Part 10

=Hyacinths in Pots.=--For greenhouse and conservatory decoration Hyacinths are most useful. One large bulb or three smaller ones may be placed in a 5-inch pot in light sandy soil, the top of the bulbs being well above the surface. The pots should be placed in the open air and covered with fine ashes or coco-nut fibre. Roots soon develop, after which the bulbs may be brought in as required, and can be had in blossom long before those in the open ground begin to appear. In warm greenhouses the graceful Roman and Italian Hyacinths may be flowered in the same way.

For a selection of Hyacinths of various colours the reader will find it best to consult a good bulb catalogue or a nurseryman. Plate 11 shows a few varieties, but the size of the page renders it impossible to show them in all their natural grandeur.

Besides the florist's Hyacinths there are one or two natural species that are worth growing in the rockery, flower border, or in the grass. These are the Spanish Hyacinth (H. amethystinus), with bright blue drooping blossoms, or white in the variety albus, in May and June (see Plate 7, fig. 30). The other is H. azureus, which very much resembles one of the Muscaris, and sends up its sky-blue drooping flowers as early as February (see Plate 2, fig. 10).

Hyacinths may be increased by offsets. These may be stored in dry sand until planting time in the autumn, when they should be placed in beds by themselves, and will reach the flowering stage, with care, in two or three seasons. Full-sized bulbs are induced to develop bulblets by cutting them cross-wise, about half-way through from the base, or scooping the bottom out into a hollow. The bulbs are placed to dry after cutting, and by and bye the bulblets appear. They may be detached and planted like the offsets.

=IRIS= (Flag).--As the various kinds of Irises, known as "rhizomatous," "bearded," "beardless," and "oncocyclus or cushion," have already been dealt with in "A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS," and in the companion volume to this, "BEAUTIFUL GARDEN FLOWERS," it is only necessary here to refer to the "Bulbous" Irises, as coming appropriately within the scope of this work. The best-known examples of Bulbous, or Xiphion Irises, as they are sometimes called, are the Spanish Iris (I. Xiphium) and the English Iris (I. xiphioides). Varieties of the last-named are shown on Plate 14, while forms of the Spanish Iris will be found in "BEAUTIFUL GARDEN FLOWERS," Plate 20, and also in this work, Plate 15. Besides these well-known examples of Bulbous Irises, there are many others now well-known. They are, however, much smaller in stature as a rule, more fragile, so utterly distinct in appearance from the ordinary Flag Irises, and so curiously and beautifully coloured, that many amateurs liken them to orchids, although, perhaps, they can scarcely be termed "Poor Men's" Orchids like their commoner relatives. On Plate 3, five species of charming and early flowering Bulbous Irises are shown, and a glance will show that no description could do real justice to the charming beauty of the blossoms.

The following comprise some of the best kinds of Bulbous Irises:--I. alata, and its numerous varieties, bright lilac-purple to white, October to December; I. Bakeriana (fig. 12), sky blue and white, blotched with violet, January to March; I. Boissieri, reddish purple, June; I. caucasica, pale yellow, February and March; I. Danfordiae, or (Bornmuellieri) golden yellow, February (fig. 14); I. juncea, golden-yellow, fragrant, June and July; I. Kolpakowskyana (fig. 13) has reddish-purple and golden-yellow, with purple veins in March; I. orchioides has very large bulbs and bright-yellow flowers in March and April; I. persica (fig. 15), and its varieties, with light purple, lavender, lilac, sea-green, and other shades of colour, and usually distinctly spotted and sweet-scented during February and March; I. pumila, lilac, purple, or deep violet, April. I. reticulata has deep violet fragrant flowers in February and March; there are very many distinct varieties of it, such as cyanea, bright blue; Histrio, blue, blotched with golden-yellow, December to March (fig. 11); Histrioides, bright blue tinted with violet; humilis, rich red, purple, orange, and white; Krelagei, claret purple and yellow; purpurea, reddish purple; sophenensis, varying from reddish and bluish purple to lilac and lavender; I. Rosenbachiana, variable in colour, purple, yellow, and white to rich crimson and purple blue, March and April; I. sindjarensis has sweet-scented slaty-blue flowers; and I. stenophylla or Heldreichi, mauve purple, February and March.

PLATE 22. CALOCHORTUS VENUSTUS (84) CALOCHORTUS ALBUS (85) CALOCHORTUS PULCHELLUS (86)

The Spanish and English Irises flourish in ordinary good and well-drained garden soil containing a fair amount of sand or grit, and humus. The English varieties on the whole require a somewhat moister situation and rather heavier soil than the Spanish. They flower profusely, and their many shades of colour make the long-stalked blossoms great favourites for decorative purposes. The different colours can be had separately from the nurseryman or florist, but a mixed collection will afford great pleasure to those who do not wish to be burdened with the fancy names given in catalogues.

