H ugh Cvans 
In the coastal area, it is particularly im- 
portant to concentrate all the sun heat we 
have for the benefit of sun-loving plants 
which form such a large and cheerful 
family; such things as Bougainvillea, Hi- 
biscus—indeed, a host of fine plants too 
numerous to mention in detail—like all the 
sun heat they can get, in addition to 
shelter from strong winds or drafts. There 
are, in the close neighborhood of our es- 
tablishment, magnificent and outstanding 
specimens of the two plants mentioned. 
They owe their splendor to the situation in 
which they were planted. 
The other day, while driving a distin- 
guished. horticulturist from Costa Rica 
around the countryside, we saw in a Riviera 
garden in front of the residence, as fine a 
specimen of Hibiscus Crown of Bohemia 
as one could hope to see; a large, perfectly 
shaped shrub with fine, full foliage, and 
thickly studded from top to bottom with 
its glorious yellow and orange flowers. We 
were all lost in admiration, and for my 
part, gazing on this magnificent plant, | 
could not help wondering why every lover 
of beauty who sees this plant does not 
want to possess the same thing. 
On Wilshire Boulevard in the 2900 block, 
Santa Monica, are two notable examples 
of Hibiscus White Wings, planted against 
the apartment house wall, sheltered from 
the wind and with plenty of sun. They 
have been for a long time about as happy 
and full of bloom as any | have seen in 
the South Seas. 
If you like plants that do not grow more 
than six inches tall and like shade, come in 
and see our Odontoglossum grande Or- 
chids now in bloom; easy to grow and 
bloom; unexacting in its requirements, not 
needing greenhouse treatment, it should 
be included in the collection of all who 
cultivate shade-loving plants and _ love 
beauty for its own sake. 
place; all $4 to $5. Shrubs for color include 
NANDINA (Heavenly Bamboo), MAHO- 
NIA, TERNSTROEMIA, and BERBERIS 
THUNBERGI ATROPURPUREA. 
For protecting loosely filled slopes from 
this winter's downpours we recommend 
particularly HONEYSUCKLE, CATRIPLEX, 
ZAUSCHNERIA, and BACCHARIS (Mule- 
fat), the first from flats at $5 a hundred, 
the others from gallon cans at $1.25. P.E.C. 
SWISS GEEZ! 
Bigger & Better 
Locarno and Lugano and that area are 
more Italian than most of Italy, plus the 
Swiss efficiency, cleanliness, plus a lush, 
humid, subtropical (not Mediterranean) 
climate suggesting (in plants only) Charles- 
ton, and the Savannah area but minus the 
painful heat of our south Atlantic coast. 
The Azaleas and Camellias are identical in 
size and quality and variety, the Palms the 
samerrerc. 
Magnolia grandiflora, Oleander and 
Crapemyrtle have seeded themselves and 
gone wild in every direction, up hill and 
down, and in unbelievable crevasses. A 
whole mountainside of Magnolia grandi- 
flora in full bloom at once is something of 
a sight to even the most jaded horticul- 
turalist, especially when he remembers that 
the plant is native only to southeastern 
America. Then the Jasminum azoricum is 
matted and tangled throughout with a fra- 
grance suggesting Bouvardia. The natural 
forest is predominately Castanea sativa, 
the European Chestnut of commerce, miles 
and miles from lake level to 3,000 to 4,000 
feet, and the groves are sufficiently open 
to permit heavy natural pasture beneath. 
Everywhere in Switzerland and extreme 
northern Italy one is impressed by the 
grasses full of meadow flowers. 
Geneva has one of the finest botanic 
gardens in Europe. Few if any gardens in 
America have such complete and varied 
collections of North American plants as 
has Geneva. The peculiar climate, a form 
of warm-temperate similar to that of Rich- 
mond, Va., but again with cooler shorter 
summers, makes it possible to grow to per- 
fection our California Redwoods, especially 
Sequoia gigantea, Arbutus Menziesi, and 
many other Pacific Coast natives. The soil 
is glacier morain, perfectly drained and 
apparently bottomless, and the snow for 
three months is deep and wet with tem- 
peratures rarely below 22 degrees or above 
38. That too, is a feature we can hardly 
duplicate anywhere in the United States, 
The Aesculus (Horse Chestnut), Castanea, 
Fagus (Ash), Quercus (Oak), Plantanus 
(Plane) and Tilia (Linden), etc., achieve un- 
believeable proportions of girth, spread, 
heigth and of course, age. And the Lom- 
bardy Poplars achieve 175 feet and are 
taprooted! Not even on the Lombardy 
plain did | see such Lombardies. Never be- 
fore have | realized what sick, unhappy 
things our own Lombardies are! BEG 
