Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-07

Faults of flowers are like blemishes
in fair women, to be overlooked In
the contemplation of so much beauty.
The fact that the rose edoesn't
bloom often enough to justify the
glowing description Of 'ever-bloom.
ing" or that the least rain knocks
the petunia over. spelling its flowers
for the day, in no sense makes the
garden lover forget their wonder.
In drawing up the following list
therefore, of the faults of flowers, we
are In no sense knocking" them,
just pointing out their relationship to
mankind, no one Of whom is without
fault. Of some sort or other.
SO 1t often happens that married
men, turning to cast a glance at some
fair charmer. as rapidly turn back
to the wife of their bosom, saying ito
themselves, "Strange lady, If knew
you as we'll and closely as do this
one, no doubt you would turn out to
have 100 times as many faults"
Faults Of flowers, as we see them
Roses-Really do not bloom enough
have too many pests; are too tempera
mental. Monthly roses" as some are
called. bloom splendidly in the Spring
and again in the Autumn-such other
times as they bloom give only meageI
and poor blossoms, as compared with
the two big times. Many gardeners
pinch off all the buds, after the Spring
| blooming, in order to get comparable
blooms in the Fall. Then, too, roses
really have many pests and are very
subject to weather influences. Bushes
too, are often scraggly.
Petunia-Rain knocks them over
1iv,cr hN g.,
| making a bed or box of them appear
very bedraggled. indeed.
Zinnia-Has as little fault as any
flower. Some regard the blossoms az
bit too stiff in character.
Hollyhock 49, Doesn't bloom long
enough! This may seem a captious
criticism, but the unwary amateur ie
likely to give them too prominent a
place in his garden; and when the
flowers are over, the foliage does not
remain pretty very long. Hollyhocks
should be planted solely as back
ground flowers, behind other flowers
Of considerable height, but not quite
so high as themselves, so that there
will still be background when the
hollyhocks are over.
Hibiscus--Wind blows them over
too easily. If they break beneath the
ground the plant is ruined for the
season, and probably will never come
up again. The huge flowers do not
stand sun very we'll.
Gladiolus-Bulbs run OUT; when
used as cut flowers. the ugly brown
tips are left, where the old blooms
are taken off, from day to day; spikes
easily blown over in storm. One has
to plant the gladiolus for several
years before realizing that his bulbs
will not last forever. but under ordi.
nary culture will give smaller and
smaller blooms each year. The solu'
ton, of course, is to constantly pur-
chase fresh new bulbs, or to grow
on supply of bulblets Of ones own.
Since the gladiolus blooms from the
bottom of the spike up to the top. 1t
is manifestly impossible to cut off
the browning tips: the iris manages
this better, since 1t blooms from the
top down, thereby allowing the tops
to be cut of, without removing the
stem needed in the vase. The neces.
sity for stalking Is fault shared by
SO many garden flowers that 1t Is
impossible to regard 1t as a very Sc
rious one.
Iris-Shares with the zinnia a re.
markable freedom from faults. with
the exception of root rot and iris
borer which enemies are not nearly