offsets--that appear in the axils of the aerial leaves, as shown in the
sketch. Many Liliums, like _bulbiferum_, _tigrinum_, _speciosum_,
_Leichtlini_, and some of the Alliums produce them with great
regularity. It is thought that bulbils are borne by some plants and not
others, because the conditions for the fertilisation or ripening of the
seeds are not favourable. In such cases, therefore, Nature has provided
such plants with this means of reproduction by bulbils, rather than
allow them to run the risk of dying out altogether. In Kerner and
Oliver's "Natural History of Plants" it is stated that "There are two
forms of Orange Lily indigenous to Europe. One (_Lilium croceum_),
occurring especially in the Pyrenees and South of France, almost always
ripens fruits and forms no bulbils in its leaf-axils. The other (_Lilium
bulbiferum_), found in the valleys of the Central and Northern Alps,
hardly ever fruits, but is characterised by the bulbils it produces in
the axils of its leaves; bulbils which disarticulate in autumn and are
scattered by the wind. But there is no difference noticeable in the
structure of the flowers in these two Orange Lilies, and it is difficult
to explain their difference in mode of propagation, save on the
assumption that in the regions where _Lilium bulbiferum_ grows those
insects are wanting which should convey its pollen from flower to
flower. As the Orange Lily possesses no arrangements for autogamy
(_i.e._, self-fertilisation), no fruits are formed in the absence of
insect visits. It appears that this plant has lost the capacity for
autogamy; at any rate, if a stigma be pollinated with pollen from the
same flower on plants in a garden, no result follows. On the other hand,
offshoots in the form of numerous bulbils are produced by _Lilium
bulbiferum_, by means of which it is propagated and dispersed. In
several valleys of the Central Alps it does not flower at all, and thus
obviously depends entirely upon its bulbils for propagation."
Illustration: BULBILS in leaf-axils.
The bulbils should not be detached from the stems until the latter are
quite ripe, and the foliage shows signs of withering. They may be sown
as if they were large seeds. They possess the advantage over seeds,
however, inasmuch as they produce flowering bulbs two or three seasons
before the bulbs from real seeds come to maturity.
=Bulbous Plants from Seeds.=--The would-be raiser of bulbous plants from
seeds must be gifted with a good deal of patience, and be systematic in
his methods, otherwise he will find it is no sinecure to wait from five
to ten years before a flower appears from the seeds he sowed at the
beginning of those periods. Even when the blossoms do appear, the great
majority of them are likely to be inferior in almost every way to their
progenitors. The raising of bulbous plants from seeds, therefore, is not
likely to find many enthusiastic disciples among amateur growers, who,
as a rule, are content to cultivate the varieties that have been evolved
by generations of gardeners. Under these circumstances it is most
fortunate that bulbous plants can be so readily multiplied by offsets.
Of course, in large gardens and nurseries, where there is a trained
staff of men, it is a comparatively easy matter to save and sow a
certain quantity of seeds each year. After the first period of waiting
is over, each season sees a fresh lot of seedlings burst into blossom.
Any particularly fine forms are marked, and afterwards increased by
means of the offsets or bulbils.
Illustration: TULIP SEEDLING. _b._ young bulb; _r._ first root; _s. l._
seed leaf; _s. c._ seed-coat.
The annexed drawing shows a seedling Tulip. The germination is very
similar to that of the common garden Onion. The swollen portion at the
base represents the first stage in the development of the bulb, and each
year for six or seven seasons sees it increase in size, and ultimately
large and strong enough to blossom.
=Sowing Seeds.=--The seeds of all the perfectly hardy bulbous plants may
be sown in the open air, in beds specially prepared for the purpose. The
soil should be a light sandy loam with a good sprinkling of leaf-mould
in it. The "drills" may be drawn about one inch deep, and as the
seedlings in many cases are left to look after themselves until they
bloom, the seeds should be sown very thinly--two or three inches
apart--so as to allow for future development. It would scarcely be wise,
in the case of choice or rare varieties, to trust the seeds to the open
air. They may, however, be sown in pots or pans, and after two or three
seasons' growth they will be large enough for transferring to the open
air. The seeds of bulbous plants may be sown in spring if they ripen
late in the year; or in early autumn if they ripen in summer.
LIFTING AND STORING BULBS.
PLATE 10. TULIPS (39-42)
As all bulbous plants have a period of rest at some season of the year,
it is a matter of some little importance whether the bulbs or corms in
the soil shall be taken up, or left in the ground from year to year. It
will be noticed in many instances in the following pages that certain
kinds are recommended to be left in the ground for three or four seasons
without being disturbed. This practice may be adopted with advantage
when bulbs are naturalised in the grass, the rock-garden, by the sides
of lakes, &c., and in thin shrubberies or borders, where they are not
likely to be rooted up during the year.
