CHAPTER XVI.

BULBS FOR SUMMER FLOWERING.

“‘Look at the Lilies, how they grow!’ ’Twas thus the Saviour said, that we, E’en in the simplest flowers that blow, God’s ever watchful care might see.

Shall He who paints the Lily’s leaf, Who gives the Rose its scented breath, Love all His works, except the chief, And leave His image, man, to death?”

_The Japan Lilies._

Bulbs that can be preserved in the house in a dry state during the winter, and planted in the ground in the spring, or those which live out during the winter and bloom in the house, are called Summer Bulbs.

To this class belong the Japan Lilies, Gladiolus, Dahlias, Tuberoses, Tigridias, Amaryllis formosissima, Valotta purpurea superba, and Tritomas.

These flowers are of very easy cultivation, and contribute largely to the beauty of the garden; their magnificent bloom well repaying the little attention they require. The peculiar nature of a bulb is not generally well understood; it really partakes more of the properties of a seed, for, when in the act of vegetating it sends down into the soil roots, and into the air a living stem, and the matter contained in the bulb decomposes and nourishes the young plant, while the seed decays in giving birth to the plant; but the bulb is renewed, and from the roots another bulb is composed which appears to be the same one planted, yet it is its offspring, and the offsets or young bulbs are its suckers, and are distinct from the parent bulb. Thus like the myth of the Phenix springing from the ashes of the parent bulb, the offspring is formed. This formation is readily seen in the Gladiolus and the Crocus.

The rarely beautiful Lilies which have been imported from Japan are great additions to the list of summer flowers. They are shaped like the old-fashioned Tiger Lily, always seen in old gardens, but entirely surpass it in the beauty of their coloring.

They were first treated as “stove plants,” and did not show forth their glories, but now they will survive the coldest northern winter with a slight covering of leaves, and have proved themselves indispensable.

They grow readily in any good soil, but like all other flowers, will repay their cultivator if supplied with a rich, loamy soil, mixed with sandy peat; this is their native soil, and they will produce many more flowers upon one stalk if attention is paid to their wants. They require much moisture when in flower, and if the season is very hot and dry, will bloom much longer if mulched with moist manure.

We are indebted to the enterprising and scientific traveler, Dr. Siebold, for the introduction of the Japan Lilies to our gardens.

Lilium speciosum has been thus described:--“The clear, deep rose-color of its petals are all rugged with rubies and garnets, sparkling with crystal points. Indeed, the diamond bouquets, the Queen of Spain’s jewels, and even the far-famed Koh-i-noor itself, must pale their ineffectual fires, when compared with this gorgeous flower. The jeweler who wishes to produce a most exquisitely tasteful, as well as dazzling and brilliant ornament, should take one of these Lilies as his model.”

Lilium lancifolium album has pure white flowers; sometimes the lower part of the petals are washed with violet.

Lilium lancifolium punctatum has flowers of a flesh color, with spots of delicate rose.

Lilium lancifolium rubrum possesses very large flowers of rose-color, suffused with carmine, and purplish colored papilla.

Lilium longiflorum is a very beautiful species, growing nearly two feet high, and producing from one to five flowers, according to the size of the bulb; the flowers are of a pure, waxy white, trumpet shaped, and from six to eight inches long. It blooms early in July, while the above-named varieties do not bloom until August.

Lilium eximium is another handsome variety, resembling L. longiflorum, but the flowers are larger and their color is of a sating whiteness.

Lilium Brownii possesses many of the characteristics of the two preceding, but the outside of the flower is striped with deep brownish-violet lines.

All these Lilies will grow and blossom luxuriantly for several weeks. They increase rapidly by small bulbs below the soil, and it is well to remove them every autumn, and plant them separately. Thus treated, they will often bloom the second season. The small bulbs should be planted in a light, sandy soil, and covered two inches deep. The soil should not be made too rich with manure, as it tends to rot the bulbs. A Double Japan Lily has been produced, but as yet the bulbs are very rare and high priced.

And Mr. Fortune has introduced from China, Lilium tigrinum Fortunei, which is remarkable for its vigorous growth, and its immense cluster of flowers which branch out in three successive series from the main stem, thus prolonging its season of bloom.

Another novelty is Lilium tigrinum splendens, introduced by M. Van Houtte, which resembles the Fortunei in many respects, but differs from it in color, and has more prominent spots on the perianth. Both of them are considered gorgeous additions to the family of bulbous plants.

