GARDENIA - ( Maid of Orleans X Apricot Glow ) 
A cream decorative. 
Description — 
Color - Light cream, or milk white, with light golden throat. 
Florets - Petals waved, giving a very artistic appearance; nicely placed and well spaced 
on a wiry, but strong stem; 4-6 open with an equal number showing color; size 
up to 4%-5”. 
Spike - Tall and slender, yet stiff, and always straight - I have never yet seen a crooked 
spike. Height 40-50”. 
Plant - Strong, healthy grower, with long, narrow leaves of a distinctive blue-green color. 
While the bulbs do not grow as large as those of most varieties, many will throw 
two or more strong spikes - one hundred large bulbs will yield close to 125 
good cutting spikes. Because of this, and since the bulbs are smaller and require 
less space, either for planting or storing, Gardenia is an ideal glad for commercial 
growers. 
Excellent bulblet maker, and bulblets are large and grow 100%. 
Prices for 1945, per Each — 
Large - $.08; Medium - $.06; Small - $.04 Note-All #1, #2 & #3 sold out for 1945 season. 
10 - $.70 10 - $.50 10 - $.85 
Bulblets: 100 - $.40 
O 
Gardenia was one of the first of my introductions and is gaining in popularity each 
year. Because of its graceful appearance it appeals strongly to those artistically inc¥ined, 
especially the ladies. In some sections it has become the leading cream in the commercial 
field, some growers reporting that they plant Gardenia by the tens of thousands and _ find 
a market for all they can grow. One large Michigan grower reported that he grows and 
sells more Gardenia than all other creams combined. 
O 
SOME THINGS WORTH REMEMBERING 
Don’t expect to grow prize winning glads from bulbs bought at a bargain price at 
the 5 & 10 cent store - in glads, as in any other line, you cannot expect to get more than 
you pay for. Bulbs sold at bargain prices are usually of varieties that have long been re- 
placed by much better new ones, but that is really the least serious fault: such bulbs are 
usually badly infested with thrips and most of them are diseased as well. I have often 
wondered why such stock is allowed to be sold at all. 
Buy your bulbs from a reputable grower or dealer and know what you get. 
O 
Glads are not at all ‘choosey’ - they will grow in almost any kind of ground, but, 
as is the case with any other plant, results will be directly proportional to the food they 
can draw from the soil. If you want to grow prize winning. glads you must provide for 
them growing conditions as nearly ideal as possible. Have your soil tested and if the tests 
show that essential elements are lacking, supply those elements in the needed amounts. 
Plenty of humus will improve any soil, for not only does it increase the moisture retaining 
property but it is very essential in giving the soil the proper tilth. 
But even ground in perfect condition, with every essential food element present in 
ideal proportion, cannot make your glads perform at their best unless they are able to make 
full use of those plant foods. Plants can take food from the soil in only one way, through 
their root system, and, in order to do that, all food elements must be in solution. That means 
that the proper degree of moisture must be maintained in the soil throughout the growing 
season. Keep your patch properly watered. Insufficient watering, which wets only the sur- 
face layer of the ground, is more harmful than beneficial because it will encourage the 
plants to develop their fibrous root system - the roots through which the plant takes in its 
food - close to the surface, with the inevitable result that any drying out of the upper 
ground layer, even for a few days, is bound to result in a check in growth. The real object 
of watering is to maintain the proper degree of moisture in the deeper ground layer, rather 
than to keep the surface moist, since keeping the deeper layer moist will stimulate the plant 
