February, 1917 
35 
The miniature annual sun¬ 
flowers still further popu¬ 
larize that popular family 
myself the next spring, I had to admit that 
the seemingly incredulous had been accom¬ 
plished. Another attractive feature of this 
type is that more flowers are opened at one 
time than with most other varieties. Bulbs 
are formed like those of the ordinary types. 
These are taken up and kept over winter 
in the usual way, giving earlier and even 
finer flowers the next season. 
Another important development among 
gladioli is the introduction of the frilled or 
ruffled type, such as Kunderdi Glory, White 
King and Pride of Goshen. Mrs. Francis 
King and Mrs. Frank Pendleton are two 
other distinctive and fine flowers among the 
many newer vari¬ 
eties. The old pop¬ 
ular fa V o r i t e 
America now has a 
rival in Panama, as 
vigorous in growth 
and of a finner and 
deeper color. 
Hollyhocks have 
also broken into 
the annual class. 
In the new ever- 
blooming annual 
type we have a 
strain that will 
flower when sown 
from seed early in 
May. For early 
blooms they should 
be started indoors 
and transplanted. 
This new annual 
type is also valuable for severe climates, 
where the perennial hollyhocks are subject 
to winter killing. The plant attains a height 
of from 8' to 9' and the flowers are large 
and possess a wide range of colors. New¬ 
port Pink is a beautiful and charming color, 
and is of the regular perennial type. This 
variety was awarded a certificate of merit 
by the Royal Horticultural Society of 
England not so long ago. 
The tritoma, perhaps better known as 
the torch lily, or “red-hot-poker plant,” will 
find its way into many gardens because of 
its new early flowering perpetual hybrids. 
The seed should be started not later than 
the middle of March, and the young plants 
set out where wanted, as they are hardy 
annuals and bloom as perpetuals once they 
are established. They are remarkable for 
their exceptionally long flowering period 
which lasts from May on through the sea¬ 
son if the spikes are not allowed to seed. 
Another of the new varieties, Pfitzeri, 
which blooms from August to October, and 
Saundersi, blooming from June until the 
end of August, are valuable as bedding 
plants, especially where a mass of color is 
wanted through a part of the season that is 
likely to be hard on most other plants. The 
roots may be taken up each fall and stored 
over winter along with cannas, dahlias and 
gladioli, covered with sand or light soil. 
Gannas, Dahlias and Others 
Of other popular plants grown as peren¬ 
nials which can be had in flower in one year, 
there are cannas, dahlias, and delphiniums, 
some types of which bloom the first season 
from spring sown seeds. The beautiful 
Crozy cannas, which are of dwarf growth 
but have magnificent flowers, are among 
these latter. Of delphiniums the new named 
hybrids and Belladonna Seedlings are 
worthy of particular mention. The latter 
are quite distinct from the ordinary type 
in that the flowers, instead of being crowded 
closely together, are produced in graceful 
sprays, each flower distinct by itself. 
With dahlias the single sorts flower more 
quickly from seed, but most of the doubles, 
if sown by the middle of April, will flower 
freely before frost. For the best plants, and 
to produce the best tubers for taking up in 
the fall, they should be started in February 
or March and transplanted. Among the 
new types or classes, the peony-flowered, 
the collerette, and the Twentieth Century 
are especially worth trying. 
The aster continues to be one of the most 
A nd a/} inr sweet neas —• 
The base of each pure white 
petal of Perry's White 
is blotched with crimson 
Cornflowers now come in double form of 
the same striking blue as the old singles 
popular of all our annuals, thousands of 
dozens of plants being bought from the 
florists and set out each spring, in addition 
to those raised from seed sown outside. To 
get the best flowers you should start the 
seedlings indoors or in a frame, and then 
transplant to paper pots. For the very 
largest blooms disbudding is necessary. The 
latest important type developed in asters is 
the “astermums,” so called from their re¬ 
semblance to chrysanthemums ; they are not 
hybrids between the two plants, as many 
people have thought. They may be de¬ 
scribed as a “super-comet” type. They 
flower a little before the well-known Crego 
Giant, which is still 
the largest and best 
of the late flower¬ 
ing comets. 
Another distinct 
type of recent in¬ 
troduction is the 
King. This is of 
robust growth, 
reaching a height 
of 1 ^ 2 ', and flow¬ 
ers from August 
until frost. The 
petals are long and 
narrow, partly 
rolled or quilled, 
which gives them 
a unique and artis¬ 
tic appearance. 
There are several 
colors of this type 
already available. 
By all means try a few of them along with 
your other asters this year. 
Another aster recently developed and de¬ 
serving of special mention is Autumn Glory, 
which is not only an extra fine light pink, 
but is one of the latest blooming of all. 
Sensation is the nearest to a real red aster. 
Its flowers are of fair size, and excellent 
for cutting as well as for the brilliant color¬ 
ing they lend to the flower bed in times 
when such a hue is rare and hard to get. 
A Half-Dozen Extra Choice Things 
Occasionally there is an improvement or 
“break” in the development of a plant of so 
radical a character that it stands out de¬ 
cidedly beyond the results usually accom¬ 
plished by hybridizing and selection. Such 
a “jump,” apparently without cause, often 
accomplishes more than years of painstak¬ 
ing work. Many of the varieties and types 
mentioned in the following paragraphs are 
of this nature. If you will try them out 
you will find many things under old familiar 
names which are to all intents and purposes 
new flowers, and good ones, too. 
Take, for instance, the truly remarkable 
Oriental poppy. Perry’s White. In form 
the flower is one of the largest and best, 
and the petals are a pure white with a large 
blotch of crimson at the base of each, the 
effect being indescribably striking. Mrs. 
Perry, a debutante among flowers only a 
few years ago, is also exceptionally fine in 
a charming shade of salmon rose. In start¬ 
ing Oriental poppies from seed, do not be 
surprised when the plants apparently die 
and disappear in late summer. They will 
begin again in late autumn. However, be 
sure to mark out their location so as to 
avoid injury during their dormant season. 
A distinct type of cosmos has come into 
prominence during the last few years under 
{Continued on page 58) 
