Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-10

Saliva, old common saliva, Is coming
to the fore in the garden these days, as
the other flowers fade beneath the on
slaughts of Autumn.
Now. We have never liked salvia-its
red is SO intense and its green SO bright.
These elemental color combinations
often offend.
One must admit. however. as the sage
stands up before the frost, that IL Is
pretty good plant, after all. Anything
which can last so long and remain so
bright is very much worth cultivatlng,
Nicotiana is another plant which Ia
resisting the advancing season well and
which until week or so ago pore
flowers.
It's foliage Is still deep and rich, al
though the first real frost recently
struck 1t severe blow. Despite this, 1t
is grand flower one must confess
and one which comes nearer living up 10
the SeedSmen's description than most.
All gardeners are familiar with the
enthusiasm OF seedsmen In describing
their wares And no gardener. even the
amateur. can blame them in the least.
Blooms from June till frost" says
one description. In flower from July
until cut down by frost" says another.
Experience proves that few of these
plants ever come into bloom as early
as the catalogues assert or last as long
as frost. Most of the ANIMALS In par
ticular seem willing to quit the struggle
of life about the middle Of october, or
the first OF November at the latest.
Therefore, it is refreshing to the in
experienced gardener to find a Few
things which actually live up to the
inf ND niy cliOhtIy longer
life than he expects.
ChrysanthemumS are all very well,
but there are many who cannot work
up a very great enthusiasm for the
ordinary garden varieties.
The great "mums" which the florists
dish up for So a dozen these days are
truly glorious flowers. Even those which
retail at half that price are beautiful
and quite large enough for the average
home.
Garden grown NUNS" on the other
hand, often are nothing to brag about.
They are nice flowers, but no better
than good zinnias or well grown asters.
In fact. most home specialists will pre-
fer choice asters any day in the gar
dening year.
While asters and crysanthemums are
essentially much alike. being composites,
with their many and closely woven
former in one of the finest features OF
flower, namely, color.
Asters. when well grown-and It Is
not easy-posSess true pastel shades
which are scarcely approached by the
shower chrysanthemums, even of the
SWEETEST" varieties.
If one takes a blue vase and puts
pale-pink aSters in it, he will have as
pretty a grouping as can be achieved
with flowers, unless maybe pink roses
and gladioh or yellow snapdragons and
the bluest of delphinium.
r n
What q splendid Christmas flower the
saliva in its red form would make, far
better than the too curious poinsettia
with its startling red flowers and its
sprawly red leaves arranged at rather
grotesque distances on the stalks.
The red and green of the saliva are
| the true red and green of Christmas
| Somehow. this bright contrast is not
disagreeable at the holiday season. Gus
tom makes it easy on the eyes.
Perhaps by potting the smaller of the
SalviaS in october and taking them into
the house they might be kept in bloom
until December IS, but one may doubt