The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-30
WESTERN NATURE STUDIES
WILD FLOWERS FOR DECORATION DAY.
BY J. H. PAUL.

There scattered oft. the earliest of the
BY hands unseen are showers of violets
found;
The red breast loves TO build and MARBLE
there,
And nttle footsteps lightly print the
Decorating the Graves.
Today thousands will bedeck with
flowers the graves of the departed.
Wild flowers will be plucked in untold
quantities and strewn upon the mounds.
This is beautiful custom, but it
threatens the determination near the
cities of many of our most beautiful
wild flowers. 1t is therefore suggested
herein that there are a number of ma
tive flowers that could be successfully
grown in the cemeteries. Those mem
toned here would all be IN bloom on
Decoration day.
The wealth of flowers to be strewn
upon the graves of our dead will COM
prise thousands of blossoms OF wild
species, plueked of to wither in a day.
Some of the native flowers are of sur
passing beauty, and several of them
are known to be susceptible Of the
easiest cultivation.
Cultivation of Wild Flowers.
Little has yet been done in the way
OF DEMONSTRATING our native wild flow
ers. Ben Johnson, DR.. Howard and
George GroO Of this city, however, have
successfully grown in the gardens many
of the native species. The first-named
grower collects and sells the seeds and
some Of the plants. OF those whose
flowers make beautiful our hills and
canyons in spring a considerable num-
growing over the graves of the remem-
bered dead in the cemeteries of the city.
OF the following species, which, as
above stated, are in bloom at Decora-
ton time, all are beautiful. and most of
them thrive in dry places-a fact which
Indicates that, If once started, they will
be in flower about May 80, and that
too, without having received any other
irrigation than is afforded by the rains
of early spring.
The Sego Lily.
The sego lily, the state flower, may
be named first. on account of its rare
and delicate beauty, its fragrance and
its entire absence Of any aspect of
weakness. Calochortus Nuttalii has
only a few leaves, and these are so
slender and grass-like that the speci-
men is literally all flower. 1t could be
planted next spring from seeds to be
gathered this summer, or the spring
bulbs could be given a trial In dig
ging the young plants 1 find that the
bulbs are very small at first. They
have no doubt been formed from the
bulbs of the previous year. since they
grow deep in the gTound-from four to
eight inches. The bulbs are renewed
from the old root. But does the bulb
renew itself from the stem nutrition
every year? or is it formed anew from
seeds every few years? At all events,
this plant once started on a grave viii
usually flower by Decoration day or
shortly afterward. and will continue to
bloom through the summer. Il leaves
no weed-like vegetation, but practically
disappears soon after the period Of its
bloom. 1t would be well to try both
planting the seeds and transplanting
the young bulbs in early spring.
The Blue Bell.
The beautiful blue flower now in full
bloom. which is called locally the blue
bell, is the representative Of the fox
glove of the Old World. Our best
known species of blue bell, Penstemon |
glaber, grows a foot or two in height |
and bears a mass Of coroIlas each an
inch long, of varying shades of blue, /
clustering from six 70 twelve inches
along the top Of the main stem, which
is erect and but little divided This
mass Of blue color arising above and /.
extending from the leaves, which are /
OF a shiny. green aspect, gives TO this 4
species, a regal and stately appearance /
decidedly attractive. We have various 4
later species in the higher canyons, and /
some that thrive in places which are
desert-like in summer. Our early blue ]
bell is profuse in Towering and comes |
into bloom before the end of May /
have no doubt that IL could be grown |
from seeds. It has a heavy root and !
may be a biennial or a perennial.
Wild Sweet Peas.
The most ornamental o. these is a /
species related to the sweet pea. It is 4
a handsome bush-iike plant that some /
times grows several feet in height and 1
diameter. bearing a profusion Of red |