The smaller kinds of Bulbous Irises--like those shown on Plate 3--require to be treated a little more carefully than the Spanish and English varieties. Indeed many of the choicer and rarer varieties are safer grown in pots of rich sandy soil in cold frames. They flower early in the year, and, if exposed in the open border or rock-garden, the blossoms would be probably not only considerably disfigured, but the cold rains and frosts might kill the bulbs. When grown in the open air, warm sheltered spots should be selected for them, and the soil should be a well-drained sandy loam with a little leaf-soil. If the plants are flourishing, they may be left in the same spot for three or four seasons. After this it is better to lift them when the leaves have withered, and then any offsets may be detached to increase the stock. As a rule the best time to plant bulbous Irises is in September or October, but not later.

=IXIA= (=African Corn Lily=).--If the reader will turn to Plate 1, he or she will at once admit that the Ixias are a charming class of bulbous plants. The picture was prepared from specimens kindly supplied by Messrs. Wallace & Co., of Colchester. There are many other shades and combinations of colour besides those represented, and happy would be the amateur who succeeded in raising such lovely flowers in his garden--either in the open air or under glass.

The Ixias are natives of South Africa, and have smooth or fibrous-coated, round and flattish corms, about an inch in diameter. The sword-shaped leaves are strongly veined, and the beautiful blossoms are borne on stems 1 to 2 feet, during June and July. Some of the best varieties are shown on Plate 1, and attention is especially directed to the charming soft sea-green flowers of I. viridiflora, having a dark blotch in the centre. To these may be added the deep-red or crimson-flowered speciosa or crateroides.

It is a pity that such elegant flowers cannot be grown in the open air in every part of the British Islands. Unfortunately they are not hardy enough for this, and consequently the best results out of doors are only likely to be secured in the mildest parts of the kingdom. The best time to plant is from September to November. The corms should be about 3 inches beneath the surface of the soil. This should be a light, sandy loam; if inclined to be heavy, it should be raised in small beds above the general level to secure better drainage, and a little sand may be placed round each corm, also with the same object in view. In the event of cold rains and frosts in winter, the bulbs should be protected with litter, bracken, &c., to be removed at the end of February or March when the leaves begin to appear.

Where it is impossible to grow Ixias successfully in the open air, they may be grown in pots in cold frames or for the decoration of the greenhouse or conservatory. The corms should be potted in September or October, and kept under ashes or fibre in the open until roots have developed, after which they may be brought inside to develop. Ixias are best increased by offsets.

=IXIOLIRION montanum.=--This beautiful plant (also known as I. Pallasi and I. tataricum) has long-necked ovoid bulbs about an inch in diameter, and tufts of grassy leaves. The charming lilac blossoms, as shown on Plate 18, fig. 73, are borne in early summer in loose clusters on stems a foot or more high, and are very useful in a cut state. There is a good deal of variation in the colour, which has led to different names being given from time to time.

I. Kolpakowskyanum is a rare and little known species from Turkestan. It has much smaller bulbs than montanum, and the blue or whitish blossoms appear somewhat earlier in the year.

Ixiolirions may be grown successfully in the milder parts of the kingdom in warm sheltered spots in the flower-border or rock-garden. They should be planted about 3 inches deep in September or October in light sandy soil, and in cold localities should be protected with litter, &c., in winter.

=LAPEYROUSIA= (=Anomatheca=) =cruenta.=--A pretty South African plant, 6 to 12 inches high, with irregular roundish corms about 2 inches in diameter, and narrow sword-shaped leaves. The deep crimson or blood-red blossoms, with a still deeper-coloured blotch on each of the three inner segments, appear in late summer in loose clusters on slender stalks, and are very striking when seen in large masses. This species, although perhaps a trifle hardier, may be grown in the same way as the Ixias (see p. 90). The corms, however, being larger, should be planted about 6 inches deep, and new plants may be secured by detaching the offsets when the leaves have withered.

