“Astrardente, white and apricot orange, edged fiery scarlet magnificent and nice flowers.”
“Nothing,” says another grower, “can equal, much less excel, early single Tulips.”
“Pottebakke White,” cries a third, “is a very large pure white flower, and not to surpass better.”
“Of snow-like variety and delicious fragrance a most beloved flower,” thus our special Hollander labels Lilium Longiflorum Takesima, in words that have a certain charm of poetic simplicity which would not have misbecome the artistic Japanese himself.
However tempted by other nationalities, we choose to be Dutch in our bulbs. This is the list we have just dispatched to Haarlem:
“600 China blue single Hyacinths. 1 dozen Cavaignac pink Hyacinths. 1 dozen Fabiola blush Hyacinths. 50 Roman Hyacinths. 100 Scarlet Duc van Thol Tulips. 50 Rose Duc van Thol Tulips. 300 Thomas Moore Tulips. 1000 Darwin Tulips, best mixed. 500 Parrot Tulips, in the finest mixture, bright colours. 100 Gladiolus Brenchlyensis. 100 Gladiolus Hollandia. 1000 mixed striped Crocus. 1000 Scilla Siberica praecox. 1000 blue Grape Hyacinths. 1000 Snowdrops Elweseii. 1000 Poeticus recurvus Narcissus. 100 Hyacinthus Candicans. 1000 Single Trumpet Daffodils mixed. 500 Double Daffodils mixed.”
Of these some of the scarlet and rose “Duc van Thol” Tulips, and all the “Cavaignac” and “Fabiola” Hyacinths are for forcing; and, of course, the Roman Hyacinths also. The other bulbs are destined for the open ground.
Gladiolus Hollandia is described as the “Pink Brenchlyensis,” and is much recommended. We have never grown her yet, but her scarlet cousin is a great success in our garden. We find our Gladioli do so much better when planted in the spring, that we are asking the firm not to send them to us for another seven months. But they are included in the autumn list so that he may reserve us good sound tubers.
It is evidently against garden decorum to mention the name of a horticulturist, for some garden writers make a point of assuring the reader that they will never be guilty of such an indiscretion; but we see no harm at all in paying, by the way of this discursive pen, a tribute to the perfect satisfaction hitherto afforded us by our chosen bulb grower, Mr. Thoolen, of Haarlem. His Tulips, Hyacinths, and Narcissi have stood the test for three years. Of course, in our soil we cannot expect more than one good season out of anything except Crocus, Scilla, and Narcissi.