In the formal flower beds, however, in which Tulips, Daffodils,
Hyacinths, Crocuses, &c., are planted for a display in spring and early
summer, it is necessary to lift them after flowering, not only to make
way for the summer "bedding" plants, but also to allow of the beds being
re-dug and re-arranged if necessary.
The best time for lifting the bulbs is usually when the leaves have
commenced to turn yellow. Some do this earlier than others, but in all
cases, it is a sign that growth has ceased, and that bulbs or corms in
the soil are ripe, and will be improved by a period of rest.
=Storing.=--When lifted by means of a fork, the bulbs may be spread out
to dry, either in the sun, or in some dry and airy shed. After a few
days they may be gone over and cleaned by hand, taking off the old
leaves, and putting the offsets or bulbils in separate receptacles from
the large and well-ripened bulbs that are to be used for next year's
display. The bulbs lifted in early summer (_e.g._, Tulips, Daffodils,
Hyacinths, &c.) may be spread out in thin layers--not heaps--upon
shelves in a cool, airy shed, where they can remain without injury until
the time of planting in autumn comes round.
In the case of bulbs or corms that are lifted in autumn when the leaves
begin to fade, like the Gladiolus, the same process of cleaning is gone
through, but care must be taken to keep them where the frost will not
touch them during the winter. It is a good plan to store them in dry
sand or earth in shallow boxes, and place them in dry, airy cellars or
sheds until the spring.
COMBINATIONS OF BULBOUS AND NON-BULBOUS PLANTS.
While bulbous plants alone, especially when used in large quantities,
make an effective display in the garden, they can be made much more
attractive by the exercise of a little art and a pleasing combination
with other plants that come into blossom at the same period.
In the first place, true bulbous plants, like Tulips, Daffodils, and
Bluebells for example, that flower at the same time may be mixed
together for planting in grassy banks, or near the margins of lakes,
&c., where they are not likely to be disturbed for several years.
Similar combinations may be made with Snowdrops, Chionodoxas, Scillas,
Leucojums, Crocuses, &c., that appear in the spring; and with
Colchicums, autumn-flowering Crocuses, and Sternbergias in the late
autumn.
In the next place, the grace and beauty of bulbous plants proper are
enhanced by judiciously mixing them with plants of a non-bulbous nature.
Among these latter may be noted the following as being particularly
useful:--Wallflowers, Forget-me-Nots, Polyanthuses, Primroses, White
Arabis (_A. albida_), and Yellow Alyssum (_A. saxatile_), Violas and
Pansies, the Winter Aconite (_Eranthis hiemalis_, and _E. cilicica_),
Silene, Aubrietia. These are all useful for planting in the autumn at
the same time as the bulbs of Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Crocuses,
Snowdrops, Scillas, Chionodoxas, &c. Where formal beds are necessary the
non-bulbous plants may be put in first, leaving sufficient space between
the plants for the insertion of the bulbs afterwards.
To secure effect and contrast, a little skill, or rather knowledge, of
the different plants used, is necessary. Haphazard and careless
combinations are not to be encouraged in the formal flower-beds. It
would be a mistake, for instance, to mix three or four different kinds
of bulbs (_e.g._, Snowdrops, Tulips, Daffodils, or Hyacinths) with
Wallflowers, Forget-me-Nots, or any of the other plants mentioned above.
The effect would be ludicrous, and give the beds a higgledy-piggledy
appearance. Nor would it be wise to use one kind of plant in such a way
that the other would be smothered or practically concealed from view.
This could happen easily with combinations of such plants as Wallflowers
or Forget-me-Nots, and such bulbs as Crocuses, Snowdrops, &c.
The true idea of combination should be such that one plant is really as
prominent as the other when in blossom--each one, in fact, lending and
borrowing at the same time some charm from the other. Colours of course
play an important part in this scheme, and care should be exercised at
the time of planting _not_ to combine Yellow Polyanthuses, Yellow
Wallflowers, or Yellow Violas, for instance, with Yellow Tulips or
Daffodils; and so on.
PLATE 11. HYACINTHS (43-46)
The following are a few suggested combinations that will look well:--
1. =Violas= (Blue), beneath White, Red, or Yellow Tulips or Daffodils.
2. =Violas= (Yellow), beneath White or Scarlet Tulips or Hyacinths.
3. =Violas= (White), beneath Scarlet or Yellow Tulips or Daffodils.
