Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-13
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

What is the matter with the gla-
diolus this year? You haven't writer
about it so far, and I wonder If you
have given it up"
This is the gist of several letters re-
| ceived by this column recently from
gladiolus fans" who have missed the
king of flowers from these writings.
1t is about time, surely, that some
mention be made of this best of the
Summer Towering bulbs, especially since
the queen of flowers, the rose, has been
considered here time after time.
We have not given up the gladielus
and never shall, SO long as we have a
bit of ground in which to plant its
corms.
No one who has ever fallen in love
with the gladiolus will ever give 1t up
although circumstances may compel
him to plant it less freely than he might
otherwise do.
The trouble with the average en-
thusiast is that il he had his way moth
ing less than the whole garden would
be devoted to his "glads"
This policy, while fine for the gla-
doll, is rather rough on the other flow
ers. especially the ANIMALS, which de-
serve prominent place in every gar
den.
The smaller the garden, the larger
the space which should be devoted to
the ANIMALS, in our opinion. There is
some tendency on the part of home
gardeners to put the accent on the per-
ennial plants.
No doubt they are right, from the
theoretical standpoint. If one is not
able to spend much time in the garden
during any particular Summer, the
perennials will do the BEST
Yet, If one has half-time to put on
the yard especially If it be the smaller
place, a fine crop of ANIMALS will give
greater dividends of beauty.
Since they require more constant
care, the gardener puts more of himself
into them. and this means, of course,
that he gets more out of them.
* X
One drawback of the gladiolus for
the average small place is the plain fact
that it tends to take certain elements
out of the soil necessary for its proper
growth.
There is no flower which is more
beautiful than the gladiolus at its best
unless 1t is the rose, and certainly there
Is none which seems poorer by COM
parison with its best.
gladiolus which one has seen 5 to G
grows only feet high. A bulb that
one year gives a flower spike feet
long will seem to be doing poorly, in
deed, when its spike comes but a foot
long.
He who has once seen a magnificent
spike OF Mrs. Frank Pendleton can
never be satisfied with anything less.
Gladiolus literature" puts the soft
pedal upon the fact that new soil must
be used constantly If the very best re-
suits are to be secured. In other words
If the bulbs are planted year after
year in the same bed, it is difficult to
get the same results.
Let 1t be understood that we speak
here of the garden of the average
home owner, not that of the expert
Your garden variety of gardener usu-
ally is afraid of fertilizers. No doubt
he is too conservative in their use, but
he is always faced with the fear of
burning his plants, and his space
Is too valuable to take a chance. He
must, through necessity, play safe.
Because his ground is limited, he
finds himself compelled to put his
gladiolus bulbs in the same earth year
after year. This should demand heavier
and heavier fertilization. but he is