HARDY BULBS
Hyacinths--Hyacinths in
Pots--Scillas--Puschkinias--Chionodoxas--Chionoscillas--Muscaris
This group of bulbs is one of the most valuable, their bright colours
and beautiful forms giving the garden much of its attraction in their
season.
HYACINTHS
The garden Hyacinths, the offspring of H. orientalis, are fine for beds
or for groups or lines in borders, although too stiff for planting in
grass. They like a good, but light, soil, well enriched with thoroughly
rotted cow-manure, and may be planted three inches deep in a sunny
position in October. There are so many good varieties that intending
growers would do well to consult the catalogues of dealers and select
from them. Mixed Hyacinths are sold at a cheap rate.
HYACINTHS IN POTS AND GLASSES
There need be little difficulty experienced in growing Hyacinths in
pots, glasses, or jardinets, if proper care is exercised and the bulbs
have been properly grown and well-matured the previous season. The
pretty early varieties, popularly known as Roman Hyacinths, are very
useful, and may be had in bloom at various times by potting at
intervals from August onwards, about six bulbs being required for a
forty-eight size pot. They like a light rich compost, such as may be
made of good fibrous loam, with the addition of well-decayed
cow-manure, leaf-soil, and sharp sand; three parts of the first to one
each of the second and third being a good proportion. The bulbs should
be barely covered, and the pots plunged in ashes and covered with these
until the roots have made free growth, when the pots may go into a
frame or greenhouse. When the buds show, the pots may be put in bottom
heat in a temperature of sixty-five to seventy degrees. The white Roman
is the one generally grown for early work, but blush, blue, and
straw-coloured forms are also to be had, and form a pleasing change.
The large Hyacinths may be grown in a similar compost, although one
lighter and richer gives good results. They are potted with the crown
just above the surface, and plunged in ashes or fibre in a pit, frame,
or open ground. When the spikes show above the ashes they may be taken
in and forced if desired. A temperature of about seventy degrees is the
highest which should be allowed.
When Hyacinths are grown in water in glasses good sound bulbs must be
selected. The water should almost touch the base of the bulb, and a
little piece of charcoal should be placed in the glass. After putting
in the bulbs the glasses ought to be placed in a cool, dark place,
until the roots make their appearance, when they may be brought into
the light. Hyacinths may also be grown in moss, Jadoo, and cocoa-fibre
and charcoal, and even in sand. Bulbs which have been grown in pots and
glasses can afterwards be planted outside.
OTHER HYACINTHS
For early flowering in a sunny place in the rock-garden, the lovely H.
azureus, or Muscari azureum, should be grown. It flowers in January or
February, and has spikes of small blue flowers. The form freynianum is
hardier, but is a little later.
The charming little H. amethystinus, with blue flowers, and its white
variety albus, only a few inches high, are bright May-flowering bulbs
for the border or rock-garden. They like a light soil.
The Scillas, or Squills, are numerous and important garden flowers. Our
native Scilla nutans is pretty in the wild-garden, but it is surpassed
by the larger flowers and spikes of S. campanulata or hispanica, the
Spanish Squill, which is very beautiful in the garden or the grass.
Like our native Scilla, it has sported into several colours, and these
show some diversity of quality. The pink and the white varieties of
this called rosea grandiflora, Rose Queen, and alba compacta, are all
pleasing; as also are grandiflora, deep blue; Emperor, porcelain,
striped blue; and aperta, blue, striped white. Less showy, but very
delightful, are the early Squills, such as S. bifolia and S. sibirica.
