SELECTIONS FROM THE NOVELTY OFFERINGS 



OF THE SEASON 



Looking Over the More Important New or Little Known Plants Available for This Year's Flower Garden 



ST MAY be true, as the proverb runs, that old friends 

 F '^»- are best; yet that does not prevent the making of new 

 friends, which is one of life's pleasures. It is the same 

 with the friends of the garden as with those which mark 

 our human companionships. While treasuring many of the 

 old-fashioned flowers, delight is also found each season in wel- 

 coming newcomers. 



Naturally enough the supply of novelties this season is lim- 

 ited. During the war propagators were largely concerned with 

 other things, and conditions since the war have not favored 

 either the creation or the introduction of new plants. Still we 

 find a few new species and varieties which seem decidedly worth- 

 while. Among them is Adonis aleppica, the so-called Syrian 

 Floss Adonis, an annual which was described long ago in a few 

 botanical works, and by some authorities considered as a 

 synonym of A. fulgens, but has never before been introduced to 

 American gardens. This new comer is described as three or four 

 times as large as the common well known Floss Adonis and the 

 color a shining deep, dark blood-red. As the plant grows only 

 sixteen to twenty inches high, it can be used for bedding as well 

 as for borders, and should also have value as a pot plant. It 

 seems reasonable to suppose that it will make an excellent flower 

 for cutting. 



Another annual novelty which is being offered by a number 

 of seedsmen is the Blue Laceflower. As a matter of fact it is 

 simply a variety of the common Queen Anne's Lace, which 

 though a weed is greatly admired and often used for house 

 decoration. The flowers of this new variety are light blue in 

 color and the finely laced foliage is similar in character to that 

 of the ordinary Wild Carrot. Whether this annual will merit 

 continued garden culture remains to be seen, but there are none 

 too many good blue flowers. 



Of late years few annuals have received more attention from 

 hybridizers than the Sunflower. Mrs. Cockerell of Colorado 

 gave us the Red Sunflower (and gave account of its origin in 

 the Garden Magazine for July, 1914), thereby accomplishing 

 what plant breeders across the sea had long failed to achieve. 

 In a year or two it was followed by the Pink Sunflower; and now 

 comes another new variety called Dazzler which is receiving 

 considerable attention from seedsmen this season. It is a sport 

 of the cucumerifolius type and its flowers are rich chestnut in 

 color but tipped with orange. In many ways these flowers 

 resemble the Gaillardias, but undoubtedly can be grown in 

 gardens where the Gaillardia is usually a failure. This new 

 Sunflower is not a coarse creation and it grows only three or 

 four feet high, making it a most excellent plant to use for filling 

 vacant spaces in the ordinary border. Quite presumably it will 

 seed itself, but not to an extent which will be objectionable. 

 Another Sunflower, a selected development of some native 

 Helianthus is being offered under the queer name " questifolius." 

 Whatever its name may be the plant itself is a vigorous subject 

 for late fall effect, flowering in profuse abundance of golden 

 yellow till frost stops it. The plant grows six feet tall and flowers 

 throughout its height. 



For some time English Dahlia growers have been featuring 

 Dahlias of the miniature type which can be used for bedding. 

 These are now finding a market in this country. Several var- 

 ieties are being put out, one of them, under the name of Peter 

 Pan makes plants only two feet high and blooms freely when 

 half that height. The small, anemone-shaped flowers appear 

 in a variety of colors and are charming for bedding or to mass 

 along a walk or drive. 



Several of the coarser flowers have been given the attention of 

 hybridizers in an attempt to make them more refined and ele- 

 gant. Apparently the Zinnia has proved a popular subject for 

 several interesting new varieties have been produced. One of 

 them put out last year and grown only in a limited way is the 

 Conical Zinnia which is cone shaped, as its name suggests, and 

 calls to mind a miniature inverted bonnet. This year we have 

 a dahlia-flowered Zinnia, with petals fluted like those of a 

 Show Dahlia and so similar to a Dahlia that if the two flowers 

 are placed together they can hardly be told apart. Then there 

 are the new Victory Zinnias which resemble Anemones, and 

 promise to be a marked addition to annuals for the multitudes. 



The Double Cosmos is not wholly new, as different forms have 

 been on the market for several years; these have been im- 

 proved, however, so that those now offered are well worth grow- 

 ing. 



Although comparatively new itself the splendid Verbena 

 Helen Willmott, which came to this country from England has 

 now been improved upon in the hybrid Rose Queen. This has 

 aroused much interest among gardeners across the sea and it 

 will be interesting to learn if it is received with as much favor 

 here. The flowers are a lovely but delicate rose and somewhat 

 lighter in shade than those of Helen Willmott. 



No finer plants for flower boxes exist than the Petunias, and 

 a remarkably handsome new kind with deep rose pink flowers 

 is called Erskine Park Belle. It will bloom all season if the seed 

 pods are kept removed and is excellent for beds and borders. 

 Then there is the velvety, violet-blue Petunia which has been 

 grown extensively in Europe for use in window boxes. Seeds 

 of this Petunia had just begun to be disseminated in this coun- 

 try before the war broke out. The stock was very limited and 

 only a few people had the plants, but more seed is now obtain- 

 able. 



For years the Annual Mallow has been a satisfactory garden 

 plant but now comes a new Mallow of quite different habit. 

 It is called Sunburst, and grows so tall that it very much resem- 

 bles the Hollyhock in appearance, this aspect being accentuated 

 by the large size of the flowers. Unlike the Hollyhock, however, 

 it blooms extensively from July until November. As with 

 many strong growing annuals it is desirable to* sow seeds in the 

 house or in a hotbed. 



The Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa has been giving 

 much attention to the newer varieties of annual and perennial 

 flowers, and it has just put out a list of those which have proved 

 especially desirable. Among the most interesting is Didiscus 

 caeruleus, a delightful annual with pale lavender flowers and 

 growing about eight inches high. It blooms in late summer, 

 and the flowers are recommended for cutting. This has been 

 spoken of in the Garden Magazine in recent volumes. 



Another annual novelty which is described as of value is 

 Ageratum Mauve Beauty, likable because of its very deep 

 blue flowers. In common with other Ageratums it blooms 

 from July until frost and is excellent for a ground cover in 

 borders. 



Anchusa Annual Blue has proven an excellent novelty, with 

 flowers about the same shade and with the same intense 

 hue as those of the popular Dropmore variety of the perennial 

 A. italica. 



Coming to perennials we find the list of novelties limited, 

 indeed, especially if we want started plants. Judging from 

 what has been said in the English papers the new hardy Carna- 

 tion being put on the market is likely to meet a real need in 



112 



