The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-05
THE FLOWERS OF THE CITY.

The rose show in the maple room of the
Palace Hotel was a very beautiful exhibit
bition, as enchanting in its way as was the
chrysanthemum show in its own a few
months ago. The most useful lesson
taught BY these two exhibitions is that no
matter how rich and gorgeous are flowers
in the countries of their original produc-
ton, when transplanted 10 California
their excellencies are amazingly increased.
Behind this simple and patent fact lies the
whole story OF the wonderful capabilities
Of the State
San Franciscans have need Of these
flower shows in order that their love for
flowers may be cultivated, for the City IS
wofully behind every other city in the
State in the maintenance Of attractive
hower-gardens. The grounds surround
ing the mansions Of the millionaires on
Mob Hill give distressing evidence OF a
lack OF the love of flowers, of their high
decorative value and Of the wonderful
resources of the climate. Around the
splendid brownstone Flood house not a
blossom is to be seen; few struggling
blooms break the bare line Ct the pretty
Huntington villa; some heliotropes and
hardy geraniums are seen IN the Old
Croker grounds; the chief adornment OF
the new Croker mansion Is IVY, which
seems as inappropriate 10 this climate for
decorative purposes as pines; the FAR
mansion is the only one that offers any
consolation TO those who love flowers and
know what dazzling garden OF bloom the
whole Of San Francisco might be made.
a. 4 mod hand
some results here as IN other parts OF the
State Roses, the most useful OF all flow
ers. are among them. The fOgs induce mil
dew and tend TO blast the buds. This does
not mean 10 say that highly satisfactory
results cannot be secured in rose culture
here. The main trouble is a lack OF knowl-
edge in their treatment. About the only
attention they receive is a constant and
ruinous drenching with the hose, whereas
they need very little water and generous
fertilization and cultivation.
A remarkable advantage that San Fran
cisco enjoys over any other city is that
many tender plants, including the hello
trope and the Gala, will bloom in the
winter with little danger from frost. The
banana, even tenderer than these, is seen
in many gardens. No roots or bulbs have
to be dug up in winter to keep them from
Now, as summer is the natural
time for plants the world over to bloom
and mature their seeds, and as the seasons
south OF the equator are opposite to ours,
it is evident that plants brought hither
from those southern regions will bring
their habit with them, and bloom during
our winter. There are many of these. and
they make splendid show in the hothouses
Of Eastern cities. But many of these
plants viii thrive and bloom outdoors in
San Francisco, and yet this opportunity
is shamefuIly neglected by our people.
Nothing is more needed here than a school
Of instruction in Horticulture. and if Super
intendent McLaren of Golden Gate Park
does not see in this suggestion a dazzling
his strong Scotch head is
not so hard nor his purse SO eager as it
might be.
Even in the summer months the pau
city of flowers is disheartening. AS a
rule, only few of the hardest and COM
monest perennial plants are grown, and it
is extremely rare that any care is taken in
training them or by intelligent cultivation
developing their highest poisoning eff
ficiency. 1t is almost impossible to find a
housewife or daughter who has the least
idea of the planting and growing of an
nuals. II even a tenth of the women of
San Francisco would develop an intelligent
love Of flowers they would produce city
which for its little flower gardens alone
would become one of the wonders of the
world