These bloom about March, and give some variety of colour. Bifolia is
the more variable, and gives us the white variety, alba; a
flesh-coloured one, called carnea; and a pink, named rubra. Some new
forms, such as Pink Beauty and White Queen, are not in commerce. The
typical bifolia and the variety taurica, both blue, are very pretty. S.
sibirica is of different habit, though equally dwarf, and has larger,
drooping flowers of a fine blue. The variety taurica blooms earlier. S.
sibirica alba is one of the greatest acquisitions of recent years, and
has charming pure-white flowers. It is a gem for the borders or for
pots. Slugs are very fond of S. sibirica. S. verna is a beautiful
native Squill, seldom seen in gardens, but its lilac-blue flowers are
most attractive. Its white and rose forms are hardly to be met with. S.
italica is a somewhat neglected April and May blooming species, with
pretty conical heads of light blue flowers. The white variety alba,
though scarce, is obtainable, and is a charming plant. Scilla
autumnalis likes a light soil, and a warm, dry place on the rockery. It
flowers in autumn, and is worth some trouble to establish for the sake
of its blue flowers. The pink form, japonica, is desirable.
Ciliaris, hyacinthoides, and peruviana are highly ornamental in the
border, with their large heads of flowers in summer, and their broad
foliage; they are, however, shy bloomers in some soils after the first
year, and want thorough ripening off after blooming.
A Scilla little seen in gardens is Lilio-hyacinthus, which has broad
leaves, large bulbs with scales, like those of a Lily, and pretty
bluish flowers. There is a rare white variety, but the pink form seems
to have been lost.
Puschkinias are pretty bulbous plants allied to the Scillas, and
producing neat spikes of porcelain-blue or whitish flowers lined with
blue. They are easily grown on light soil, but require protection from
slugs when they first appear. They bloom in March, and there is only
one species in cultivation--scilloides--the variety compacta having a
denser spike.
Chionodoxas deserve all the praise they have received, although in our
climate they do not come, as a rule, when we have snow, so that the
popular name of "Glory of the Snow" is not so appropriate as in their
native country. The best known is C. Luciliæ, which has blue flowers
with a large white eye. The greater number of the others are distinct
enough for garden purposes, although classed by botanists as varieties
of this species. Sardensis is a favourite, with its smaller, deeper
coloured flowers, with hardly any white in the centre. Gigantea and
Alleni are nearly alike, but the latter has more flowers on the stem,
and is deeper in colour. Tmolusii is the latest to bloom of these
varieties; it resembles Luciliæ, but is of a deeper, more
purplish-blue. There are pink, and also white varieties of all these.
Cretica is the least effective of the genus, with the exception of the
scarce nana, which is a charming, if not showy little flower, almost
white and lined with blue.
The Chionoscillas are hybrids between the Chionodoxas and Scillas, S.
bifolia being one of the parents of nearly all the forms in existence.
These are interesting and pretty in their varied shades of blue or
pink. Seedlings from Chionodoxas do not always come true to the parent,
but may revert to one or other of its ancestors.
Muscaris are so numerous, and many resemble each other so closely, that
it is needless to attempt to grow more than a selection. Few are
prettier than the common M. botryoides, the Grape Hyacinth, which drew
from Ruskin words of praise familiar to many. It is very beautiful, and
its only fault is its rapid increase. Some of its varieties are prized
by those who grow them. The larger of the two white varieties, known as
album grandiflorum, and pallidum grandiflorum, with pale blue flowers,
are both pretty.
M. racemosum, the Starch Grape Hyacinth, is also pretty, with its large
spikes of deep-coloured flowers; there is a pink form, and a scarce
white one is also met with. A fine Grape Hyacinth is M. conicum, with
brilliant blue flowers in large racemes. M. Heldreichi is one of the
earliest and best, with its long spike of blue flowers, each broadly
margined with white. M. szovitzianum is a small, rather light-blue
species of considerable beauty. M. armeniacum is a good little Grape
Hyacinth. M. latifolium is very distinct, with its broad leaves.
M. comosum, the Tufted Hyacinth, is an interesting plant, but it is
surpassed for the garden by the form monstrosum, which has curiously
pretty frizzed blooms. It ought to be more grown.
The Musk Hyacinths are worth growing, if for nothing but their odour,
although they are pretty as well. They are, however, not satisfactory
everywhere, and often fail to bloom after the first season. They should
have a warm, dry border, where the bulbs will ripen off well. Moschatum
and macrocarpum are worthy of a trial at least.