Amaryllis rightly belong to the genus Hippeastrum, and are too tender
for open air culture in our climate.
PLATE 14. ENGLISH IRISES (56-59)
=ANTHOLYZA.=--The brown-coated corms, sword-like leaves, and the
bright-coloured tubular flowers of these plants very much resemble those
of the closely-related genus Gladiolus. Indeed, what suits the Gladiolus
will suit the Antholyzas in the way of a well-drained loamy soil. A
somewhat warmer and sunnier position is, however, necessary, as these
South African plants have not been acclimatised by selection and
hybridisation in the same way as the Gladiolus. The best-known kinds are
_aethiopica_, with spikes of scarlet and greenish flowers; _caffra_, rich
scarlet; _Cunonia_, scarlet and black; _fulgens_, rich coppery rose; and
_paniculata_, with red, brown, and yellow blossoms, and apparently the
hardiest of all. They are all best increased by offsets.
=BABIANA= (_Baboon Root_).--Charming plants of the Iris family, with
fibrous-coated corms about an inch in diameter, stiffish, hairy, plaited
leaves, and dense spikes of funnel-shaped flowers. The latter, in most
cases, are sweetly scented and brilliantly coloured, and in a cut state,
are exceedingly handsome for decorative work. Unfortunately the plants
are not very hardy, and can only be grown in the open air in the very
warmest and mildest parts of the kingdom with anything like success. In
favourable localities the corms should be planted 3 or 4 inches deep, in
mild weather, any time between September and November. The soil should
be very light, loamy, and well-drained, and the position should be the
warmest and sunniest in the garden. Plenty of sand or grit around the
corms is an advantage, and a covering of leaves or litter will keep off
cold winter rains. Babianas are very useful for cool greenhouse
decoration, and may be easily grown in pots, only giving water when
roots have developed, and the new leaves are beginning to show. (See p.
46).
The best kinds are _disticha_, pale blue; _plicata_, violet blue;
_ringens_, scarlet; _stricta_, the three outer segments of which are
white, the three inner lilac-blue with a dark blotch at the base. This
is the best-known kind, and there are many forms of it, notably
_angustifolia_, bright blue tinged with pink; and _rubro-cyanea_,
brilliant blue and crimson. All increased by offsets.
=BESSERA elegans.=--A pretty liliaceous plant, 1-1/2 to 2 feet high,
with slender rush-like leaves, and scarlet or scarlet and white
bell-shaped blossoms. Being a native of Mexico it is rather tender, and
can only be grown out of doors in the mildest parts of the British Isles
in the same way as the Babianas. As a pot plant it may be grown in a
cool greenhouse. Increased by offsets from the brown silky-coated corms.
=BLOOMERIA aurea.=--This is the best known species. It is a native of
California and belongs to the Lily family. The small corms are covered
with netted pale brown coats, from which spring long narrow leaves, and
umbels of bright yellow starry flowers about June or July. _B.
Clevelandi_ is another species with smaller yellow flowers. The corms of
both kinds should be planted in warm sunny spots in well-drained sandy
loam and leaf-soil in the autumn, and a little protection with leaves or
litter may be given in cold wet winters.
=BOBARTIA aurantiaca.=--This pretty member of the Iris family is also
known under the name of _Homeria_. It has roundish corms, an inch or
more in diameter, covered with pale brown shaggy fibrous coats. The
orange-red or yellow blossoms appear in summer and last a long time. The
plant is a native of South Africa, and can only be grown in the mildest
parts of the kingdom in the same way as the Babianas, Ixias, &c., which
see. Increased by offsets.
=BRAVOA geminiflora.=--A graceful Mexican plant of the Narcissus family,
with roundish fibrous-coated corms over an inch in diameter, and narrow
sword-like leaves 12 to 18 inches long. The bright red or scarlet
tubular blossoms droop in pairs from stalks 1 to 2 feet high from July
onwards. In the milder parts of the kingdom this plant may be grown
easily in sheltered sunny spots in rich sandy loam and leaf-soil,
protection being only needed in severe winters from cold heavy rains or
hard frosts by means of leaves or litter. Increased by offsets in autumn
or seeds sown in spring.
=BREVOORTIA Ida-Maia= (_Brodiaea coccinea_).--This beautiful Liliaceous
plant is popularly known as the "Californian Fire Cracker." It has
roundish corms an inch or so in diameter, with brown fibrous coats. The
leaves are very narrow, while the tubular flowers are borne in loose
umbels in June or July on top of slender wiry stalks 2 to 3 feet high.
