GARDENIA - ( Maid of Orleans X Apricot Glow ) 
One of my very first introductions, Gardenia is still growing in popularity and has 
become the leading cream commercial variety in a number of sections. Growers have written 
that, while they grow Gardenia by tens of thousands, they cannot supply the demand. 
Gardenia appeals to florists and to those artistically inclined because of its graceful 
appearance. Its medium sized florets are handsomely waved and perch on the straight, 
wiry spike like big butterflies. It is a splendid performer, blooming freely from medium 
and small bulbs, and even from bulblets; large bulbs quite commonly produce from two 
to four or five spikes and each of them is strong and well proportioned. A planting of 
one hundred will often yield from 125 to 150 saleable spikes. 
Description — 
Color - Light cream or milk white, with light gold throat. 
Florets - The petals are artistically waved and well placed and spaced on a wiry, but 
strong stem; 4-6 open, with 4-6 in color; size up to 444-5”. 
Spike - Tall, slender and wiry, yet straight and strong; height 40-50”. 
Plant - Healthy, vigorous grower, with rather narrow, blue-green leaves. The bulbs, while 
exceptionally healthy, do not grow as large as those of most other varieties, but 
many throw several large flower spikes; bulblets freely produced, larger than average, 
and 100% germinators. 
Prices for 1946 — 
Large 2 - $.25, 10 - $1.00;. Medium 8 - $.25, 10 - $.60; Small 5 - $.25, 10 - $.40 
Bulblets: 50 - $.30; 100 - $.50 
SOME HELPFUL HINTS 
Without question, the worst pest that the grower of glads has to contend with is 
thrips. Unless he is fortunate enough to have his planting somewhere in the country, far 
away from any other planting of gladiolus, large or small, he will most certainly meet up 
up with thrips in very short order. While thrips do not travel long distances under their 
own power, their distribution is assured by many factors: wind, clothing of visitors, 
fur of animals, etc. 
Stocks can be rendered entirely free from thrips through proper treatment during 
the winter storage treatment, but such treatment must be absolutely thorough: each and 
every lot, and every single bulb and bulblet must be treated, for even one small lot of 
bulbs, or a single untreated bulb will furnish the parent breeding stock that will soon 
infest an entire large planting. 
For years the most widely employed method for thrips control during winter storage 
was the use of naphthalene flakes, since that method is cheap and because it was believed 
to afford an effective means of definitely killing all thrips and their eggs on stock. Competent 
authorities on thrips control now claim that naphthalene flakes are not the sure thrips 