Lilium auratum is styled the “Queen of the Japanese Lilies.” To its perfect form and rare coloring, it adds the most delicious fragrance. Its blossoms are very large, and each petal is decorated with a golden band running through its center. It is perfectly hardy, and often produces from fifteen to twenty-five blossoms on a single stalk. Good flowering bulbs are now held at a low price. It flowers in August, but by planting in pots its time of blossoming can be forestalled. Like the other Lilies, it delights in a sandy loam. The Japan Lilies make fine lawn plants. If planted in a circular bed, with the tallest in the center, the effect is very pleasing.

_The Gladiolus._

The Gladiolus has become the chief favorite among its class. Its name is derived from its sword-shaped leaves; it possesses upwards of sixty species, divided by hybridization into an immense number of varieties. In nearly all the species the flowers retain the same form, but they differ in colorings and markings. These bulbs are mostly natives of Cape of Good Hope, Madagascar and Southern Africa. They will not survive our northern climate, and must always be kept in a cool, dry place during the winter.

In their native land, they bloom during the wet season, which shows us that they require a good supply of moisture to bloom in perfection in our dry, hot summers.

These flowers were not much known until 1795, when the Cape Colony was ceded to England, and her botanists and collectors of rare plants seized upon them with delight. Since then they have become “Florists’ Flowers,” and their successful hybridizations have greatly increased their beauty and colorings.

To grow the bulbs in perfection, they should be planted in a sandy loam, enriched with leaf mould and peat. A mixture of one-half loam, one-quarter peat, and one-quarter leaf mould will suit them perfectly.

They may be planted in the open air during April or May.

If strong manures are used in the soil, it causes the colors of the flowers to run into each other, and gives them a muddy appearance. The bulbs can be planted in groups or singly. Groups of three or five are the most usual way of planting them. They should be set from two to four inches deep, according to the size of the bulbs. As they grow up, they should be tied to a light stake, from three to four feet long.

When the frost has killed the leaves, dig up the bulbs, dry them in the sun, cut off the leaves an inch from the stem, and put the bulbs in a paper bag. Kept in a frost-proof cellar, they will retain all their life. From one bulb, two or three bulbs will spring; they increase rapidly, and can be purchased cheaply.

The high prices in the catalogues are no criterion of their beauty, but only mark them as “novelties.”

Many bulbs are held at four dollars a root, but that shows their scarcity.

Low priced varieties will often please us quite as well, and are not surpassed by the colors of the “novelties.”

Among the most beautiful of the Gladiolus, are:--

Belle Gabrielle, a perfectly shaped flower, fine lilac-colored rose, marked with a bright rose-color.

Charles Dickens, delicate rose, tinted with chamois, striped with a rosy carmine.

Comte de Morny, rosy scarlet flecked with rich crimson, lower petals shaded with crimson.

Dr. Lindley, very large flower of perfect shape, rose-color petals of a brighter shade, feathered with cherry-color; very showy.

Lady Franklin, white, slightly tinged with rose, striped and blazed with carminate rose.

La Français, flower pure white, and very large, with small bluish violet blotches; very fine.

Moliere, flower very large; a bright cherry-red with large, pure white stains.

Mozart, bright rose, tinted with violet, blazed with dark carmine, with pure white stains; a very beautiful variety.

Roi Leopold, bright rose, tinged with orange, and stained with white.

Stephenson, large flower, cherry-colored, striped with white lines; splendid spike of flowers.

Stella, perfect shaped flower, white ground, slightly tinged with yellow and rose; very brilliant and showy.

Sir Walter Scott, very bright rose-color on a white ground, striped with carmine; very fine.

Vicomtesse de Belleval, delicate blush, stained with violet.

Good varieties can be purchased from $1.50 to $2.00 per dozen.

Gladioli show to good advantage if planted around rose bushes, or among herbaceous perennials. They bloom late in the season, when most of these flowers are past, and if well trained to stakes, which should be set when the flower is planted, they will produce a charming effect. They make very nice house plants for window gardens; six or eight bulbs can be grown in a twelve-inch pot, and each kind tied to a thin stake. They will bloom finely. If the stalks are cut off for vases or bouquets, they will continue to bloom for a week or two, sending forth fresh flowers daily.

There is no bulbous root which gives a greater variety of colors in its flowers, or better repays the care and attention bestowed upon it. All lovers of flowers must cultivate a few of these desirable bulbs.