The shape and colour of the individual blossoms are shown on Plate 19,
fig. 75. They are very attractive in bold masses, and are excellent for
cutting purposes. In the garden it is essential to support the slender
flower-stems with thin sticks to keep the blossoms from trailing in the
dirt. During September and October is the best time to plant the corms 3
to 4 inches deep, in rich sandy loam, in warm sunny spots in the border
or rock-garden, where they should be allowed to remain for three or four
seasons before they need be disturbed. Increased by offsets and seeds.
PLATE 15. SPANISH IRISES (60-63)
=BRODIAEA.=--The plants belonging to this genus have practically the same
characters as those of Brevoortia, the chief differences being that many
(but not all) of the Brodiaeas have six fertile stamens instead of three,
and the perianth in many cases is more funnel or bell-shaped than
cylindrical. The corms are about the same size with netted, brown, silky
coats, but are quite distinct from those in the section formerly known
under the names of _Milla_ and _Triteleia_. The cultural treatment is
precisely the same as detailed under Brevoortia above. An idea as to the
beauty of the blossoms of some of the kinds may be gained from a glance
at Plates 13, 19, 20, and 24, in which _B. laxa_ (fig. 76), _B.
ixioides_ (fig. 77) (also known as _Calliprora lutea_), _B. Bridgesi_
(fig. 91), _B. Howelli lilacina_ (fig. 80), and _B. uniflora_ (figs. 51
and 52) (the last named being remarkable for having flowers singly
instead of in umbels), are respectively depicted. Other species well
worth growing are _californica_, rosy-purple; _capitata_, lilac or
violet, and its white variety _alba_; _congesta_, deep violet;
_Douglasi_, bright blue; _gracilis_, bright yellow; _grandiflora_,
violet-blue; _Hendersoni_, salmon-yellow striped with purple; _Howelli_,
porcelain-white striped with blue; _hyacinthina_, purple, and its white
variety _lactea_; _Leichtlini_, white; _multiflora_, pale blue;
_Orcutti_, lilac; _peduncularis_, porcelain-white to rosy-purple;
_Purdyi_, rosy-purple to lilac; _rosea_, rose-red to pinkish-purple;
_Sellowiana_, yellow; and _stellaris_, reddish-purple to deep blue. To
these may be added _B. volubilis_, remarkable for having twining stems
often 12 feet long, and having 15 to 30 rose-coloured flowers in an
umbel.
=BULBOCODIUM vernum.=--A charming Crocus-like plant of the Lily family,
closely related to the Meadow Saffrons (Colchicum), as may be seen by
comparing the method of lateral growth of the brown-coated corms--each
an inch or more in diameter. It is a native of the Alps. In mild seasons
it often produces its violet or rosy-purple funnel-shaped flowers in
January, not more than 6 inches from the ground, and remains in blossom
in company with Snowdrops, Leucojums, &c. The leaves appear afterwards
and elaborate food for the production of next year's corms before they
wither. A rich well-drained loam with a little sand and leaf-soil suits
it very well, and the corms may be planted in September or October about
4 inches deep, in bold masses in the rock garden or grass-land, and left
alone for a few years, after which there will be numerous offsets to
increase the stock. As slugs are very fond of the young growths, they
must be carefully looked for morning and evening, and a little soot or
lime carefully spread round the plants may help to check them (see p.
142).
=CALOCHORTUS= (_Mariposa Lily_).--A very distinct group of Liliaceous
plants with brown-coated bulbs, narrow leaves, and very showy and
distinct-looking blossoms--some of which are shown in Plate 22, fig. 84,
and also in Plate 20 of the companion volume "BEAUTIFUL GARDEN FLOWERS."
Joined to the Mariposa Lilies proper are the "Star Tulips," formerly
known under the name of _Cyclobothra_--well-known representatives of
which are shown in the same Plate, figs. 85 and 86. They are quite
distinct in the appearance of the flowers, but botanically they are
considered to be identical in the important characters. Both groups are
well worth growing in the milder parts of the kingdom in warm sunny
parts of the garden. This is essential as most of them are natives of
California, Oregon, Arizona, and parts of Mexico, where they have plenty
of sunshine and are not subject to the cold drenching rains that often
characterise the British winter. In colder districts where they would be
unable to survive the ordinary winter, the plants may be brought to
perfection in a cold frame so long as they are free from frost and heavy
rains. The soil in which they appear to flourish best seems to be sharp
sand, leaf-soil and road grit, well mixed together with a little loam
added. The bed--in which the bulbs are to be planted 3 to 4 inches deep,
from September to November, but not later--should be raised above the
general level, the better to throw the water off in winter. If the beds
or borders are facing south and slightly sloping, so much the better. A
light covering with reeds or bracken is advisable during severe weather,
but should be removed on all warm days, and altogether from February and
March, as the young growths will then begin to push through the soil.
