BULBS FOR SPRING PLANTING

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1832, 17 April 1907, Page 51

BULBS FOR SPRING PLANTING

Undoubtedly the most important of all bulbous subjects for planting in the spring is the gladiolus. When good varieties of this fine bulb are properly grown, they afford a splendid display of colour towards the end of summer, or in the early autumn, and, apart from their value for the decoration of the garden, the spikes stand well when cut and placed in water, and in this form are invaluable in the ornamentation of the home, for harvest festivals, etc. There is now a great variety in this subject, including the early flowering kinds—the Bride (Colvillei alba) and others—the summer flowering varieties, G. gandavensis, with its almost innumerable hybrid forms; the brilliant scarlet-flowered G. brenchleyensis, the new “butterfly” hybrids (Lemoine’s); the Nanceianus section, also raised by M. Lemoine; the giant Childsii hybrids, which often attain a height of 4ft- or sft; as well as a num--ber of distinct species, such as G. grandis, G. floribundus, G. imperials, etc. All the gladioli enjoy a deep, rich, and well-drained loamy soil of a rather light character, and the bulbs should be planted in July or early August, placing those of the ordinary kind 9in to 12in apart, and about 4in deep, though the early-flowering varieties may, and should, be planted much closer, and the Childsii and Nanceianus varieties rather farther apart. If tlie soil is damp or heavy, place a good handful of sand round each bulb. ‘ A very stately and effective bulbous subject that is not employed to nearly the extent it should be is Hyacinthus (Galtonia) candicans, which produces large, white, bell-shaped and drooping blossoms oh tall spikes 4ft or sft in height. This succeeds in almost any fairly good garden soil, and the bulbs should bo planted 4in or Sin deep, and 12in -or more apart, in July. A group of this fine plant placed in the centre of a circular bed, and surrounded with a mass of the brilliantlycoloured gladiolus brenchleyensis, produces a very telling effect, particularly as they both come into bloom together. The Mexican Tiger-flowers, or tigridias, though but little known, are summer-flowering bulbs of really gorgeous beauty, of which the roots should be planted in July. They delight in a rather light and welldrained soil, and a warm and sunny position. The best varieties are T. conchiflora, with large yellow flowers, spotted with scarlet; T. grandiflora rubra, rich scarlet, spotted with crimson; T. g. alba, white, spotted with ruby-crimson, very large and beautiful: T. immaculata, perfectly pure white; and T. Ruby Queen, soft rubyrose, very fine: These exquisite plants may also be grown in pots. Another delightful class of summerflowering bulbous plants is the Montbretia, of which the tubers may be planted in a light warm soil at any time now, or even in the autumn, but where the soil is at all strong or damp plant in July, placing a little sand round each bulb. These invaluable and now popular resemble a miniature gladiolus, but the flowers are produced in wonderful profusion, and the habit is extremely graceful. They succeed in any fairly good garden soil, but it should be made fairly rich, and sunny position be chosen. Some fine varieties are Etoile do Feu (vermilion, shaded orangescarlet), Eldorado (deep 'orange-yellow), Rayon d’Or (deep golden yellow, shaded apricot and orange), < Bouquet Parfait (rich yellow-., and, orange), and Transcendant (orange-red,:. ; shading; ;to gold and vermilion), M-mui 0,,; ;