COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA 
RAISING FLOWERS FROM SEED 
I would like to raise flowers but flowers is something that I do 
not know anything about. We have read this remark from many 
people always followed with a request for advice which follows: 
Read “Outline” of gardening on page 9 of this catalog. These 
directions apply to both flowers and vegetables. There are many 
different kinds of flowers—the beginner should know that the so- 
called ANNUALS are flowers blooming the first year from seed. 
Most of these are “hardy,’’ meaning that the seed can be sown out- 
doors early in the spring. When “half hardy annual’ is mentioned, 
it means that the seed cannot be sown outdoors before warm weather 
sets in. When the word “perennial” is mentioned, it means flowers 
that will bloom the second year from seed, although some perennials 
will bloom the first year from seed. Perennials are divided into 
“hardy” which do not winterkill, “half hardy’ which must be pro- 
tected over winter. ANNUALS bloom and die the same year, peren- 
nials live for many years. BIENNIALS are flowers that you sow 
one year to get bloom the following year. After blooming, the bien- 
hials die and must be sown again if their flowers are wanted. 
CLIMBERS are vining plants used for covering porches, etc. Finally 
GREENHOUSE plants which the beginner generally cannot raise 
with much success. If you want to grow flowers in a greenhouse 
and do not know how, before you do, hire yourself to some florist 
and read Fritz Bahr’s “Commercial Floriculture” which book can 
be had from The A. T. De La Mare Company, New York, N. Y. 
Reading on flowers, you will run across such terms as: rock plant, 
stove plant, foliage plant, etc., which terms will be plain to you 
after some studying, which you will have to do in order to be a 
success as a flower grower. 
FLOWERS AND GRASSES FOR DRYING 
FLOWERS: Acroclinium, Ammobium, Celosia Plumosa, Chinese 
Woolfiower, Catanache, Echinops, pen le Gomphrena, Gypsophyla 
Paniculata, Helichrysum, lLunaria, hysalis, Rhodante, Statice, 
Xeranthemum, Carthamus. 
GRASSES: Agrostis, Briza, Tricholaena, Coix, Erianthus, Lagurus, 
Pennisetum, Stipa. Cut the flowers before they are fully developed, 
when they commence to open, as they will fully open during the 
drying process. The material cut and the foliage striped off, the 
stems should be tied in small bunches and hung with the heads 
downward in a cool, dark, dry and airy room, except Physalis which 
must be hung up to dry in a horizontal position, so that the lan- 
terns would not cling close to the stem. 
WINTER BLOOMING FLOWERS 
To have flowers for Christmas sow Snapdragons in June-July, 
Begonias in July, Cyclamen 16 months previous to Christmas, Cleve- 
land Cherry and Dwarf Pomegranate in December to early in Janu- 
ary. Christmas Pepper January to March, Coleus, Stuttgartia 
Cherry, March-April, Calendula in September, Freesia, pot up in 
August, use largest sized bulbs, Mignonette, sow in August, Nemesia, 
sow in August, Oxalis Rosea, sow in September, Primula Chinensis 
and Obconica, sow in April, Primula Malacoides in July, Pansies, 
sow July-August, Saintpaulia in June, Stephanophysum in August, 
Myosotis Christmas Boquet in May-June, Schizanthus in September, 
Early Wonder and Kewensis Wallflower in July-August. Doronicum- 
Field grown plants brought in and planted in fairly good soil Oct. 15, 
will bloom for Christmas. Stock Early Harbinger if sown July 10. 
The following items described in this catalog are also winter- 
bloomers: Alyssum, Anemone, Clarkia, Cynoglossum, Delphinium, 
Dimorphoteca, Digitalis, Gerbera, Gillia, Heliophila, Linaria, Lupin, 
Ranunculus, Swansonia, Trachymene, Trollius, Ursinia, Venidium, 
Cineraria, Centaurea Cyanus and whenever mentioned as a ‘‘winter 
bloomer”’ in our descriptions. 
