Evening star., 1932-05-12
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

are not so likely to do well, although
there Is an interesting field for expert
mentation here on the part Of the aver
age home gardener.
The main trouble with very late
planting of gladiolus bulbs Cor corms)
lies In the difficulty of getting good
specimens after this month. IL good
No / bulbs could be secured and kept
in cold storage, say around SO degrees,
they no doubt would be In excellent
shape for June planting
Gladiolus varieties planted around
the first Of April will be about ready
to bloom the first of June and many
will be in full flower by June Is.
This is not too early to begin to lure
the humming bird.
He is already with us, however, feast
ing upon the nectar of the bleeding
heart flowers. Maybe 1t is small in
sects which he eats, although that is
not quite poetical enough for one Of
thrive upon nectar and drink the dew
Of Paradise, as the poet did not say.
While the humming bird darts
hither and yon in the garden, every
body's garden, we hope, let us con-
slider for q moment these two fine
flowers, the bleeding-heart and the
gladiolus. The former Is regarded as
"old-fashioned," principally because 1t
comes down to us intact from grand
mothers garden.
Grandmother would not know the
gladiolus, the modern successor of the
old-style Sword lily" the small-dow-
cred and by no means beautiful plant
which she sometimes grew In her gar
den upon occasion for want Of some
thing better. Its ease Of culture was
its chief charm
Sure fire" qualities still distinguish
the gladiolus, but its modern varieties
are so surprising in size and coloring
that grandmother would scarcely rec
ognize them as cousins Of the flowers
she grew.
This would not hold true Of the
favorite bleeding heart. The common
variety and the best loved is by some
called Dicentra spectabilis and by
others Dielytra spectabilis, but 1t is
the same thing.
No one has ever been able to "im-
prove" this fine old flower. It loves a
shady corner In the garden, but 1t
will do about as well In sun. A IA
vorite use today Is in combination with
tulips, especially the Darwins. whose
blooming time is about the same.
The bleeding heart comes into bloom
very early, after making q marvellous
growth of its foliage, and blooms well
through this month. Its pendant heart
shaped blossoms, which give 1t its name,
are unique in howerdom. There Is moth
ing else like them.
These pretty blossoms are favorite
of children OF all ages, and, once seen,
are never forgotten by them. There
can be no doubt that thousands OF per-
sons who have not seen bleeding heart
plant since youth would recognize 1t
instantly, II they should come across It
in bloom in friends garden.
This Is one Of the memory plants,
therefore, and fortunate Is he or she
who has 1t listed In mind and heart.
Along with the fragrance Of hlacs. sir1i.
when other and perhaps as beautiful
things are lost in the haze of years.
The gladiolus, along with the rose,
the iris, the peony, Is a flower which
tends to convert its admirers into
"fans," nuts" and the like.
Many man, who has purchased a
few gladiolus bulbs to grow in his gar
den one year, has bought several hum
dren the next, and more than one of
them has gone on to the planting OF
this flower by the thousands.
Sometimes he becomes commercial
grower. We know Of one seedn1an who
put in stock of gladioli as q side line,
but whose enthusiasm grew so rapidly
that soon the glad" news usurped most
Of his annual catalogue, and his flower
and vegetable seeds and plants became
his side-line! Well, flower must have
something" as we say, to merit such
great and not exceptional enthusiasm.