_The Dahlia._

The great variety and beauty of its blossoms, and their profusion in the later summer and autumn, when many of our handsomest flowers are gone, make it well worthy of good culture. The Dahlia is a native of Mexico, and was found by Baron Humboldt growing on the elevated, sandy plains of Mexico, five thousand feet above the level of the sea. He gathered the seeds and sent them to the Abbe Cavanilles, Professor of Botany at the Royal Garden of Madrid, who succeeded in flowering a plant in October, 1789, to which he gave the name of Dahlia pinnata, in honor of Dahl, a Swedish botanist, a pupil of Linnæus. Objections were made to this name because it resembled Dalea, a name given to an entirely different plant, in honor of Dale, an Englishman. Professor Wildenow, in his “Species Plantarum,” calls it Georgina, after Georgi, a Russian botanist. De Candolle and other eminent writers adopted that title; but the original name was the favorite, and still exists. In 1790, the Marchioness of Bute received some seeds from Spain, which flowered finely, but not knowing how to treat the tubers in the winter, the plants were lost. In 1804, Lady Holland sent seeds to M. Buonainti, a practical gardner and skillful botanist; he cultivated them successfully, and from those seeds almost all the various kinds of Dahlias have sprung.

De Candolle obtained seeds, and in 1810 he describes only five varieties of Variabilis, and three of Frustranea; but he had no double flower.

The first double Dahlia was sent from Stuttgard to Mons. Von Otto, who raised one similar, in the Royal Garden at Berlin, in 1809. He labored patiently to improve the varieties, and by 1816 had three more double flowers; but not until 1820 could he show six double flowering kinds. Now they are counted by the hundreds and thousands; and it would seem as if there were no limits to the improvement of it. Mr. Paxton asks, “Who would have supposed, that from one comparatively insignificant plant, such endless, innumerable, beautiful varieties could have been produced; and what may we not anticipate? It is not unreasonable to expect still a greater improvement. May we not have combinations of those clear, rich, and exquisitely beautiful colors for which the Tulip has been so long admired? Perhaps, ere long, our fancy may be gratified by seeing Dahlias with the shades of black and white associated in the same flower; and the popular taste may be also gratified with globular shaped flowers.”

A blue Dahlia was the _ne plus ultra_ for which the florists strove, and many watered their young seedlings with an infusion of indigo, hoping thereby to give the desired cerulean hue.

Mons. de Candolle considers yellow and blue to be the fundamental types of colors in flowers, and that they are antagonistic, i. e., mutually exclude each other; the blue flowers can by cultivation be changed into all shades of red, purple and white, while the yellow will pass into the same shades, but never into blue. For many years the Dahlia showed only the shades of purple and crimson, and it was not believed that any other color could be produced. A pure white flower at length was produced, and caused a great sensation; and the yellow was greeted with much delight The growing of Dahlias was a passion in England and the United States, twenty years ago; and new varieties were much sought for. Large sums of money were paid for them.

The Liliputian or Pompone Dahlias are very lovely for bouquets and vases. The flowers are of the desired globular shape, and each petal is perfectly cupped and tinted. They grow about eighteen inches to two feet high, and are desirable for the smallest garden. Some of the flowers are no larger than a Ranunculus; the plant is perfectly covered with buds and flowers that produce a charming effect.

Dahlias will grow in almost any kind of soil, excepting wet, heavy clay loam; but a moderately rich, light loam is the best. A clear, open location, well exposed to the sun, is indispensable for the finest blooms. They grow finely on the southwestern side of a fence, making a hedge of unsurpassed beauty. The plants should be set three feet apart; if grown _en masse_, they should have as much room as that, and they will grow so bushy, that at a little distance, they will appear closely grouped. As borderings on each side of a walk, they show to great advantage, and can be planted once in two and a half feet.

Dahlias can be trained by pegging down the tender shoots, so that they will cover a bed; the branches must be pegged down as the plants grow, until the bed is entirely covered, and will present an uniform mass of flowers and foliage. Plants for this purpose should be set only two feet apart. Some train them in the espalier form, by allowing three or four stems to grow from each root, laying them diagonally on both sides, and filling up the center with the lateral shoots.

These flowers are propagated by seeds, division of the tubers, and by cuttings. Few, but experienced florists, succeed in growing them in the last-named manner, but all of us can raise them from the two former. It is no more work to grow a Dahlia than a potato.