Suitable for Shade 
The following flowers of which we offer the seed can be success- 
fully raised in partial shade: Achillea, Aconitum, Aquilegia, Bellis, 
Campanula, Begonia, Colinsia, Fuchsia, Impatiens, Lobelia, Cardinalis, 
Mignonette, Mimulus, Nemophyla, Nierembergia, Pansy, Torenia 
Thalicrum, Viola, Sweet Violet, Anemone, Astilbe, Digitalis, Bleeding 
Heart, Polemonium, Primula, Trollius, Anchusa Myosotidiflora, Myo- 
sotis and Doronicum. For shady places nothing beats Hardy Ferns. 
PLANTS FOR GRAVES 
Many plants can be used for this purpose besides those on the 
list that follows. Plants of medium height suitable for the center 
and good for one season only: Dwarf Ageratums, Cineraria Mari- 
tima, Geranium, Nigella, Lantana, Matricaria Capensis, Centaurea 
Gymnocarpa, Nierembergia, Petunias, Phlox Grfl., Ten Weeks Stocks. 
Perennials: Aquilegia Coerula and Rose Queen, Cheiranthus Al- 
lioni, Bleeding Heart, Dianthus Cyclops, Lychnis Haageana and Ark- 
wrightii, Stokesia, Platycodons Mariesi, Peony Officinalis. Annuals 
for border of graves: Alyssum, Lobelia, Dwarf Marigold, Matricaria 
Golden Ball, Dwarf Phlox, Nolana. For a perennial border use: 
Bellis, Cerastium, Pyrethrum Golden Feather, a most excellent plant 
for this purpose, Dianthus Deltoides, Saxifraga. Some of these plants 
spread and must be kept in shape by occasional trimming. For a 
solid cover use: Gypsophyla Repens, Saponaria Occymoides, Saxi- 
fraga, Mahogany Clover or Vinca Minor, the best plant of all for 
this purpose. Hardy Verbena. 
CARPET BEDDING—As an answer to queries would say that 
to merely learn the names of plants suitable for carpeting means 
nothing, because carpet bedding is an art, must be understood, be- 
sides not being easy, it is an expensive form of gardening and will 
hardly ever become popular in this country. Those interested in 
carpet bedding should procure a book on this subject from A. T. 
De La Mare Co., New York, N. Y. 
FOR DRY PLACES 
Androsace, Hriophyllum, Herniaria, Hieracium, Lindefolia, Phace- 
lia, ppenulace, Whitlavia, Anthemis, Dianthus Deltoides, Dianthus 
Knappi. 
59 
FOR HANGING BASKETS 
Ageratum, Begonia Semperflorens, Cuphea, Geranium, Helio- 
trope, Lantana, Lobelia Gracilis, Dwarf arigold, Nierembergia, 
Petunia, Alyssum, Verbena, Coleus, Dracanea, Centaurea Gymnocarp 
Cineraria Maritima, Grevillea, Pyrethrum Golden Feather. All nam 
are upright growing plants. The following are trailing plants: 
Maurandia, Linaria Cymbalaria, Thunbergia, Lobelia Pendula, As- 
paragus Sprengheri. 
FOR BORDER AND BEDDING 
Very dwarf, 6 to 12 inches high: Alyssum, Brachycome, Candy- 
tuft, Centaurea Candidissima, Myosotis, Lobelia, Mignonette, Pansy, 
Dwarf Compact Petunias, Dwarf Annual Phlox, Pyrethrum, Porta- 
laca, Verbena. Plants 12 to 24 inches high: Ageratum, Amaranthus, 
Snapdragon, Asters, Balsam, Coleus, Cineraria Maritima, Centaurea 
Gymnocarpa, Dwarf Larkspur, Dwarf Marigold, Nasturtium, Phlox 
Grandiflora, Salpiglosis, Salvia, Scabiosa, Stocks, Vinca Resea, Zinnia 
Gracilis. 
CLIMBING PI A NTS suitable for covering porches, trellis 
work, walls, etc., see Ampelopais, 
Aristolochia, Balloon Vine, Cardinal Climber, Clematis, Cobaea, Cy- 
press Vine, Dolichos, Gourds, Ipomea, Lathyrus, Maurandia, Mina, 
Nasturtium, Scarlet Runner. 
