Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-05

Dear Sir:
your list Of 'sure-fire' plants 4,
| good. but not quite good enough Kind
| ly substitute phlox for marigold. Either
iris or narcissus will stand hardship
better than Darwin tulips. Hibiscus is
! ut least, a strong rival of good old holly.
hook Cordially, l.. K. L."
A good book, good song, goot
| flower--eech has Its champions just a;
each has its detractors. A place in an,
list for one draws the fire of those who
see their favorite displaced
This Ii we'll.
Without these likes and dislkes, gar
! dening would not be quite the pleasure
It is to SO many. 1t may be truly said
that this occupation, whether In large
or small. has taken on new life in the
United States of recent years.
Everywhere more and more persons
are taking up home agriculture. with
the natural result that they get bet
ter perspective on the various plants
and so come to take sides on the merits
OF one plant as against another.
AS In most matters Of this sort. there
Is no final Judgment. because each gar.
dener says to himself, either conscious
ly or unconsciously, Il know what
like"
We know one person who thinks the
common daisy the prettiest flower In
the world. Any of the members of that
family, with their simple arrangement
Of petals. instantly wins this persons
approval.
Others regard the daisy as distinctly
elementary. and prefer flowers Of more
double" nature. or of some peculiar
distinction in petal form, such as the
iris or the gladiolus.
~ -
The merits and faults of the various
popular flowers In cultivation cannot
weigh against the personal liking or
disliking of the grower.
Home gardeners cannot be coerced
into growing roses If they do not like
roses. Happily. most people do like the
queen of flowers. This Is one flower
that most garden temperaments agree
upon.
The more one sees OF other flowers
the more he will love the rose. There
can be little doubt that this is the mos:
beautiful flower In the world.
From the magnificent blooms of the
Souvenir of Claudius Pernet. yellow as
the glow of sun on a sandy beach in
September. to the glory of Nine
Butterfly. pink with the first flushes OF
an April morning. there is no flower
In all this world to touch the rose.
It is first, last and always the be-
loved flower, the friend of happy homes,
the companion of young people at
graduation, the floral solace at the door
Of sorrow.
The iris is beautiful. the gladiolus
king, the peony princess but when 1t
comes to that soft elegance which wins
the human heart, amid the harsh reali-
ties of this curious world. the rose re-
MAINS as 1t always has been. the last
Of flowers for which the first was made.
Few persons will question the rose
In a list Of "sure-fire" plants, not that
many varieties are not difficult to grow.
not that most are not afflicted with
various insects and diseases. not that
an untimely rain will not spoil most
opening buds
The merits. of the rose are so sur
passing. Its appeal so Turing to all per-
sons. that few. IL any. will dispute its
place In the heart of the world as the
queen of flowers
All other flowers. however, find no
such universal acceptance. The gladi-
olus, partly on account of Its name. Is
still a stranger to many gardens. It's
bulbs have a habit of running out"
after a season or two, leaving the owner