4. =Wallflowers= (Red), with Yellow, White, or Orange Tulips or
Daffodils.
5. =Wallflowers= (Yellow), with Scarlet, Pink, White, or Red Tulips.
6. =Forget-me-Nots= (Blue), with all Tulips, Red and White Hyacinths,
and Daffodils.
7. =Aubrietia= (Purple), with Tulips or Daffodils.
8. =White Arabis=, with Tulips, Daffodils, or Hyacinths.
9. =Yellow Alyssum=, with red-flowered or white-flowered Tulips or
Hyacinths.
10. =Silene= (Rose), with White or Yellow Tulips and Daffodils.
NATURALISING BULBOUS PLANTS IN THE GRASS.
Although it has only been recognised of late years, owing chiefly to the
teachings of Mr. Robinson, there is no place so natural perhaps for the
artistic display of bulbous plants as in some piece of grass-land,
whether it be a meadow, a sloping bank, the margin of a piece of water,
or even a lawn. Every lover of bulbous plants, however, cannot gratify
his individual tastes as to where he would like his bulbs to blossom,
and he must perforce make the best of the piece of ground--large or
small as it may be--that happens to be at his disposal. In large parks
and gardens there is no difficulty, or there ought to be none, in
securing suitable sites to show off the natural graces of the various
bulbous plants recommended for the purpose in this volume. And even in
small suburban gardens, where one often sees a piece of grass lying bare
and cheerless in winter, a better use might be made of bulbs. Ce n'est
que le premier pas qui coute. Once the initial cost and labour of
getting the bulbs beneath the turf is over there is joy ever afterwards,
and keen anticipation in watching the spring and autumn Crocuses,
Sternbergias, Snowdrops, Snowflakes, the smaller Fritillaries, the
Chionodoxas, Scillas, and Bluebells, Narcissi, Grape Hyacinths, and even
Tulips, when one is not in too great a hurry to get the mowing done
early in the year. One group or another of these plants (to which may be
added the tuberous winter Aconite, with its glistening yellow blossoms)
may be grown in the smallest of gardens, and will brighten them year
after year without trouble or expense, until, perhaps, they become so
crowded, that lifting and re-planting becomes essential to prevent
suffocation.
BULBOUS PLANTS UNDER TREES AND SHRUBS.
Early flowering bulbs are capital for planting beneath deciduous trees
on lawns or in large parks and gardens. The bulbs bloom at a period when
the trees are leafless, and therefore sufficient sunlight is able to
percolate through the bare branches for their benefit. Such kinds as
Snowdrops, Scillas, Chionodoxas, &c., are excellent for this purpose,
and may be left for several seasons without disturbance, provided they
get a top-dressing of well-decayed manure during the autumn. Before the
trees expand their leaves, the bulbous plants beneath have finished
their work for the season, so the absence of light during the summer
does not interfere with them in the least. On the other hand, however,
they enjoy the cool refreshing shade of the tree foliage, which prevents
them from being shrivelled up.
BULBOUS PLANTS FOR CUT FLOWERS.
There are comparatively few of the bulbous plants mentioned in this
volume that are not fit to be cut for the adornment of bowls, vases,
&c., in the dwelling house. Some kinds, of course, are much better
suited for the purpose than others, and it would be difficult indeed to
surpass the elegance of the Daffodils, Tulips, Wood Hyacinths, and
Bluebells in the spring and early summer. Following these we have
numerous Liliums--white, yellow, orange, red, variously blotched and
speckled, and provided with long wiry stems that are often a great
advantage. The late summer and autumn flowering kinds are best
represented by the Montbretias, Tritonias, Gladiolus, Brodiaeas, and
Sparaxis. The dwarf-flowering bulbous plants, like Snowdrops, Crocuses,
Grape Hyacinths, Chionodoxas, Colchicums, Sternbergias, Leucojums, &c.,
although they look charming in bold masses in the garden, scarcely
afford much length of stalk to enable them to be used with great effect
in bowls, vases, &c., by themselves. As a groundwork to taller-stemmed
blossoms, however, they are often found to come in very useful.
It is, perhaps, scarcely necessary to say that the more simply and
naturally flowers are "bunched" the better they look in room
decorations. Very often indeed, it is difficult to improve on a bunch of
flowers picked at random in the garden and placed in bowls of water as
they are--with stems of various lengths, and the blossoms facing in
different directions. That some people have extraordinary notions as to
what a "bunch" of flowers really means may be gathered from an
inspection of any ordinary local flower show in the kingdom. At such
exhibitions a "bunch" of flowers is generally as large, flat, unwieldy,
and squatty as possible--the various kinds being jammed together as if
they were "sticks" of Asparagus done up for market. Educated judges have
been endeavouring for some years to get an improvement in the method of
putting bunches of flowers together, but with very little success up to
the present. The same old order of things prevaileth.
