Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1924-05-15
URGES USE OF
NATIVE PLANTS
'Pansy' Toole of ,Baraboo is a
/. Burbank of Wisconsin

highway II is Garry Nee Dule. Garry
Nee Dule is Gaelic for the Gardens Of
the O'Tooles. 1t is the same name CIV
en- to the acres where Wisconsin's
iamm Toole, 81 last September and
the oldest member Of the Wisconsin
Horticultural society develops and
grows the flowers that have made
him famous.
Years ago when his hair was black
William Toole was nicknamed Pansy
Toole. He developed so varieties of
pansies, one a dusky purple bloom
that passed for black.
The achievement of his eightieth
year was the development of white
larkspur. The blossoms on its tall
stalks are as snowy as the beard of
Pansy Toole today. White larkspur
that is seed bearing is not known in
America outside of Garry Nee Dule,
although it is said to have been pro-
duced in England
Champions Native Blooms
But the neither the black pansy of
his middle age or the white larkspur
of his ripper years typify the resolu-
ton of Mr. Toole. His creed is a
firm faith in Wisconsin flowers for
Wisconsin gardens. For generation
he has preached the use of native
plants in creating fine landscapes. He
has written on the subject and all
over the hills of Garry Nee Dule are
experimental beds where Badger
state wild flowers are being devel-
oped for landscaping uses.
There is the ack-eyed Susan. FIT
teen years ago Pansy Toole decided
to school the little wayside wench
into a proper plant for formal lawns.
Selecting plants with the finest and
largest blooms he brought them to
Garry Nee Dule and began his expe-
riments By ruthless destruction of
inferior growths by careful cajoling
Of fine specimens he has produced a
plant, the blossom of which is four
times as large as the black-eyed Su-
san in wild state, but retaining the
charm of the gypsy flower.
From the sandy fields of the north
he took a flaming orange flower, the
butterfly weed. asclepias tuberosa,
sometimes going under the name of
pleurisy root The Indian valued it
not for its startling beauty but for a
quality it possesses of tsopping a
flow of blood.
Builds Over Butterfly Weed
Mr.. Too1e admired the gaudy blooms
He realized that it would be real
addition to handspring if its stalks
Which were apt to lean, could be made
to hold themselves rigidly upright and
if their or in a clump could be
increased. He has bred the butterfly
weed ito the point where there are
as many as 800 firmly outstanding
stalks in cluster There is no finer
splash of color possible.
The master of Garry Nee Dule is
at present engaged in working out
color varieties in the New England
aster. The compass plant is too COM
in under his tutelage and will some
day make a brilliant debut as a lawn
growth.
William Toole has been a member
Of the executive committee of the
Wisconsin Horticultural society. for
Is years. He has been the president of
the society and during the presidency
Of Charles H. Van Hise, he recipi-
ent Of an honorable recognition award
given by the University of Wiscon-
sin.
William Tool Jr. with his father is
engaged in the experiments at Garry
Nee Dule. DR.. Eben TooIe, a second
son, is the director of the seed labor
atories at Washington, D. Chill
waukee Journal.