_Keeping Dahlias through the Winter._

The tubers need not be dug up until just before the ground freezes; then remove them to a dry out-house for a day or two to dry off. Don’t break the tubers apart, but cut the stem down to within a few inches of them, and use it as a handle by which to lift them. All the flowering stems of another season are situated on or near the point of junction between the tubers and the stem. When they are so dried that the soil will all shake off, pack them in barrels or boxes and fill up with sand that has been dried in the sun especially for them. If you put them in damp sand they will decay. After they are carefully packed, put them in a dry cellar--frost-proof, and they will come out in March and April fresh and vigorous. In planting them, it is considered best to set out the cluster of tubers, and after the shoots have sprouted two or three inches, to separate them, leaving two shoots to a tuber. When planted out into the border, put the root at least three inches under ground, and water carefully, shading from the sun for two or three days. A stake must be inserted close by the stem when the tuber is planted, and as the shoots advance, tie them to it. If placed there after the plant is growing, you may injure the roots.

It is from seeds alone that new varieties spring. They should be sown early in the spring, in shallow boxes in a window or hot-bed, in a rich, light soil, with a good sprinkling of sand; as soon as the third and fourth leaves are well developed, plant them in two-inch pots, or in boxes three inches apart; shade them from the light for two days or so, as the seedlings are very tender. They can be planted into the border when all danger of frost is past; and if the soil is enriched with well-rotted cow-manure, the blooms will be finer. Until the buds show their coloring, there is no way of ascertaining it with certainty, though plants with pure green stems will usually produce white flowers, those with reddish-brown stems the darkest colored flowers, and those with light brown stems, pale or blush-colored flowers. Such plants as are not handsome should be pulled up, as soon as the flowers have fully shown their character; and give more room for the beautiful ones to grow in.

If the finest blooms are desired, the side branches should all be pinched off, and only the three or four strongest shoots allowed to grow, and on these the buds must be thinned out, leaving only three or four to come to perfection. The hot sun is injurious to the more delicate shades, and careful cultivators suspend an oiled paper, to protect their rare plants from it, also from heavy, drenching rains.

Soapsuds make an excellent fertilizer, and it is well to give the roots a thorough drenching with it, at least once a week. Much of the success in growing fine Dahlias depends upon training them carefully, and fastening the shoots with soft yarn to the stake every few days. By protecting from the first frosts, the blossoms may be prolonged late into the autumn, after the death of most flowers of the garden, and if gathered and kept in fresh water, the flowers will last a fortnight, or even longer.

A select list of varieties:--

America, raised by Mr. Gerhard Schmitz, of Philadelphia, who has been very successful in producing fine varieties; white ground, striped and splashed with rosy-crimson, perfect globular shade, and cupped petals. Received first prize from Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Amazon, scarlet margins, yellow center.

Alba multiflora, pure white.

Ali Baba, deep scarlet.

Amorette, light rose, edged with lilac.

Antiope, buff, shaded with carmine.

Autumn Glow, orange-salmon, buff edge.

Bird of Passage, white, tipped with carmine.

Colossus, large yellow.

Carnation striped, buff, striped with crimson and lilac.

Charivari, yellow striped and blotched with carmine.

Conqueror of the whites, purest white.

Duchess of Cambridge, pink, edged with crimson.

Ebene, rosy-buff, mottled with white.

Gem, scarlet, tipped with white.

Glowing Coal, crimson-scarlet.

Hebe, white, edged with yellow, tipped with red.

Koh-i-noor, canary-yellow.

Maude, white, tipped with lilac.

Murillo, salmon, shaded lilac and carmine.

Oullet Parfait, buff, striped with scarlet.

Queen Mab, scarlet tipped with white.

Striata, lilac, striped with maroon.

Talisman, rose, striped with crimson.

Tiger, maroon-purple.

Startler, maroon, tipped with white.

_Select List of Liliputian or Pompone Dahlias._

Arndt, magenta, with brown stripes and spots.

Alba Floribunda nana, pure white, very dwarf.

Black Diamond, maroon.

Guiding Star, pure white, fimbriated.

Exquisite, rich golden yellow, tipped with scarlet.

Kind and True, straw-color, tipped with purple.

Little Nymph, white, shaded with rose.

Little Kate, dark crimson.

Little Willie, richest deep pink.

Little Agnes, brightest of scarlets.

Little Dear, blush, marbled with white.

Little Herman, the finest Liliput Dahlia in cultivation; cherry-pink, tipped with white.

