24 
DE GIORGI BROTHERS CO 
MOTHER’S DAY 
What pot plants to grow for Mo¬ 
ther’s Day? The most popular In 
order of their listing are: Roses, Hydrangea Hortensis, Japan¬ 
ese Spirea (Astilbe) Calceolaria, Saintpaulias, also Dracaneas 
and Boston type ferns. 
Why not try something new and thus place yourself be¬ 
yond competition. We suggest growing the following, rarely 
seen flowers. All are sufficiently attractive, sell readily and 
if any of them should stay unsold, you will have ample op¬ 
portunity to turn the plants into cash up to middle of June. 
AETHIONEMA PERSICUM—Pot up a few and see the plants 
sell. 
ANDROSACE CORONOPIFOLIA—Sow in June. The seed 
will lay for four months before it will germinate. Pot up 
singly, carry over winter in cold frames, apply heat early 
in March (45 degrees.) 
ANGELONIA—Popular in Europe as a house plant. Should 
prove a good selling plant. 
ANEMONE DOUBLE ST. BRIGID—This is one of the very 
finest of pot plants. Easily raised from seed. If located 
North, protect over winter with strawy material or lift the 
corms and winter them inside. 
BLEEDING HEART—This always sells. Make divisions late 
in fall with 2 to 5 eyes, place these in 4 inch pots, bury the 
pots In the ground outdoors. The potted roots need no pro¬ 
tection over winter. Move the pots under glass in March 
to get blooming plants in April and May. 
ANTIRRHINUM—Potted Snapdragons in bloom will sell at 
any time in the spring months. Try Majestic Snowstorm 
and Tom Thumb Christmas Gem. 
BELLIS—Sells readily especially if it will be the new variety 
American Beauty or Fusilier. Both have the very large, very 
double flowers and when well grown are very outstanding. 
BROW ALL! A SPECIOSA MAJOR—Read the description. 
CARNATION—Sow the seed in August and September in 
open frames, protect over winter with a covering of boards, 
place the plants in pots February or March. Or sow inside 
in January. Try Giant Prague Carnation, also Giant Cha- 
baud. The seed of both varieties produces maximum amount 
of doubles. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM MAY QUEEN—If you do not have a 
stock of this Chrysanthemum you are missing a good thing 
unless you are located somewhere where the common field 
daisy is growing wild. May Queen resembles the common 
single field daisy but produces larger blooms. We find it one 
of the best selling plants. 
COLEUS —This sells well and is easily and inexpensively 
raised. You cannot go wrong on Coleus. 
CYNOGLOSUM AMABILE—See the description. 
PINKS (DIANTHUS)—All Pinks are worth growing. Try 
some Sweet Wivelsfield, Neglectus and Winteri. 
DIASCIA BARBERAE—By all means try this as a pot plant. 
DRYAS OCTOPETALA—Makes very fine pot plant. 
ECHEWERIA—Is easily raised and easily sold. 
EUPHORBIA POLYCHROMA—Beautiful and uncommon. 
Seeds itself and sells at sight when in bloom. The seed 
germinates unevenly and sometimes lays long before it 
“comes up." 
GENTIANA ACAULIS—Cannot be produced from seed to 
salable specimens in a hurry. Very much worth growing. 
Caa fL a /I popri TltiflTl 
GESNERIA CARDINALIS—See the description. 
GODETIA—Easily and inexpensively raised and has few 
rivals as a pot plant. Of all Godetias Sweetheart is the best 
sell er. 
HESPERIS NANA CANDIDISSIMA and Hesperis Nivea are 
real flowers and should be widely grown. As a perennial 
they are rather short lived and to have a stock of first class 
plants at all times must be sown every second year. 
HELIOPSIS LINEARIFOLIA—Read the description. 
KALANCHOE COCCINEA—Read the description. 
LILIUM TENUIFOLIUM—Is as easily raised as radishes and 
sells flt gjgtit* 
MYOSOTIS—Always popular. Easily raised. 
NEMESIA—Well grown potted plants sell at sight. 
NEMOPHILA—See the description. 
NERTERA—See the description. 
NlCOTIANA CRIMSON REDDER—Is very showy plant and 
eas ily sold 
NIEREMBERGIA—Is a beauty. To have blooming plants 
early in the spring, sow late in the fall. 
OXA.LIS ROSEA—Will bloom early in the spring from seed 
sown In September. Seed very fine but comes up quickly. 
DWARF ANNUAL PHLOX—Will make money for you if you 
will start the seed in February or March under glass In flats. 
