How? When? I EETO Where? Why? 



GLADIOLUS 



Perhaps the most useful of all summer- 

 flowering bulbs. Excellent to fill in places 

 where perennials have died, or where 

 annuals have failed. When used in this 

 way, need no care other than that given 

 the other garden flowers. Do not use 

 extra fertilizer; too much food promotes 

 production of bulbils or offsets at the ex- 

 pense of good bloom and of a sound cen- 

 ter bulb. 



Gladiolus bulbs can be planted at any- 

 time from earliest spring until July first 

 (if sound bulbs are on hand that late). 

 Before planting, treat bulbs for thrips 

 (ask for information). In light soil, plant 

 5" to 6" deep. This will help support 

 the flower spike which might otherwise 

 fall over. In heavy soil, 4" deep is cor- 

 rect. If planted too shallow, more bul- 

 bils will be produced, but not as good 

 flowers. Space 6" apart in rows 24" 

 apart, though for smaller, older sorts, 

 4" may be enough room to allow. 



Regular spraying to control thrips is 

 essential wherever this insect pest has 

 been seen. If your flowers failed to de- 

 velop properly last year, and if the 

 leaves had greyish tan patches on them, 

 this means you had thrips, and will 

 have them again unless you treat. 

 D.D.T. has proved a perfect control for 

 this pest. 



DAHLIAS 



Perhaps our most spectacular fall flower, 

 the Dahlia should not be planted too 

 early, as the flowers will not do well 

 In warm weather. Do not, however, keep 



tubers later than June 1st, since by that 

 time they usually start shriveling and 

 may be injured if kept later. Dahlias 

 need plenty of potash and phosphorus. 

 If you apply the 25 to 30 lbs. of mixed 

 fertilizers recommended for general use 

 before planting, then additional feeding 

 of potash and phosphorus will still be 

 needed to produce firm tubers that will 

 keep over winter, healthier plants and 

 better bloom. 



Leaf hoppers which carry disease and 

 which also injure the plant by sucking 

 juice from the leaves and stems are easily 

 controlled by regular dusting or spray- 

 ing with D.D.T. Mulching with straw, 

 excelsior or some other airy, light ma- 

 terial will help keep the soil moist and 

 cool. Don't use leaves or grass clippings 

 that mat down and pack — they hold in 

 too much moisture. 



Horticultural vermiculite is the perfect win- 

 ter storage medium for dahlia tubers. Dry 

 the freshly dug tubers in the sun for 

 several hours. Then cover them completely 

 with dry vermiculite. They can't freeze in 

 it. They won't shrivel or mold. 



FANCY LEAVED CALADIUMS 



These spectacular foliage plants are par- 

 ticularly valuable because they do well 

 in shade. Start them in a mixture of 

 half sand and half leaf mould at a tem- 

 perature of over 70 degrees. When the 

 roots are well-developed and the shoot 

 is beginning to show, pot up in rich soil. 

 Set out in the garden when weather is 

 warm and settled. Elephant ears can be 

 planted directly in soil out of doors, but 

 the weather must be warm and settled, 

 otherwise they will rot. 



Bulbs and tubers are a good 

 INVESTMENT 



Few garden flowers pay such high 

 dividends as bulbs and tubers! 

 Lasting for years . . . they return your 

 investment over and over ... by 

 giving so much beauty for such little 

 care, or cost, or effort. 



TUBEROSE 



This warm-weather bulb should be 

 planted in rich soil, with 2" of soil over 

 the tip after the weather is warm and 

 settled. Do not try to save the bulbs: 

 these must be grown by a specialist if 

 they are to bloom well. Buy new bulbs 

 each year. 



CANNAS 



While cannas will tolerate cold soil, they 

 usually do not start growing until hot 

 weather comes. If planted in round beds, 

 you will need 37 plants for a 10 foot 

 bed (18 plants on the outside, 12 in the 

 second row, six for the third row and 

 one in the center). A 7 foot bed will use 

 19 plants, with 12 plants on the outside 

 row, six for the middle row and one plant 

 in the center. 



LILIES 



Even the swamp lilies will not tolerate 

 wet feet; all must have perfect drainage. 

 Yet they like a moist, cool soil. This 

 means that liberal quantities of old well- 

 decayed compost is almost essential for 

 lilies. Most varieties will not tolerate lime; 

 your soil should have a pH of 6.5 or below 

 if you want to grow good lilies. 