Otto Weilbacher, yellow, striped with scarlet.

Rachel, salmon, tipped with crimson.

Rose of Gold, finest vermillion.

Tansenblitz, deep maroon, shaded with rose.

Utz, dark maroon.

_Tuberoses._

One of the most beautiful of all the summer-flowering bulbs, and unequaled in fragrance by any flower that grows. The flowers are in much request upon all festive occasions, and are also in use for funeral wreaths, crosses, etc. It is said that a million of roots are grown about the environs of New York, and they can be purchased from a single flower, with a scented leaf of geranium, to immense dishes or baskets of them, arranged with other flowers. Fifty flowers have been raised on a single stem, but from sixteen to twenty is the average number. The bulbs never bloom but once, but numerous small offsets form round the parent root, which, if kept over winter in a dry place, not less than fifty degrees in temperature, will bloom in two years. In latitudes north of New York city, the bulbs must be started early in March, to bloom before the frost touches them. There are few plants grown in the garden which give more perfect satisfaction.

The Double Tuberose is considered the most desirable flower, but the single possesses the same delicious perfume, and blooms earlier than the double. A new variety, with variegated leaves striped with light yellow, is admired for its novelty. They bloom best in a sandy soil, well enriched with concentrated manures; Guano water, prepared as before described, will hasten their flowering, and increase the number of buds. It can be given twice a week, if the bulbs are in the open ground or in large boxes.

_The Tigridia._

The Tiger-flower, or Tigridia, is a very showy Mexican bulb, growing about eighteen inches high; its flowers are four inches in diameter, and of most gorgeous coloring, and curious form. They require the same culture as the Gladiolus; will not live out of doors in cold latitudes. There are as yet but four or five varieties, which bloom from July to October.

T. pavonia, scarlet, spotted and tipped with yellow.

T. conchiflora, orange and yellow, with black spots.

T. conchiflora grandiflora, lemon-color, spotted with crimson.

T. speciosa, orange, with deep, maroon-colored spots.

_Amaryllis formosissima._

The Jacobean Lily, or Amaryllis formosissima, is a dwarf-growing plant, and each bulb will usually produce two flowers of the richest crimson-violet hue, and of remarkably beautiful form; the flowers have six petals, three erect and reflexed, and three drooping, giving the flower a peculiarly graceful appearance. If planted early, in the house or hot-bed, it will bloom in June or July. The bulbs must be preserved like those of the Tigridia.

_Vallota Purpurea Superba._

This plant is of the easiest culture, and no summer flowering bulb surpasses it in richness of coloring. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope; and its leaves do not die down after the flowering season, so it cannot be packed away like other bulbs, but must be kept at rest in the earth, in a dry state. The leaves are flat and of a rich green, and spread out like a fan. The flower stalk rises about a foot in height, and bears a cluster of from six to eight scarlet, lily-shaped flowers. The bulbs are increased by numerous offsets, which will bloom in three years, at the latest. Botanists class this flower with the genus Amaryllis, and it is called in some books Amaryllis speciosa; but it is more commonly known as Valotta purpurea, though there is no shade of purple about it, for the flowers are of the brightest scarlet, with bright yellow stamens and anthers. The bulbs can be planted out in the open border, and repotted when the frost comes. It is such a showy and elegant plant, that it should be cultivated by all who delight in Flowering Bulbs.

_Tritoma Uvaria Grandiflora._

This is a splendid plant, with a magnificent spike of rich orange-red flowers; from its glowing color it has been called “Red Hot Poker.” It will bloom freely in any good garden soil, and is hardy in the latitude of New York city, but farther north, the roots require to be kept in sand during the winter. The flower-stem will often grow from four to five feet in height, and it produces a very fine effect. To bloom before the frost, they require to be started in March or April, and should not be planted out until there is settled warm weather.

The Summer Flowering Bulbs form a distinct class of flowers, and will, of themselves, make a gloriously gorgeous garden, requiring but little attention, as their bulbous roots do not usually demand the frequent waterings that annuals and bedding-out plants must have in this hot, dry climate. These bulbs, with the exception of the Lilies which head the chapter, must be housed in the winter, in cold climates; but our southern sisters can plant them out, and they will only ask to be removed to new quarters, as their offspring multiply and crowd them out.

The florists’ catalogues offer them all at small cost, and it is impossible for those who have not feasted their eyes upon their glowing beauties, to even imagine their glories!