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 
fr;«r^* 5 T MAY be true, as the proverb runs, that old friends 
VTY- are best; yet that does not prevent the making of new 
friends, which is one of life’s pleasures. It is the same 
L 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 th^ 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 
hvbridizers 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 
