BULBS FOR PLANTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23707, 14 January 1939, Page 21

BULBS FOR PLANTING

AUTUMN AND WINTER FLOWERS The Amaryllis Belladonna, usually known simply as the Belladonna lily, should be planted during February in a warm shrubbery border, where I it may be left undisturbed for years. In such a situation, there is no fear of damage to the bulbs by severe .weather, but one condition they cannot put up with, and that is stagnant moisture, so see that they are put into well-drained soil. A fairly rich, sandy compost is most suitable, and the bulbs should be put into the soil at a depth of eight or nine inches. , During the early autumn these plants bear their fragrant pink flowers. They should be given plenty of water if the weather happens to be dry, and a good mulch jof well-rotted manure will add greatly to the size of the blooms. THE WHITE LILY Lillium candidum is popularly known as the Madonna lily. It is such a beautiful species, with its pure white and deliciously perfumed flowers, that it ought to be in every garden. Though it likes a sunny position, it grows quite well in semishade. It attains a height of three feet or more, and blooms in January. Unlike most lilies, transplanting can be done with greatest succcess immediately after flowering. It prefers a good medium soil', and one that is not too dry, and the bulbs must only just be covered with soil. Later they will work themselves out on to the surface.

During the flowering period, should the weather prove sunny and soil be dry, give frequent and liberal waterings, and also mulch with leaf mould—a supply of which might also be put in the growing site. The best effect is obtained where these lilies are planted in groups of three or more, setting them a foot apart. Bulbs of the English, Spanish, and Dutch irises will not be available till the end of February, but should then be planted as soon as possible. They will do well in any ordinarily good garden soil, and are not very particular as to partial shade or full sun, though the latter condition gives, on the whole, the best results. They grow to a height of two fefet, and the blooms are in colours of blue, yqllow, and white. It is a mistake to keep lifting the bulbs every year. They should be left quite undisturbed as long as they produce blooms of the ordinary size. When there is a falling-off in this, one may conclude that the bulbs are overcrowded, and the time has come to lift and replant. Also members of the lily family are the colchicums, which are superficially very like crocuses, but are really of an entirely different habit. They flower in autumn, and are also known by the popular names of Meadow Saffron and Autumn Crocus.

Colchicums delight in moist conditions, being naturally plants of the meadow. They need good soil to grow in to be seen at their best, and it must on no account be of a stagnant nature —that is, the plant, while thriving in riverside pastures, is by no means a bog one. Early February should find the bulbs in their places, and it is all the better if they can be planted in late January. They grow to a height of six inches, and should be planted in spaces six inches deep. Every few years the bulbs may need to be taken up and divided when they get overcrowded, but otherwise they should not be disturbed. A topdressing of rich soil, applied early, to cover the bulbs, will make them grow luxuriantly. The spring-flowering crocuses are too well known to need recommendation, but not all amateur gardeners are familiar with the lovely autumn-flowering species These must be planted at once if they are to bloom. Even the spring kinds should be planted in February if possible. To leave the bulbs out of the ground until late autumn is a grave error. All crocuces will do well in an open soil, which must be well drained. To a light loam a dressing of leaf mould or peat moss will be of great benefit. Plant the bulbs at a depth of about three inches, and leave them in the same place for years. When lifting has to be done, it should be carried out as soon as the foliage fades and dies down. In such cases, replanting may be carried out immediately, or the corms may be stored till more convenient. Chionodoxa, or glory of the snow, is a beautiful hardy spring flower, growing rather taller than the crocuses. It does well in any good garden soil, and, planted in clumps or in lines, is very effective. The variety C. Luciliae is particularly charming, with sky-blue flowers, each with a white centre. They are valuable in the rockery and for growing among shrubs and trees. Given good, well-drained soil, they will need no attention, and will multiply quickly. Should the soil happen to be poor, an annual topdressing of well-decayed manure will help them along. In heavy soil plant two inches deep: in lighter soil cover more deeply. THE GRAPE HYACINTHS The muscari, or grape, hyacinth, is another bulb that benefits from early planting. These are delightful plants for the rock garden, and

will thrive in any average soil. For a good display, they are best arranged in large clumps. Planting should be three to four inches apart and three inches deep. The soil must be dug thoroughly before planting, and where it is poor, the addition of leaf mould or a very little well-rotted manure will improve matters considerably. Good drainage is most important. Snowdrops are, perhaps, the most popular of our spring flowers. The bulbs will flourish in most soils if well drained, and, after planting, snowdrops need but the minimum of attention for years. In good soil the multiplication of , bulbs is speedy They like a semi-shady situation. February is the time to plant the bulbs—the sooner the better for such early varieties as G. cilicicus and G. byzantinus. Cover them with about three inches of soil. Though they are small, they do not appreciate shallow planting. Winter aconite is one of the first bulbs to delight us in the early months of the year, with its bright yellow blooms, surrounded by green frills. It is very showy planted in clumps among shrubs or in the wild garden, which it brightens at a dreary season. When once established, it should not be disturbed, but left to make its yearly and welcome show. It is not particular as regards soil, though, like most fleshy-rooted plants, it appreciates good drainage. The tubers—they are not, strictly speaking, bulbs at all—should be covered with about three inches of soil. This plant is a good companion for snowdrops, and also does well in shade, when it blooms a little later.—Wild Rose, in Amateur Gardening.