January, 1921 
45 
Retinospora obtusa Crtppsi 
is ojten overlooked when 
the evergreen order is sent 
in, merely because its ap¬ 
pearance and desirable 
qualities are not appreci¬ 
ated. Wm. H. Moon Co. 
SOME PLANTS THAT SHOULD BE BETTER 
Flowers , Shrubs and 7 rees Which Are Offered as New This Year, or Which Have 
not Become as Popular as They Deserve 
KNOWN 
T UCKED away in the mass of new flower 
and nurserymen’s catalogs which will soon 
be reaching the hands of garden lovers the 
country over are hundreds of exceptionally de¬ 
sirable things which one is likely to overlook. 
Obviously it is impossible to mention more 
than a small percentage of them here, but per¬ 
haps the list which follows will serve to stimu¬ 
late gardeners, both old and new, to study 
their catalogs with greater care and discern¬ 
ment. 
Among the sweet peas, the W. Atlee Burpee 
Co. is featuring several early flowering novel¬ 
ties for 1921: 
“Glitters”, the first, is well named, for it 
shimmers and scintilates with a fire-like sheen 
radiating over the flowers. The standards of 
the blossoms are bright, fiery orange, while the 
wings are a deeper shade of the same color. 
The flowers are very large, of good texture, 
and last well when cut. They are produced 
usually in clusters of four, so placed that they 
make up well when bunched. Vigorous growth, 
abundant foliage of good color, and profuse 
bloom are valued characteristics. 
“Flamingo” is described 
as a combination of light 
orange, salmon and or¬ 
ange-pink, blending into 
a general effect of light, 
bright orange. The orange, 
with its suffusion of sal¬ 
mon, is on the broad, 
waved standards, and the 
orange-pink colors the 
wings. Exceptionally large 
blossoms, usually in threes 
and fours; long stems; 
and robust growth are 
features which recommend 
its inclusion in every sweet 
pea planting. 
“Lemon Beauty” is a 
variety which tones in well 
with other sorts of cerise 
or fiery shades, enhancing 
their beauty. As its name 
indicates, it is of a soft 
primrose or pale lemon 
color, its standards and 
wings being amber tinted, 
sometimes lightly veined 
with rose-pink. It is a 
strong grower, bearing im¬ 
mense flowers grouped 
usually in threes and 
fours on long stems. 
“Peach Blossom” stands out as a new color 
in sweet peas—pale amaranth pink, deepening 
somewhat around the edges of the standards 
and wings. It is a true self, and its color 
deepens with age. Like the others, it is a free- 
flowering sort with stems of great length. 
Dahlias and Zinnia 
Among the other 1921 flower novelties from 
Burpee are two dahlias and a zinnia. 
The first of the dahlias is “Coppersmith,” 
in type midway between the peony-flowered 
and duplex forms. It is a pleasing shade of 
light copper or bronze, with a glistening suf¬ 
fusion of salmon-yellow. The reverse, side of 
the petals is reddish-bronze, and the tones of 
the whole flower are intensified under artificial 
light. Coppersmith is a sturdy, upright grow¬ 
ing dahlia of medium height, blooming early 
and continuously. At their best the plants 
are almost smothered in flowers, which are 
borne entirely above the foliage on stiff stems. 
The other new dahlia is of the peony- 
flowered type and has been named “Fordhook 
Maroon”. It should appeal especially to those 
who like rich, deep colors, for it is a wonder¬ 
ful maroon shaded with mahogany. The 
flowers are of great size, averaging 7" in diam¬ 
eter even when the plant is not disbudded. It 
is strong and upright in habit. 
The new cactus-flowered zinnia will be wel¬ 
comed by every lover of these ever-popular 
flowers. Its petals are quilled and straight, 
radiating from the center of the flower in .a 
way strongly suggestive of a fine-petaled cac¬ 
tus dahlia. The backs of the petals are of a 
distinct color, and as they curve to form the 
tube they give the flower a particularly pleas¬ 
ing bi-colored appearance. The flowers, which 
are borne abundantly, average 4" to 5" in 
diameter and range through shades of yellow, 
orange, pink and rose to scarlet and crimson. 
In addition to its value as a garden feature, 
this zinnia is excellent for cutting, for its 
blossoms last well in water. 
Among the 1921 offerings of the Wing Seed 
Co. are several new varieties of Iris Germani- 
ca. Especially outstanding among these are: 
“Virginia Moore”, a splendid yellow 
bearded self form of the same color as the 
yellow day-lily and grow¬ 
ing 30" high; “demen¬ 
tis”, shaped like Iris 
Kaempferi with segments 
reflexed horizontally, light, 
clear violet, 24" to 30" 
high; “Dorak”, a pallida 
seedling with soft blue- 
violet standards and pur¬ 
ple-violet falls; “Stam- 
boul”, 36" tall, light blue 
standards and rich violet- 
blue falls; “Junonia”, 4' 
to 5' high, enormous 
flowers with drooping, 
violet-purple falls and 
soft blue standards; “Is- 
ola”, light blue standards 
and violet - blue falls; 
“Sarpedon”, large and 
bold flowered, with very 
broad and oblong falls; 
and “Mikado”, 30" to 36" 
high, heliotrope with 
orange beard. 
Not new, but neverthe¬ 
less deserving to be better 
known, are the two small 
trees and the spray of 
shrub blossoms from the 
Wm. H. Moon Co., which 
are shown on these pages. 
The heterophylla variety of European beech is a graceful, low-growing and dense 
shrub-like tree. Its leaves are deeply cut into narrow lobes, the indentations reaching 
almost to the midrib. A splendid specimen tree. Courtesy of Wm. H. Moon Co. 
