Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-09
SELECTION OF BULBS
A WAY TO OBTAIN GOOD EFFECTS
IN COLOR COMBINATIONS.
Flowers That Can Add Much Beauty
to Garden Schemes-They
Bloom Early.

Inc lover of flowers Is guilty of mistake
1or which she is likely to suffer later If
she neglects to add bulbs to the other at
tractlons OF her house and garden There
Is no other class Of plants that can be more
/ successfully grown by the amateur gar
oener' nor one Of which the flowers afford
greater satisfaction. Between the vanish
ing OF the snow and the first appear
ance OF the early ANIMALS there is always
an ugly interregnum of brown lawns and
empty flower BEDS Then begins that bril-
hant procession Of the bulbs, beginning
with the first crocus and ending only when
inc gay pageantry Of hyaeinth. iris, narcis-
sus and tulip merges into the fuller beauty
ana brightness of the early summer.
Iris and Narcissus.
Then, too, besides, their beauty, what
wealth OF romantic; and historic interest
cinss about theml Iris, hyacinth. amaryl
u.s. narcissus-what pictures of ancient
loveiiness and poetry the mere names con-
1ure up. The mind is Immediately filled
with nymphs. dryads, gods and goddesses,
a,lu .nen. to come down to comparatively
hooern times what associations has the
lump; BY way Of Venice and Vienna It
FOUND its way into Holland in the sixteenth
century, and the rich and luxury-loving
Dutchmen fell slaves to 1t on the spot.
They say that some tulip bulbs were sent
70 az antwerp merchant, who had them
boiled for dinner under the belief that they
were some new and choice variety of onion.
But the Hollanders knew too much to make
mat mistake. Year by year the flower
waxed In stately splendor, growing more
accllmatized to the lush fields and sleepy
oykes OF it's foster country, until in the
seventeenth century 1t had become not only
rae. out passion, a cult 4 rare bulb
solo FOR kings ransom; men mortgaged
their houses and women pawned their Jew
els 10 puy There was tulip market just
as there was a money market and tulips
went up and down, and were quoted like so
many stocks and bonds. 1t was nothing
more nor less than a gamble, in which admi-
ture were subsidiary considerations The
'tul1pomania' It has been christened, and
while 1t lasted 1t ragged with a virulence
hard to appreciate now.
The Jersey Lily.
Or take the so-called Jersey lily, really
the Guernsey lily, of delicate beauty and
spotless reputation. 1t is native Of Japan
and came quite by accident to make it's
home In the Channel Islands. Had it not
been for the cruel winds and waves that
wrecked an English ship bound home from
Japan on the biting reefs of the channel
1t might have remained unknown, except to
oriental tradition. The ship went to pieces
her Wreckage and cargo drifting and float
ing hither and yon, and probably no one
gave thought to the brown little onion
like things bobbng about In the foam of
the breakers. Years afterward, in the
reign Of Charles II, governor Of the is
land who was something of a botanist was
struck with the beauty Of a flower bloom
ing In great profusion In the sandy reaches
along the shore. He sent a few of the
bulbs to England, where the lily was taken
up and cultivated, soon becoming a favor
lite there as well as on the continent. Now
the spikes Of the golden-hearted flowers are
worth many hundreds of pounds In cold
cash annually to the people Of Guernsey,
for, though the flower will live and will
blossom elsewhere, nowhere-not even in
Jersey-does it attain to such perfection as
on the warm sea sands of Guernsey.
October Planting.
Although some persons plant their
bulbs for their spring gardens so early as
the beginning Of September, this is rather
premature. Successful bulb growers near
ly always postpone planting until the mid
die of October for twofold reason. Plant
too early and the plants may come up just
in time to be nipped and chilled by be-
lated snowstorm, and it is possible to have
only the labor for the pains. But defer the
operation unduiy and the formation of the
new roots will be checked by the too early
approach Of winter The postponed growth
must be resumed next spring, and that in
terferes with the Towering, and one gets
only imperfect, stuRted blooms.
Bulbs are greedy plants. They crave a
deal Of food, ann it must be good, rich food.
too Even roses, thu gluttons Of the gar
den, are scarcely more exacting over their
table. But the two call for different fare.
For bulbs choose a. sandy loan. light and
susceptible to the warning influence of the
meager spring sum- with open drainage.
Dig up the bedi rake level, then lay the
bulbs on top in the positions in which 1t is
desired to keep them. Then with trowel
one may expeditiously go through them,
making holes three or four inches deep and
pressing the little tubers into the holes
Crocuses will need to be planted two
inches apart; hyacinths, six; tulips for
massing), two. Once planted. they require
little attention-this is one of their great
charms. The first crocus-or 1t may be a
contemporaries formal declaration of the
opening of the floral year.