PLATE 12. LEUCOJUM VERNUM, (47) MUSCARI CONICUM (48), ERYTHRONIUM
JOHNSONI (49), TECOPHYLAEA CYANOCROCUS (50).
=When to pick Flowers.=--Of course, when people want flowers they will
pick them at any time--if they happen to be in their own gardens, not in
other people's. It may be as well, however, to remind the reader that if
picked either early in the morning--the earlier the better--or in the
evening after sunset, flowers last much longer in a cut state, than if
they are picked at any other period of the day. Perhaps the very worst
time to pick flowers is from mid-day to 2 or 3 o'clock--especially in
summer. The heat takes a good deal of substance out of the blossoms, and
many get so "blown" that if cut at that particular period of the day,
the petals never recover, but drop off in a few hours. Tulips are
well-known examples of this. In the morning and evening, the petals
close up to a point--really to prevent the pollen from getting drenched
with dew or rain. But when the sun shines, they open out, and lie well
back from the stamens so that insects may be lured to take the pollen
from one flower to another. In this state the blossoms should not be cut
or pulled as they will last but a short time.
The water in which flowers are stood should be fresh and clean. If some
time has elapsed before the flowers are placed in it, about an inch or
so of the stems may be cut off with a sharp knife, so as to allow a
layer of fresh cells to come in contact with the water. Some flowers
last much longer than others in a cut state, and the period may be
prolonged a little by putting a pinch of salt, or a little clean
charcoal in the water at the same time.
BULBOUS PLANTS FOR COLD GREENHOUSES.
How often one hears complaints as to the lack of flowers during the
coldest months of the year. And how often one sees, in almost empty
greenhouses, bare shelves that could be made gay with blossom, and with
but little labour or expense. This can be done easily enough by
selecting early flowering bulbs, and having them "potted up" early in
the autumn, so that they will have made plenty of roots by, say,
Christmas time. The pots most generally useful are 5-inch ones (often
called 48's). These should have some broken pieces put in the bottom for
drainage, and over this a layer of moss or fibre to prevent the soil
from choking it up later on. A compost made up of three parts of rich
fibrous loam, one part of silver or river sand, and one part of
leaf-soil, all well mixed, should be prepared. A handful or two is
placed over the drainage, and one, two, three, or five bulbs, according
to size, may then be placed on a level bottom. The pot is then filled to
within about a quarter of an inch of the rim, the soil being firmly
pressed down between the bulbs, the tops of which may be either level
with the surface or beneath it. In any case, it is not necessary to bury
bulbs that are going to have the protection of a greenhouse so deep as
those planted in the open air, where they will have no protection from
the weather.
The bulbs, having been potted, and labelled if necessary, say sometime
in October or November, need not be taken into the greenhouse at once.
It is better to keep them in the open air, covered with two or three
inches of fine ashes or coco-nut fibre until the bulbs have made plenty
of new roots in the soil, or they may be sheltered in a cold frame. Any
time after this, as many pots as may be required are taken out of the
ashes or fibre, the remains of which should be washed from the pots and
shaken off the surface of the soil. If there is a slight warmth in the
greenhouse, just enough to keep the frost out on cold nights, so much
the better, but too much heat is unnecessary, unless one wishes to
"force" bulbs into very early bloom. This, however, generally means
exhaustion, if not death, to the bulbs so artificially treated.
There are many kinds of bulbous plants suitable for the decoration of
cold greenhouses in winter and early spring in the way indicated, and
the following may be regarded as a good selection:--Bulbocodiums,
Chionodoxas, Crocuses (Spring), Erythroniums, Fritillarias (dwarf),
Snowdrops, Hyacinths, Snowflakes, Grape Hyacinths, Dwarf Narcissi,
Puschkinias, Scillas, Sternbergia Fischeriana, Bulbous Irises,
Tecophilaea--all of which are described in their respective places in
this work.
BULBOUS PLANTS FOR WINDOW BOXES.