After the flowering period--_i.e._, July and August--is over, and the
foliage has withered, the bulbs may be either lifted and carefully
stored in sand or dry earth until the planting season comes round again;
or, better still, lights may be placed over them to keep the bulbs dry
and allow them to ripen thoroughly and naturally. If the latter
treatment is adopted the bulbs need not be disturbed for three or four
years, and will give better blossom on the whole in consequence. It must
be remembered that although the bulbs dislike moisture when dormant,
they must have a sufficient supply during active growth, otherwise they
may soon become parched and withered. The easiest way to increase the
plants is by means of offsets. When seeds ripen they may be sown very
thinly in pots or pans in spring, and the seedlings may remain for a
couple of seasons before being transplanted. Sometimes "bulbils" (see p.
32) are produced on the stems, and may be sown in light sandy soil as if
they were seeds. From seeds and bulbils it takes from three to six years
to produce a flowering bulb.
There are now several kinds of Mariposa Lily in cultivation. Of these
the varieties of the _venustus_ group are undoubtedly the handsomest.
(See Plate 22, fig. 84.) They grow about 18 inches high, and have
cup-shaped flowers 3 inches across, having three very large and three
very small segments. The colour of the type is white, yellow at the
base, deeply stained with crimson, and having a conspicuous blotch at
the base. In the variety _alba_ the flowers are wholly white;
_lilacinus_, deep lilac; _purpurascens_, lilac-purple; _citrinus_,
lemon-yellow; _oculatus_, with rosy buds passing into white, with a deep
blackish-purple blotch in the centre of a yellow base; and _Vesta_,
flowers very large, white flushed with rose, and marked with brown and
yellow at the base.
Other kinds are _albus_, with drooping pearly-white flowers (Plate 22,
fig. 85); _apiculatus_, lemon-yellow; _Benthami_, bright yellow;
_coeruleus_, lilac or creamy-white, densely bearded with blue hairs;
_clavatus_, golden-yellow; _elegans_, white tinged with purple, but rich
pink in the variety _amoenus_; _flavus_, yellow, drooping; _Goldyi_, old
gold with hairy centre; _Howelli_, creamy-white; _Kennedyi_, orange-red;
_lilacinus_, pink, purple, or lilac, a fine species; _luteus_, yellow or
orange, with purple hairs; _Plummerae_, large soft lilac flowers, with
golden-yellow hairs and blotched with purple; _pulchellus_,
orange-yellow, sweet-scented, drooping (see Plate 22, fig. 86);
_Purdyi_, white, spotted with purple, and covered with long white hairs;
_splendens_ pale lilac, with silky white hairs and deep purple blotches
at base; and _Weedi_, yellow.
=CAMASSIA.=--Graceful-looking North American plants of the Lily family,
with rather large ovoid bulbs, strap-shaped tapering leaves, and loose
racemes of starry blossoms which usually appear from May to July, and
are useful for decorations when cut. They flourish in ordinary good and
well-drained garden soil in warm sheltered spots. The bulbs should be
planted in September or October, and covered with about twice their own
depth of soil. They may be left undisturbed for a few seasons, but in
that case a mulching of well-decayed manure in autumn would be
beneficial. New plants are most readily secured by offsets from the old
bulbs. Seeds, however, are freely produced in most places and should be
sown in cold frames as soon as ripe. (See p. 36).
PLATE 16. MADONNA LILY (64) FRITILLARIA IMPERIALIS, VARS. (65-66)
There are only a few species, the best being _C. esculenta_, the Quamash
or Camass Root of the North American Indians. The blue flowers, each
about 2 inches across, are borne on scapes 1-1/2 to 3 feet high, and
look very handsome above the narrow arching leaves. _C. Cusicksi_, with
porcelain-blue flowers (see Plate 18, fig. 70), grows 3 to 4 feet high.
_C. Fraseri_, with very pale-blue flowers, is about 1-1/2 feet high;
while _C. Leichtlini_ grows 3 to 4 feet high, and has large creamy-white
blossoms, about 3 inches in diameter.
=CHIONODOXA Luciliae= (_Glory of the Snow_).--This charming harbinger of
spring is a native of Asia Minor, where it pushes its beautiful
brilliant blue and white blossoms (see Plate 2, fig. 9) through the
snow-clad mountains early in the year. It has ovoid bulbs about 1 to 2
inches deep, arching leaves, and each flower-stalk 6 to 10 inches high,
carries from six to twenty blossoms in February, March, and April. There
are several fine varieties, the best being _gigantea_ (or
_grandiflora_), with very large flowers; _sardensis_, shown on Plate 13,
fig. 53, has gentian-blue flowers. The variety _alba_ has pure-white
flowers, and _Tmolusi_ and _Alleni_ are also good varieties. A hybrid
between _C. Luciliae_ and _Scilla bifolia_ is known as _Chiono-scilla_,
but is not common. Other Chionodoxas are _C. cretica_, with white or
pale-blue flowers very scantily produced; and _C. nana_, with white or
lilac-tinted flowers.
Chionodoxas flourish in ordinary good garden soil, and are suitable for
the rockery, flower-border, beneath deciduous trees in shrubberies, or
in the grass. To be effective in any of these positions they should be
planted in hundreds and thousands, and in grass-land may be mixed with
the smaller-flowered kinds of Narcissus (_e.g._, _minimus_,
_cyclamineus_, _triandrus_). In the latter case the bulbs may be left
alone for years with advantage, as they never interfere with mowing
operations.
Offsets are freely produced from the old bulbs, and are the easiest
means of increasing the stock. Seeds may be sown when ripe, but they
take a few years to produce flowering bulbs (see p. 34).
=CHLOROGALUM pomeridianum= (_Soap Plant_).--A distinct looking plant
about 2 feet high, with blue-green leaves and spikes of whitish
purple-veined flowers, that usually open in the afternoon during the
summer months. It flourishes in ordinary soil, and may be increased by
offsets from the old bulbs. The best time to plant is in autumn.
=COLCHICUM= (_Meadow Saffron_).--In the autumn, when the landscape looks
more or less dreary, the Colchicums relieve the monotony with their
bright appearance. The bulbs are peculiarly one-sided, and differ a good
deal in size according to the species, so that they should be planted at
various depths according to size. The best time for planting is July, or
not later than August, and if massed in bold patches in the grass,
flower-border, shrubbery, or rock-garden, the effect later on will be
much more effective than if the bulbs were put in sparingly. A rich
sandy loam will suit most kinds, but any good and well-drained garden
soil will give satisfactory results. It may be remarked that most kinds
produce their flowers without the leaves. The latter appear the
following spring to elaborate food for the new bulbs, dying down during
the summer. Colchicums are best propagated by offsets. Seeds may also be
sown about midsummer when thoroughly ripe, and will produce flowering
bulbs in five or six years (see p. 34). There are many kinds, the most
popular being: _C. autumnale_, a British plant, popularly known as the
"Autumn Crocus"--owing to the shape and bright purple colour of its
cup-shaped blossoms, which appear from the end of August to November.
There are many varieties of it such as _album_, white; with a double
form; _maximum_, purple; _purpureum_, purple rose; and _striatum_, red
striped with white. _C. Bivonae_ has flowers chequered with white and
purple. _C. Bornmuelleri_, a fine species with rosy-lilac flowers. _C.
byzantinum_ has pale rose blossoms. _C. giganteum_, flowers rosy, very
large. _C. libanoticum_, white. _C. montanum_ produces its lilac-purple
or whitish flowers in February and March. _C. Parkinsoni_ has white
flowers distinctly veined and chequered with violet-purple. The flowers
of _C. speciosum_, shown in Plate 33, fig. 118, appear in September and
October, and vary from reddish or rose-purple to deep crimson-purple.
_C. variegatum_ (a very old species also called _Parkinsoni_) has its
rosy flowers beautifully chequered with violet purple.
=CRINUM.=--Most of the Crinums require the protection of a greenhouse or
hothouse in our climate. The kinds mentioned below, however, may be
grown in the open air in the milder parts of the country. The large and
broad strap-shaped leaves, 2 to 4 feet long, more or less gracefully
recurving from the long-necked bulbs, are in themselves a noble sight,
but their beauty is considerably enhanced when the large, funnel-shaped
blossoms are borne in clusters on the top of a stout, fleshy stalk.
