In gardens where tulips are important but still not the main show, we often lift only one section a year and replace with new bulbs, a much less expensive and quite satisfactory procedure. Where a few off colors will not seriously mar the garden scheme, we find that a general tulip planting will be fairly pleasing for four or five years.

Tulips in most gardens are not used as effectively as they might be. Mere quantity is not enough. There is a great temp tation to use packaged collections. Some of these are good, most indifferent, and a few have little value for thoughtful color compositions. It is perhaps wiser to select tulips which will carry out your definite color scheme. Pick them to har monize with or complement each other and the perennials in bloom at the same time. Better results will occur when the May picture is broadly composed, not only of tulips but also of perennials, flowering shrubs, and small trees. (Plate 36.)

Combinations with Single Early Tulips

Tulips form a large genus. The gardener is chiefly con cerned with three of the main divisions, the cottage, Darwin, and breeder tulips. We agree with one authority who sug gested these be merged, since they bloom at about the same time, and their height and colors go well together. In addition, the single early tulips are excellent for formal "bedding," though not so large of bloom or long of stem. They flower earlier, late April and early May, and their stiff stems and brilliant clear coloring tie together the early garden pictures with those of late May. The single early tulips are best in masses of one variety, otherwise they might produce rather crude and glaring combinations. When you are working with them, remember they grow only about fifteen inches high.

Here are a few pleasing combinations: