BULBOUS PLANTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 68, 17 September 1936, Page 26

BULBOUS PLANTS

FOR SUMMER FLOWERING

Besides the well-known Belladonna lily there are several varieties of bulbous plants which flbwer in the summer. The present Is a good time to plant these subjects. One of the most showy of the summer-flowering bulbs is Tigridia. Its gorgeous flowers last only for a day, but as they are produced in quick succession they make a good show over a fairly long period. A warm, sunny position suits the tigridias best and the soil for them should be made quite light and sandy. As they only grow from a foot to 18 inches in height, they make a charming feature on the sunny side of a rock garden. Their foliage is not very dense; they can, therefore, be put in from 4 to 6 inches apart, with the tops of the bulbs 2 inches below the surface.

Another charming little bulb for present planting is calochortus (Mariposa lily or star tulip). This also likes a sunny position and very light, welldrained soil. A sunny pocket on the rock garden is just the place for this Jittle gem. In warm localities nerines do quite well in the Wellington district in the open ground. These are natives of South Africa, so require a fairly warm situation. The bulbs should be planted with the top sticking up through the soil or even the whole bulb on the surface like onions. The reason for this is that the bulbs must be thoroughly ripened by baking by the sun if they are to flower well. Nerines may be had with white, pink, scarlet, crimson, and Intermediate shades of flowers. The blooms which are carried on good firm stems contain.from six to twenty florets and In most varieties are prcduoftd before-the foliage. The flowers last ■ exceptionally well when cut for decoration.