IRIS

The common varieties of Iris are well-known favourites of the border,

and the whole family have claims on the attention of amateurs, on

account of their excellent faculty of taking care of themselves if

properly planted in the first instance. The tuberous or bulbous rooted

kinds do not require a rich soil; a sandy loam suits them, and they

thrive in peat. Such beautiful species as Reticulata, the Chalcedonian,

and the Peacock are worth growing in pots placed in frames or in a cool

greenhouse. The English, Dutch, and Spanish varieties should be planted

in clumps in front of a shrubbery border, where they may be seen to

advantage. The crown of the bulb must not be more than three inches

below the surface. From September to December will answer for planting,

and the roots may be taken up when the flowering period is over, or if

the space is not wanted they can be allowed to remain for the following

season. Bulbs of the English class should never be kept out of the

ground longer than can be helped, but they ought not to be grown in one

spot for more than three years; after that time the clumps must be

divided and a fresh position found for them.





IXIA and SPARAXIS



These attractive Cape bulbs are hardy in favoured districts, and may be

left out for years in a sheltered border. In places where none but the

hardiest plants pass through the winter safely, they must be grown in

the greenhouse or the frame, and any good sandy soil will suit them,

whether peat or loam. They should be potted early in the autumn, and

have plenty of air at all times when the weather is favourable,

especially when they are growing freely in spring. If carefully managed,

they may remain two seasons in the same pots. Use the 48-size, and plant

four or five bulbs in each. A dry, deep, sandy border under a wall in

any of the warmer western and southern districts might be furnished with

such plants as Ixias, Sparaxis, Alstroemerias, Oxalis, Tritonias,

Babianas, and the choicest of the smaller kinds of Iris. It would

constitute a garden of the most interesting exotics.