340 
The Garden Magazine, February, 1924 
flowering varieties bloom from April onward' require very light soil, al¬ 
most pure sand for success in blossoming. 
Calla (Yellow). Summer flowering; California and the South. 
Amaryllis. Set in ground in fall or not later than April for summer flower¬ 
ing; California and the South. 
Pink, Rose: 
Hyacinths. Bloom in April and onward. 
Gladiolus. Set in ground in May for August and September bloom; March 
for July and August bloom in Southern California. Also in other delicate 
shades as yellow, lavender, etc. 
For “Futurist” Effects 
N EVER has gay color been more in vogue than now, or never 
so plentifully used in garden effects, but gay colors call for 
a background that will subdue and soften and for a foreground 
that will set off daring combinations. Such a garden can be 
v/eli set on a hillside apart from other flowers, in a place where 
brightness is needed to relieve an otherwise dreary spot, and is 
especially attractive in southern California during the summer 
months when the fields have dried to a soft dull brown and the 
sky is a cloudless blue. 
For the “futurist” garden of strong color splashes the follow¬ 
ing flowers are suggested: 
Blue : 
Larkspur (deep blue). Tall hardy perennial, best for this collection as it 
attains height of several feet. 
Salvia (Blue Sage). Perennial, grows 3 to 4 feet high. 
Yellows: 
Coreopsis lanceolata. Perennial; set plants in fall or early spring. Blooms 
profusely in summer and requires little care. Plants attain height of 
foot or more and grow in clumps. 
Escbscholt{ia. Annual; sow seed thickly in open ground in spring for summer 
flowering. Thrives in poor soil, and blossoms will attain size dependent 
upon amount of moisture; splendid for filling in large areas. 
Red: 
Geraniums. Furnish blooms almost the year through, but require con¬ 
stant pruning to keep in proper size and proportion to other flowers in 
this collection. 
Salvia. Annual, sow seed in early spring in light soil. Requires little cul¬ 
tivation and blooms during summer months. 
If You Prefer the Pastel Tints 
T HE group of old garden friends here listed offer some de¬ 
lightful possibilities of color combination when planning a 
rainbow garden. 
Violet, Indigo, Blue: 
Asters. Deep blues to lavenders; annual, sow seed from March to May 
in light soil, and, when plants have three or four leaves, transplant to 
rainbow garden. Rich soil and plenty of moisture required. Grow one 
and two feet high and bloom from July to late fall according to variety 
and region, early or late flowering. 
Canterbury-bells. Deep blues and violets; biennial, sow seed early in fall 
for blossoms the following spring and summer. Height of plants about 
two feet. 
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus). Bright blue; annual; requires very little 
water and thrives in sunny exposure. Plants grow about 2 feet tall. 
Forget-me-nots. Pale blue; perennial. 
Foxglove. Shades of lavender; biennial; does best in cool shady location 
with plenty of moisture. Blooms in late summer if seeds are sown in 
early fall of preceding season. 
Larkspur. Brilliant to palest blues; annual; sow seeds in light soil and 
transplant to rainbow garden. Blooms through spring and early summer. 
Lupin. Pale blue; perennial; grows from one to three feet high in showy 
clumps. 
Phlox (Drummond). Reddish purples to lavender-blues; annual; sow seed 
in rainbow garden in rows or massed effect. Requires little cultivation 
and plants grow from half a foot to foot high. 
Stocks . Reddish purples to lavender-blues; annual (10 weeks). In south¬ 
ern California sow seed in sandy soil in August and September for winter 
blooming or later in winter for July flowers. When plants are few inches 
tall, transplant to rainbow garden; constant cultivation and plenty of 
dressing will produce wonderfully handsome blossoms. 
Green : 
Mignonette. Fight green; annual; wonderfully fragrant, sow seed in rain¬ 
bow garden in early spring for summer flowering. Does well in clay soil 
but needs plenty of moisture. 
Ferns. Light greens; practically all Ferns require shade and plenty of 
moisture, and for this reason would be most effective in the Lily garden 
among the Gladiolus, for a suggestion. Should be set in rich soil with 
plenty of leaf-mold; are attractive banked with rockwork. 
Dusty-miller. Grayish green; requires little moisture and is used for its 
odd soft color and uniform height of a foot or two. 
Yellow, Orange: 
African Marigold. Deep orange; annual; sow seed in rows in spring; very 
showy plants about two feet high, blooming in summer and fall. 
Centaurea (Sweet Sultan). Lemon yellow; annual; sow seed in February 
and March for spring blossoms in southern California. 
Coreopsis lanceolata. See above. 
Eschscholtfla. See above. 
Goldenrod. Yellow; planted in fall or early spring blooms in August and 
September, varying in height from one to four feet. 
Pot-marigold. Pale yellow to deep orange; annual; dwarf and tall varieties. 
Sow seed in small area and transplant to rainbow garden. 
Snapdragon. Pale yellow; perennial; sow seed in early spring and blooms 
through summer. 
Zinnia. Yellow to orange; annual; sow seeds in small plot and trans¬ 
plant to rainbow garden. Plants do well in sunny exposure and bloom 
in July through late fall. 
Red: 
Gaillardia (Bianket-flower). Dull reds; perennial; blooms through summer; 
flourishes in hot dry location and requires little cultivation. 
Poppies (Shirley). Dark reds to scarlet; annual; sow seed in rainbow 
garden in well pulverized soil. 
Salvia. See above. 
Zinnias. Brick reds to crimson and magenta (See above). 
All the flowers in this garden are good flowers to cut for use 
in the house and they blossom profusely. Careful selection 
from each group of colors will give combinations of plants that 
bloom at the same season, require practically the same care and 
exposure, and which will produce a garden of pleasing balance 
in size and color. 
And if one believes in fairy tales, one may be tempted to 
plant a pot of gold at one end of the rainbow in the garden. It 
may be a nice little round bed of chubby Marigolds, a hollow 
filled with golden California Poppies or, in the bulb garden, 
a “host of yellow Daffodils!” 
Where and How “ Rainbows” Grow Best 
T HE rainbow flower gardens, like all flower gardens should 
have a well located exposure, preferably east or south, 
and the land should be thoroughly worked, well dressed, and 
graded as desired. On sloping land, level terraces are excellent 
for each row of color. 
One can have the rainbow garden sowed from seed exclusively 
or set with plants well started and bringing quicker results. 
Asters, Stocks, and Zinnias all do better for being transplanted 
after they have got a good growth rather than sown in the open 
ground and thinned. In setting all plants, plenty of space 
should be allowed between each, bearing in mind the size they 
attain when fully grown. Plants which wilt quickly, should be 
covered during the hot hours of the day with cones of paper or 
earthen flower-pots; and, in some cases, picking a leaf or two 
off each plant will help it to survive the sun’s rays which are 
drawing moisture from the leaves. 
In sowing seeds care should be taken to follow cultural direc¬ 
tions exactly, for the success of germination is largely dependent 
upon the planting conditions, and directions for planting come 
on all seed packages. One should also buy the best quality seed 
obtainable if one wishes certain success. 
Rich loam with a good mixture of sand is an ideal soil for 
flowers, though with study and care one can raise flowers in 
almost any kind of soil. If the soil lack humus, plenty of veg¬ 
etable matter should be worked in to fill that need. 
If dry weather comes on after the seeds have been sown, one 
must see that the garden is kept moist so that a crust will not 
form on the top soil, which makes it hard for many fine seeds to 
come up. When the seeds have come up, weeding and cultiva¬ 
tion will give the flowers the best possible chance to grow. 
