From Kitchens 



to Iris to 



Peonies 



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MBS mS HOjmA^,,^,«atin, *» 



Mostly About Mrs. Ira Honnald 

 and Her Flowers 



By NELL FLATT GOODMAN 



^'Ny RIVING to Edgar county to talk 

 ^-yl about kitchens, your reporter 



My was completely sidetracked. In- 

 stead of talking about work space, cabi- 

 nets, and saving steps, Mrs. Ira Honnald, 

 of Kansas, Illinois talked about her 

 purple petunias. 



Instead of finding a "bit of heaven" 

 we found a "great block of paradise. ' 



She was down at the gate, chart in 

 hand, studying and checking the varieties 

 of blooms so radiant in the afternoon 

 sunshine. And, one thought over- 

 whelmed us. Where, where, had we been 

 that we had missed all this beauty! And 

 if you happen in, you will have the same 

 thought. 



The "big four" she calls her plan. 

 Tulips, iris, peonies, and petunias fur- 

 nish a succession of blooms from early 

 spring until frost. In beds, banked by 

 carefully trimmed shrubs, they follow 

 the curve of the drive to the house, some 

 220 yards from the road. The masses of 

 purple are followed by yellow turning to 

 bronze, blue, shell-like white, and shad- 

 ing back to purple again. 



"One kind in a bed, concentrating the 

 color, is prettier as I look down on them 

 from the house," she explained. "Earlier 

 there were beds of the large yellow tulips, 

 pink, lavender, and now and then dark 

 red." 



Around 4000 tulips bloomed in the 





spring. One hundred varieties of iris 

 then gallantly raised their heads. Eighty 

 peonies followed. And, of course the 

 p)etunias, next, are not even counted. 



"No, it didn't happen in a day," she 

 confessed. "But it didn't take so long. 

 About five years ago, a neighbor gave 

 me five varieties of iris. I have divided, 

 reset, and added to them. Two years ago 

 the more formal bed arrangement by the 

 gate was started. 



"When the children were married and 

 my husband and I were here alone, I 

 turned to the flowers. The house used to 

 be fenced in. I didn't want to feel fenced 

 in. So that was taken out and all this has 

 grown since. At the beginning I didn't 

 know much more than the common vari- 

 eties, maybe a lilac and a snowball. I 

 haven't had any training, just studied the 

 catalogues. But, come on up here per- 

 haps you will like the view better." 



Everywhere borders of flowers. As 

 Mrs. Honnald says, she is in them to her 

 heart's content. She looks constantly for 

 a new spot to put more. The latest land- 



lUNE. 1938 



scaping has been around the bam. Every- 

 where you look some new beauty awaits. 

 Around the step by the kitchen door, 

 gentle, little, flowers have a place in a 

 rock garden. Pyrethreura, daisies, colum- 

 bine, show here and there along the 

 border. Cannas spring up in a place in 

 the sun. 



"Roses are the flowers I like best for 

 the house," she said as she lead us to the 

 rose garden. "You know, you must have 

 roses in your heart to accomplish much 

 with flowers. Then it isn't drudgery. I 

 keep young by working with mine. To 

 see them grow and bloom is such a real 

 pleasure and joy to me. Perhaps you have 

 guessed they are my hobby.'" 



The flowers look as though they were 

 not only loved but lived with. No musn't- 

 touch atmosphere was around. A little 

 red wagon stood where children had been 

 playing. A swing under an elm tree of- 

 fered a resting place. An outdoor fire- 

 place tucked in a nook had been lately 

 used. 'The grandchildren clamor for 

 weiner roasts and steak fries, Mrs. Hoo- 



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