The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-11-01
Dutch Bulbs.

There are few ornaments Of the flower
bed or of the winter window so easily
managed and so deservedly popular as
the various Dutch bulbs, and as this is
the best time to prepare for planting
them, we will have a few words to say as
to their management. The bulbs may be
should be planted first, such as Snow
drops and Crocuses. "
And first as to out Of door planting.
The spot chosen for the bed should be
sheltered from the cold winds of spring,
so that the first warm, sunny days in
March may bring up the Crocuses and
Snowdrops in a joyous promise of COM
ing spring. The. ground should be
.spaded up deeply and good dressing OF
fine stable manure worked in, and if the
soil is at all inclined to be stiff and
heavy good inch or two of sand should
be worked into it.
Most of the smaller bulbs will do best
by planting them in little clumps or clus-
ters about two inches apart each way.
The snowdrop and crocus and scilla will
thrive in this manner, and give a much
better effect to the garden than when
scattered about too much; and, moreover,
are less likely to be damaged by careless
cultivation of the garden than when iso-
lated. These small bulbs will need to
be set only an inch or two below the sur
face, and if it is desired to bring them
up very early they may be covered in
November with six or eight inches of
leaves and evergreen boughs to prevent
the ground from freezing deeply, and by
raking off this covering in March they
will astonish you some fine morning
with their jolly little heads peeping up
through the very snow. These bulbs,
however, are entirely hardy, and will
flower successfully without any covering
through week or so later.
After the bulbs are done Towering
they should be left undisturbed as long
as the foliage is green; when this turns
yellow and drops down they may be
dug up and dried in a shady place and
then slowed away in paper bags or in
drawers to be planted the next fall. The
place occupied by them in the garden
may be replaced by bedding plants of
various kinds, such as verbenas, gerani-
ums, heliotropes, &C., and if it is neces-
sary to plant out these bedding plants
before the bulbs are ready to be removed,
they can be placed in spots between the
clumps of bulbs without disturbing them
until they are ripe; the bulbs will ripen
before the bedding plants make much
growth, and the garden will thus keep
up constant appearance OF life and
beauty.
The Huacinth-This universal favorite
comes little later than the snowdrop
and crocus, but is perhaps the most ele-
giant and beautiful of all the bulbs.
There are many colors and varieties too
numerous to mention here, but no col
lection should be without the beautiful
feather hyacinth.
For Windoso Gardening, however, the
snowdrop and crocus; the hyacinth and
the cyciamen are especially adapted.
They should be planted now in pots OF
about six inches in diameter, several bulbs
in pot if small; they should be watered.
and set away in cool cellar until they
begin to show signs of growth 4; they
must make roots first and then they can.
be safely brought into the light and
warmth of a common house room and
forced into flower if they can con-
veniently be placed in sleeping room at
first where it does not freeze and where
the temperature is about 40 degrees to go
degrees, they will come forward more
healthily than if brought at once into
sitting-room with dry heat Of 70
degrees or IS degrees. Keep them cool
and moist and you will not fail to be re-
warded with beautiful clusters Of we'll
formed flowers.
The Anemons is later, and little too
delicate to endure our winters without
careful covering; its rare beauty will,
however, we'll repay the needful trouble
of covering it in November with good
mulch Of leaves or evergreen boughs.
The Tulip has its place in the garden
in giving brilliant masses of gorgeous
color. The flowers are too coarse and the
colors too raw and crude to be very use
full in the bouquet or the drawing room,
its odor, too, is not agreeable-it is per-
fectly hardy and comes just after the
hyacinth in May.
The SciUa is one of the most lovely
Of all the dubious flowers and is perfectly
hardy.
The Lily Of tho Valley is perhaps the
most deservedly and universally popular
of all the bulbs. The purity of its white
flowers, the rare delicacy and grace of its
habit, and it's most delicious fragrance
combine to make it an appropriate bridal
ornament, for which purpose it is used
almost as much rs the Orange flower.
The skillful florists force it into flower
at all times in winter, but its management
g.