Tulips  are  particularly  showy,  and  are  excel¬ 
lent  for  massing.  Gloria  Solis  (crimson,  edged  gold)  is  one  of  the 
besh;  La  Candeur  (white)  and  Rex  Rubrorum  (scarlet)  flower 
simultaneously,  and  are  good  for  associating  in  a  mixed  bed. 
The  Crimson  Tournesol  (scarlet  and  yellow)  is  a  massive  flower  of 
great  beauty.  ,  ,  p  ,, 
Hyacinths  have  the  advantage  of  being  delightfully  scented 
as  well  as  showy,  but  the  price  of  the  bulbs  usually  prevents  them 
from  being  so  largely  planted  as  lulips.  Ihe  following  varieties 
are  particularly  good  :  Charles  Dickens  (porcelain  blue),  L’lnno- 
cence  (whit(*)i  ^f  Ihe  Blue.s  (dark  blue),  Dlaiie  (puijilish 
blue),  Norma’  (rose  pink),  and  Roi  des  Beiges  (light  scarlet). 
Those  who  have  a  fancy  for  a  bed  of  many  colours  mu.st  not 
neglect  the  St.  Brigid  Anemones,  for  a  bed  of  them  in  lull  beauty 
is  Ime  of  fhr  sights  of  Die  year,  even  in  tlu'  flu-'st  gardens  ^ 
something  to  engender  enthusiasm  by  day  and  to  iiispiri'  dreams 
at  night  I  H.  D. 