PLATE 23. GLADIOLUS OPPOSITIFLORUS (87) LILIUM CANADENSE, VARS. (88-89)

=LEUCOJUM= (Snowflake).--Beautiful plants closely related to the Snowdrops, and somewhat resembling them in bulbs, and leaves, and flowers. The Spring Snowflake (L. vernum) is the first of the group to produce its drooping sweet-scented blossoms in March and April. They are usually borne singly on a slender stalk 6 to 12 inches high, and are white in colour with more or less conspicuous green tips to the petals, as shown in Plate 12, fig. 47. The next best-known kind is the Summer Snowflake--the paradoxical name of L. aestivum. The pure white flowers, tipped with green, appear in May and June, sometimes as many as six being borne on a stem. L. pulchellum is closely related to this species, but has narrower leaves, and produces its smaller blossoms somewhat later. The pretty little plants, formerly known as Acis, are now included with the Leucojums. They all have small white drooping blossoms on slender stems 6 to 12 inches high, those of hyemalis and trichophylla, appearing in April, while those of autumnalis appear in autumn.

The Snowflakes flourish in rich sandy soil, and appear to advantage in the rock-garden or in the grass, where they may be massed in the same way as Snowdrops, &c. Most of them are easily increased by offsets.

=LILIUM= (Lily).--Of all the hardy bulbous plants that may be grown in the open air in our climate, the Lilies may be looked upon as the most noble. Not only are many of them giants in stature among other hardy bulbs, but there is nothing to equal their individual blossoms in size, or their general gracefulness of appearance when borne collectively on the leafy stems.

They differ in another respect from other bulbous plants described in this book, and that is in having "scaly" bulbs as shown on page 12. All the other plants have either bulbs with several coats rolled round each other (tunicated), or else they are solid, when they are known as corms. But in the Lilies neither of these two types appears. What are known as the "scales" are fleshy leaves that have been specially modified under the surface of the soil to act as reservoirs or storehouses for the surplus food that the green aerial leaves on the stems have elaborated for them during the daytime.

There are a large number of species of Lilium, differing greatly in size and blossom, and it is therefore only natural to expect the bulbs to vary a good deal also. Indeed, there are very large and very small bulbs, comparatively speaking, and they display a good deal of difference in their vegetation, and in producing offsets. For example, most kinds develop new bulbs or offsets round the base of the older bulb, while others, like canadense, Grayi, pardalinum, Parryi, and superbum, develop their new bulbs along creeping stems or rhizomes as shown in the sketch on page 31.

Useful as the offsets are for the purpose of increasing the stock, some kinds, notably bulbiferum, Browni, speciosum, and tigrinum, often develop what are called "bulbils" in the axils of the aerial leaves. These bulbils are small bulb-like bodies, which, when sown and covered with soil as if they were large seeds, will develop into flowering bulbs in the course of two or three years. The origin of these bulbils is more fully dealt with at p. 32.

Besides these two fairly easy means of increasing the stock of Lilies, many kinds may be also raised from seeds, which at the end of three, six, or eight years, will have produced bulbs large enough to throw up flowering stems. Raising Lilies from seed is more common now than it used to be, especially in America, where some lovely hybrids have been raised, such as Burbanki, Dalhansoni, Marhan, &c.

=Distribution of Lilies.=--As Liliums are distributed throughout all parts of the north temperate hemisphere--extending from California in the west, to China and Japan in the east, across the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia--they are therefore found naturally growing in different soils, and under various climatic conditions, in all degrees of sunshine and shadow, drought and moisture. In the British flower garden they are, as a rule, best in positions where they will be shaded from the hot mid-day sun, as the flowers will last much longer than if exposed too much. They should not, however, be planted in deep shade under trees, or among their roots, as the latter would absorb too much food and moisture from the Lilies, while the overhanging boughs would prevent the rain from reaching the bulbs in sufficient quantity. During vigorous growth, Lilies like plenty of water, but the soil must at the same time be so well drained that it shall readily pass away from the bulbs. ("A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS.")

=Time and Depth of Planting.=--If bulbs can be secured early in autumn, say in September or October, that would be the best time to plant Lilies. But very often bulbs of certain kinds cannot be secured till spring, so that planting must necessarily take place then. The depth at which Lily bulbs are to be planted depends greatly upon the size of the individual bulbs; some kinds are planted about 6 inches deep, while others require a depth of 9 or 10 inches. A safe general rule to follow, is to cover the bulbs with about twice their own depth of soil when planting in the open air. If a piece of peat be placed beneath each bulb at the time of planting, and a layer of sand about half-an-inch thick round them, they will root much more freely. An exception to the general rule seems to be L. giganteum (see p. 100). When Liliums are hardy enough to be left undisturbed for several seasons in the same place, a good top-dressing or "mulching" of well-decayed manure in autumn will be of great advantage in replenishing the food for the roots.

So far as culture is concerned, Liliums may be arranged in three distinct groups as follows:--