As soon as the seed shows up move the flats to a cold house 
(Temperature 40 to 45 degrees). Place the seedlings singly 
in small pots. The plants begin to bloom soon after potting 
but the first flowers must be pinched off as well as the first 
growth to induce compact, bushy growth. They soon will 
be in bloom again and will sell themselves. Try some of the 
CECILY PHLOX, a large flowering strain in many colors. 
PRIMULA Auricula, Vulgaris, Cashmeriana and Officinalis. 
Potted plants will sell and they can be easily produced. 
Cashmeriana germinates readily, the others are best sown 
late in the fall in flats placed in open frames. When well 
covered with snow, cover the frames with boards to exclude 
all light. From this sowing you will get early in the spring 
four leaved seedlings that are first transplanted into flats 
later in the open or they can be placed in larger pots and 
left in the frames over winter. Early next spring cover the 
frames with sashes. The plants will soon cover themselves 
with bloom. Buyers will not be wanting. Primulas become 
unsightly when 2 or 3 years old, therefore should be sown 
every year or every other year to have first class plants on 
hand. Should prove paying plants everywhere because in 
bloom very early in the spring and long after, because highly 
attractive and practically unknown, therefore the value of a 
novelty. They will come through in fine shape even in Iowa 
if planted in partial shade and given perfect drainage. If 
planted in full sun, must be covered over winter in localities 
where the snow does not last long. The seed of all hardy 
primulas germinates only in the dark, all sowings must be 
covered to exclude light, but must be moved to light as soon 
as the seed is sprouted. 
SWEET YIOLET—There are many varieties and of all we 
find Queen Charlotte the best for general purposes. It is 
perfectly hardy, free blooming and the fragrance is very 
pronounced. Best planted in a half shaded place but will 
hold its own even in full sun in spite of hot and dry weather. 
The plants multiply rapidly and sell readily. 
TORENIA—Is popular as a house plant in Europe. Try it. 
WHITLAYIA—This annual is a native flower of California. 
In beauty it compares favorably with gloxinia. Sown in 
March will bloom in May. Makes fine pot plant and is easily 
raised. 
FLOWERS FOR DECORATION DAYmos* 
favored is the Peony. Next best paying flowers are daisies 
and pyrethrum in boquets. Boquets of mixed flowers are 
also good sellers. In mixed boquets growers in our locality 
use Veronica, Hesperis Matronalis, Pyrethrum Roseum, 
Chrysanthemum May Queen, Lilium Tenuifolium, Lemon 
Lilies and whatever they may have in bloom. These flowers 
with the addition of sprays of common asparagus sell al¬ 
most as good as peonies. 
FLOWERS FOR EASTER 
cinths, Calceolarias, Saintpaulias. 
First of all comes Easter 
Lily, then Tulips, Hya- 
FLOWERS FOR CHRISTMAS Leaved* 
Poinsettia. This cannot be grown from seed. Then you will 
have calls for Begonias, Cyclamen, Christmas Peppers, Christ¬ 
mas Cherries, Saintpaulias. 
ijfm » np rj qi » ivt't'o FOR DECORATION DAY that 
W HA. I rU 1 r LAIN 10 will bloom from seed sown 
in January and February? Try the following: Ageratum, 
Angelonia, Antirrhinum Tom Thumb, Acroclinium, Clarkia, 
Coleus, Erysimum, Godetia, Heliotrope, Linaria Fairy Boquet, 
Lobelia, Marigold Dwarf Varieties, Mimulus Tigrinus, Migno¬ 
nette, Nemophilia, Nicotiana Crimson Bedder, Nigella, Dwarf 
Phlox, Petunia, Rhodante, Tagetes, Verbena Royal Boquet, 
Vinca Rosea, Whitlavia, Schizanthus, Dianthus Wivelsfield. 
Statice, Gypsophyla and the Florist 
When fresh flowers are scarce, dried statice and gypso¬ 
phyla will save the situation as they can be used in every 
case almost, when wreaths and funeral designs are needed. 
Store the sprays in a dry place, protect from dust and sprinkle 
the tops a few hours before needed. 
SEEDS Quickly lose their germination if stored, even 
for a short time, in places where the atmosphere is 
full of humidity, such as greenhouses, cellars or in the kit¬ 
chen. Your seeds will keep for months and even longer if 
you will store them in a dry, airy and cool place. Save what¬ 
ever seeds you may happen to have on hand by placing the 
seeds in bags or fairly tight boxes and placing these out of 
the reach of mice. Seeds of palms must be stored in dry 
dirt or dry sawdust, seeds of water plants must be stored in 
water. 
