cultivated garden seeds; and Nature is 
never in a hurry. Some of the Ladyslippers, 
for instance, don’t reach blossoming stage 
until twelve years after the seeds ger- 
minate and that’s not counting how long 
it takes for the seeds to make up their 
minds to sprout. Experiments with wild 
seeds have shown that they remain viable 
in the soil for at least 53 years. 
To add to the difficulties, the seeds 
must be protected from small wild rodents, 
from drying out, drowning, or blowing | 
away over the years. Soil acidity, moist- 
ure and light conditions must be right | 
for germinating or the seeds will wait | 
yet another year. Only botanists and | 
nursery people usually have such patience | 
and can give the necessary care. 
| 
Some concerns do offer wildflower seeds. | 
We have tried them and found they are weed | 
species such as clover, the hawkweeds, | 
Queen Anne’s lace, the goldenrods and 
field dasies. The only satisfactory way 
we know of obtaining the desirable dec- 
orative wildflowers is to buy the plants. 
Then you know what you have, and you don’t 
wait a decade for them. 
We can get Fringed Gentian seeds for 
those who have their hearts set on them. 
But Fringed Gentians are biennial. They 
don’t blossom the first year; once they do 
that is the end. But, the seeds sometimes 
sit for 20 years without germinating; 
sometimes they sprout the first or second 
year. They are so unsatisfactory you 
would do better to spend your money on 
gas to drive to their natural habitats 
and admire them. 
22 

