mint cy: 
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE LAFKINS 
GOLF AND LAWN SUPPLY CORPO! 
—_— 
So much has been said and sung of flowers 
that sometimes it would seem impossible to say 
anything new, for gardens and flowers have been 
the delight of poets through the ages. So vwe, 
too, are going to forget the stereotyped des- 
criptions of all the lovely annuals, seed of 
which we have for you, as well as their prices, 
for you know the prices are stereotyped also. 
Let us stroll through a make-believe garden, 
The kind we all dream about but never quite 
fully achieve. 
The morning is in May, 1948. The sun is bright 
and warm andall outdoors is beckoning and send- 
forth a freshness that can only come with spring. 
The early tulips are in bloom and the Darwins 
are full of buds. How thankful we are that 
those bulbs were all planted last fall! The 
azaleas are showing their gratefulness for the 
blanket of snow which covered them all winter 
and not a bud is blasted. But - we must plan 
replacements for the tulips now. The little 
brown bulbs have spent their energy and must 
rest all summer. What can be planted in those 
beds? There is no flower more satisfactory or 
colorful than the PETUNIA. You may choose your 
own. There arereds, purples, blues, all shades 
of pink and salmon, and lovely snowy white ones. 
Petunia seeds are very tiny and not too easy to 
start. Perhaps you would rather have plants a 
little later. We will havea complete selection. 
Insects never bother this lovely plant and it 
never need be sprayed or dusted. Given ample 
moisture and food, petunias produce a mass of 
color till frost. 
What other suggestions could be made for the 
tulip beds? SNAPDRAGONS, of course. They, too, 
come in a wide range of color and make excel- 
lent bedding plants as well as being the almost 
perfect flower for cutting and arranging. The 
more they are cut, the more they will bloom. 
Rust-resistant varieties are best. Here, again, 
if seeds are to be used, they must be started 
early. But you may have waited till too late, 
so we will have the plants. 
Yes, there must be a little border around 
these beds this summer. Depending on size, buy 
a sufficient quantity of LITTLE GEM ALYSSUM. 
Mix it with a cupful of dry sand or soil 
and sprinkle thinly around the edge of the 
beds and they will wear a white lacy col- 
lar all summer. 
Now we find a vacant spot where the 
cutting garden just fits. First on our 
list forit are ZINNIAS. When occasional - 
ly we hear that someone doesn’t like zin- 
niasit leavesusa little startled. There 


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Department of Agriculture } 
: U. Ss. 


are somany kinds, surely there is one for each 
of us. This year try a packet of the new Luth- 
er Burbank kind with their lovely pastel shades. 
And since they are new, plant them for “specu- 
lation.” Not taking any chances on our z1nnia 
dividends, also plant apacket of pastel DAHLIA 
Flowered Mixed. These, along with the Burbanks, 
should hold the center of attraction in the 
cutting garden. There must be a few Cut and 
Come Again varieties or some Lilliputs which 
are so necessary for cutting and arranging. 
They come in a multitude of separate colors, 
or mixed. For something a little different in 
the way of zinnias, plant the David Burpees, 
with their twisted petals that look not like 
zinnias at all. They sometimes mildew in a wet 
season but are invaluable in arrangements. The 
two-toned Super Giants are large and lovely 
and add an unusual note to the garden bouquet. 
We all have miniature bowls and vases for which 
the tiny Cupids are perfect. They, too, come 
in a wide range of color or in mixtures. 
Our home state adopted the zinnia as its own 
and we know of no flower that can be grown so 
easily or has so many varied forms and colors. 
Plant it and you will love it too. 
Many flowers are called barometers. ‘Tis said 
the African MARIGOLD indicates rainif the cor- 
ollaisclosed after 7 or 8 in the morning. But 
that is only one reason for planting marigolds. 
Their bright yellow and orange hues add an in- 
teresting note inthe sunmer garden. True - the 
beetles like them too, but a few dustings of 
DDT will put this pest out of joint in a hurry. 
There are many varieties but the newer pale 
yellow Mammoth Mum that looks like a huge chry- 
santhemum is truly beautiful. Mayling is ano- 
ther pale yellow carnation-flowered type. To 
give contrast, plant Victory, a deeper golden 
orange. The large varieties like plenty of food 
and water but don’t overfeed the French types. 
They go too much to foliage and fail to produce 
enough blooms.. 
There is no gayer border plant than Yellow 
Pygmy, a pale lemon-yellow which grows only 
about six inches tall. Spry is our favorite of 
the two-toned kinds with Tagetes running a close 
aE Sy ere, year called Red 
out lives Herioeemetne: Ro t9 nope hanes 
letta,which we fo ig eel nevan ty Mars 
When makin ae a ean cok banal 
k +f p the quantities of seed 
celia aN 
atten teers Be MOWER? We have 
blue NS i tide Whil ‘ Beant acid 
- While reading a book 