SICK PI A NTS Whenever your plants get sickly, look for in- 
sects in and above the soil, and apply a rem- 
edy. However most troubles are caused by overwatering. If you 
will water ONLY when water is needed and then do so thoroughly, 
you will save yourself worry and money. ; 
Protecting Hardy Plants 
Straw, hay or manure is used in order to keep the frest in the 
ground till spring comes. Continued freezing and thawing causes the 
ground to heave, resulting in loss of plants, covering prevents that. 
It is important to cover the plants after the ground is frozen to a 
depth of 6 inches or more—not before. The covering should be 
light, a layer about 6 inches is right. 
Government bulletin No. 1881, entitled “Herbaceus Perennials,” 
ay peated free on request to the Department of Agriculture, Wash- 
ngton, D.C, 
Flowers For the South 
Many customers ask us what flowers to grow in the South. Our 
answer: All flowers can be raised in the South and many that we 
in the North cannot raise on account of our severe winters. The 
only flowers that you should leave alene, no matter where located, 
are those that require constant moisture, shade, special soil, etce., 
and you happen to be unable to provide these conditions. If your 
first trial with flowers is mot a success try again—perhaps you did 
not afford the plant right treatment. Learn by mistakes. The fol- 
lowing flowers, most of them very beautiful, need protection over 
winter here in Iowa, but in the South do well without it and bloom 
profusely: Anemone, Candytuft Gibraltarica, Cheiranthus Allioni 
Chrysanthemum, Digitalis, Geum, Gerbera, Hedysarum, Hibiscus, 
Lavandula, Lobelia Cardinalis, Pentstemon, Platycodon, Violas, Sal- 
vias, Scabiosa Japonica, Trachelium, Tritoma. 
There is no end of varieties of flowers that de well in the South, 
the few named are especially choice and worthy of raising. 
Whenever you have trouble 
GREENHOUSE OWNERS in growing crops under 
glass or outdoors, no matter whether the trouble is caused by some 
new insect pest or a new plant disease and you are at a loss as to 
what remedy to apply, write to: Department of Agriculture, Wash- 
ington, D. C. State the nature of the difficulty in full and you will 
be advised promptly and absolutely free by experts. In some cases 
a government man will call and give you expert advise and help— 
absolutely free. 
You will find a list of plants that are 
HOUSE PLANTS suitable as house plants under the head- 
ing: MOTHER’S DAY on another page of this catalog. 
PLANTS FOR ROCK GARDENS 
We offer the seed of the following perennial rock plants: Alys- 
sum, Saxatile, Arabis, Armeria, Campanula Carpatica, Candytuft 
Sempervirens, Catananche, Cerastium, Cheiranthus Allioni, Dianthus 
Deltoides and Plumarius, Geum, Heuchera, Gypsophyla Repens, 
Eryngium, Linarila, Lychnis Haageana, Myosotis, Oenothera, Oxalis 
Tropaleoides, Papaver Nudicaule, Pentstemon Grfl., Platycodon 
Mariesi, Primula Auricula and Officinalis, Saxifraga, Stachys, Statice, 
Stokesia, Viola, Saponaria Occymoides, Yucca, Valeriana and Inula. 
Hardy Ferns and Myosotis should be employed in shady parts of 
the rock garden, also in wet places. A few annuals suitable for 
rock work: Abronia, Dwarf Ageratum, Asperula Setosa, Candytuft 
Umbellata, Eschscholtzia, Ice Plant, Nemesia, Nemophyla, Nolana, 
Petunia, Portulaca, Viscaria Cardinalis. 
BEE PLANTS—We sell the seed of the following honey bearing 
plants: Sweet Alyssum, Centaurea Odorata Marg., Clarkia, Echium, 
Candytuft Umbellata, Nigella, Scabiosa. Others are: Phacelia, Bar- 
tonia, Collinsia, Malope, Mathiola. Real honey bearing plants are: 
Clover, Buckwheat also Linden or Basswood tree. 
PLANTS SUITABLE FOR DEEP SHADE—Cypripedium, 
Funkia, Gentian, Christmas Rose, Lily of the Valley, Ruscus, 
Veratrum, Asperula Odorata, Corydalis, Pachysandra, Tril. 
lium, Maiden Hair Fern, Ostrich Fern. 