PLATE 13. BRODIAEA UNIFLORA (51-52), CHIONODOXA SARDENSIS (53),
ERYTHRONIUM DENS-CANIS (54-55)
When the Zonal Pelargoniums, Marguerites, Fuchsias, Lobelias, &c., have
done their duty in the window boxes during the summer and autumn months,
it is essential that something else must take their places for the
winter and spring months, unless they are to be left bare. Dwarf shrubs,
of course, like Aucubas, Golden Privet, Cupressus, Skimmias, &c., are
much favoured, and rightly so. But in conjunction with them many kinds
of bulbous plants may be used, and planted at the same time as the
shrubs. Snowdrops and Crocuses are great favourites for the edges of
boxes. Besides these, however, the beautiful blue-flowered Grape
Hyacinths (Muscari), the Chionodoxas and Scilla sibirica, may be used in
a similar way and with great effect, or as a carpet beneath the shrubs.
If the latter are not placed too close together, space may be left for a
few bulbs of Tulips and Daffodils to peep out between them.
Of course, window boxes filled entirely with bulbous plants would
probably look much more artistic than those having a mixture of shrubs
and bulbs. Combinations in miniature could be made in the same way as
suggested for the open air beds on p. 41. Boxes planted with
Polyanthuses, Primroses, Forget-me-Nots, Silene, White Arabis, Yellow
Alyssum, Wallflowers, &c., as well as bulbs, would not look bare in
autumn or winter, and would be very effective when in blossom in the
spring time.
DESCRIPTIONS, CULTURE, PROPAGATION, &c., OF THE BEST BULBOUS PLANTS FOR
THE OPEN AIR.
=ALLIUM.=--Although about 250 species of this liliaceous genus are
known, only a dozen or so are usually met with in gardens--the limited
number being probably due to the pungent and not altogether agreeable
odour they emit when bruised or cut. In fact, the plants may be briefly
described as more or less ornamental Onions, as they belong to the same
family as this well-known esculent, and naturally possess a family
likeness. The bulbs are tunicated, the leaves either flat as in the
Leek, or roundish and hollow as in the ordinary Onion, while the
6-petalled starry flowers are borne in umbels on the top of the shoot
that springs out of the bulb under the ground.
The kinds mentioned below flourish in ordinary good garden soil of a
gritty nature, that has been deeply dug and well-manured. They are
useful for the decoration of the flower border in bold patches, but are
probably more natural in grass-land, where they can remain for several
years undisturbed. The bulbs may be planted in early autumn, 3 or 4
inches deep--more or less according to the size of the bulbs, and will
come into blossom from April and May, till July or August. As cut
flowers, they are very ornamental, but unfortunately, they are not
greatly used in this way owing to their odour, which some people find
quite unbearable. Propagation is effected by means of offsets from the
bulbs, or seeds. Two species--_A. Moly_, and _A. neapolitanum_--are
often forced into early blossoms in the greenhouse, in the way mentioned
at p. 46.
The following are the best kinds:--_Neapolitanum_, _Erdeli_ (see Plate
18, fig. 72), _karataviense_, _triquetrum_, _ursinum_, and _zebdanense_,
all with white or whitish flowers; _acuminatum_, _hirtiflorum_,
_Macnabianum_, _narcissiflorum_ (or _pedemontanum_), _Ostrowskianum_,
_Schuberti_, and _Suworowi_, representing rose, magenta, crimson, lilac,
and purple shades; the best yellow-flowered kinds are, _Moly_ (Plate 17,
fig. 68), _flavum_, and _orientale_; while _coeruleum_ (or _azureum_) is
the most attractive species with blue flowers. _A. acuminatum_ is the
dwarfest of these, being only about a foot high, the others rarely
exceeding 1-1/2 to 2 feet, except perhaps _hirtiflorum_ and _Suworowi_,
which often are 3 feet high.
=AMARYLLIS Belladonna= (_Belladonna Lily_).--This charming member of the
Narcissus family deserves more extensive cultivation than it enjoys at
present. It is a native of South Africa, and has large bulbs--3 to 4
inches or more deep--with thickish, silky-woollen coats, and
strap-shaped leaves, usually 12 to 18 inches long. About August and
September, the sweet-scented funnel-shaped blossoms of a soft rosy
colour (see Plate 31, fig. 111) are produced on top of a stout stalk, 12
to 18 inches high, after the foliage has withered. Some varieties are
better than others, but the best of all is that which originated at Kew,
and is remarkable for having three or four dozen rich rosy crimson
flowers on a scape 2 to 3 feet high.
The Belladonna Lily can only be grown satisfactorily in the open air in
the milder parts of the kingdom. The bulbs should be planted about 9
inches deep in a well-drained loamy soil containing plenty of sand and
leaf-soil. Beneath a wall facing due south is generally a good position
for the plants. In winter, cold rains should be kept off by placing a
layer of leaves or litter over the dormant bulbs. The simplest way to
increase the stock is to detach the offsets from the old bulbs whenever
the latter are disturbed--say every fourth or fifth year.