Given a rich and well-drained, loamy soil, warm-sheltered spots, and
sufficient moisture during active growth, and the hardy Crinums usually
flourish. They may be increased by offsets taken from the base of the
large old bulbs; or by means of the large fleshy bulb-like seeds that
are produced in favourable seasons. The seed needs only to be placed on
the top of moist soil in a pot, and under the shelter of a greenhouse or
cold frame will soon germinate in its own peculiar way. The best-known
hardy Crinums are _C. Moorei_, a native of South Africa. It has large
long-necked bulbs, broad bright-green leaves 2 to 3 feet long, and
clusters of soft-pink flowers, each 6 inches or more across, on a scape
2 to 3 feet high (see Plate 30, fig. 109). _C. Powelli_, with a reddish
wash down the centre of the petals, and its pure white variety _album_
(Plate 32, fig. 115) are also two very fine plants for the out-door
garden. They are really forms, or hybrids perhaps, of the South African
_S. longifolium_ (or _C. capense_), which has large white flowers with a
central reddish stain on the outside of the petals. It is quite as hardy
as the other kinds and may be treated in the same way.
=CROCOSMA aurea.=--This beautiful Iridaceous plant is perhaps better
known as _Tritonia aurea_. It is a native of South Africa, and has
fibrous-coated corms, narrow sword-shaped leaves, and brilliant
orange-red starry blossoms borne on branched stems about 2 feet high, in
August or September. It likes a rich sandy loam and leaf-soil and soon
makes fine clumps in the milder parts of the kingdom. In cold districts
and the north generally, the corms may be lifted in October or November,
when the leaves have withered, and may be stored in sand or soil until
spring. Then they may be replanted, any offsets from the older corms
being placed in separate beds and grown on until large enough for
flowering. As a pot plant for greenhouse decoration, the Crocosma is
most useful. After potting in spring, the pots may be plunged (_i.e._,
sunk up to the rims) in ashes or fibre, and plenty of water should be
given during the summer months when the growth is active. When the
flower-spikes appear the plants may be taken into the greenhouse or
conservatory.
PLATE 17. LILIUM CROCEUM (67) ALLIUM MOLY (68) SCILLA PERUVIANA ALBA
(69)
=CROCUS.=--The popularity of the Crocus is undoubted, but popular favour
generally confines itself to the white, blue, lilac, purple, yellow, and
striped varieties of _C. aureus_, the Old Dutch yellow Crocus, and _C.
vernus_. These all flower from February to April, and when planted in
hundreds and thousands in the borders or grass-land they are then indeed
a glorious sight, especially if naturalised with Snowdrops, Leucojums,
and Bulbocodiums. The individual blossoms do not last long, but they are
thrown up so profusely from the roundish corms beneath, that they give a
continuous glow for several weeks in early spring. The above all
flourish in light sandy loam and leaf-soil. To secure the best results
the corms should be planted about 3 inches deep in September or October.
When possible, as in grass-land for example, the plants should not be
disturbed for a few seasons, so they may increase as Nature intended. In
this way they will produce a more striking picture each succeeding year,
especially if they have had the advantage of a top-dressing with
well-decayed manure in autumn. When the corms have to be lifted each
year to make way in the borders for summer-flowering plants, the best
time to take them up is when the foliage has begun to wither. This
process is often hastened by twisting the narrow leaves and tying them
into little bundles.
Apart from the ordinary spring-flowering Crocuses, _aureus_ and _vernus_
(a selection of which can be obtained from any bulb catalogue), there
are several natural species which also flower in spring, and may be
planted and grown exactly in the same way. Amongst these the best known
are _alatavicus_, white and yellow; _Balansae_, orange-yellow;
_banaticus_, bright purple and white; _biflorus_, white to pale
lavender, known as the "Cloth of Silver Crocus," of which there are many
beautiful forms; _Biliotti_, purple; _carpetanus_, lilac to white;
_chrysanthus_, orange-yellow, with several varieties; _dalmaticus_,
lilac and yellow; _etruscus_, purple and yellow, striped; _Fleischeri_,
white and yellow, veined purple; _Imperati_, lilac-purple, with deeper
stripes; _Korolkowi_, yellow; _reticulatus_ or _variegatus_, white to
deep lilac, veined purple; _stellaris_, orange; _suaveolens_, lilac and
yellow, veined purple; _Susianus_ or _revolutus_, deep orange, known as
the "Cloth of Gold Crocus"; _versicolor_, purple to white, veined
purple; and _vitellinus_, orange.
=Autumn-Flowering Crocuses.=--Colchicums, and especially _C. autumnale_,
are popularly known as "Autumn Crocuses." They belong, however, to the
Lily family, and must not be confused with those species of Crocus
proper which belong to the Iris family, and also flower during the
autumn months, sometimes even as late as December, when the blossoms are
often spoiled by the weather, unless protected with handlights or
frames. At this period they are very useful, with the Colchicums and
Sternbergias, for the decoration of grassy slopes and banks, and may be
intermingled with them in places where they can remain undisturbed for
some years.