Evening star., 1932-05-09

Hardy garden chrysanthemums should
be planted at this time.
While this is favorite flower with
many people, not every gardener realizes
that experts regard the first two weeks
in May as the best time Of the year to
plant.
Despite its sturdy character, the out
door chrySanthemum does not do well II
planted so early that frost touches 1t.
While it may not show any evidence
of being frost bitten. the plant will be
Of slow growth and few flowers IN
Therefore one is advised to wait until
May. at the least, and preferably the
first two weeks thereof. Like most
plants. the chrysanthemum demands as
much growing time as 1t can get.
-Four or five months in the ground
will bring it to perfection. that perfec-
ton which On exhibition blooms grown
in greenhouses. Is scarcely to be excelled
in all the kingdom OF flowers.
The chrysanthemum comes in single
and double blooms, in large and small
types, and in q range Of colors, princi-
pally yellow, orange, reds, pink and
white.
There are all sorts of suffusions Of
these. the chrysanthemum leading the
rose in this respect bv MANY years. Only
the recent roses have shown this multi
coloring, but the NUNS" have known
it for a long time
This is a flower which many people
like insttnctively. Some prefer tire rio-
ele-petaled sorts, such as the admirable
variety. Mrs. Phillips. with its daisy
like PINK petals and yellow center.
Most enthusiasts. however, like best
the nearer approach to the exhibition
NUNS" the globular. fluffy types of
which most people think when they
hear the name of this flower.
The Greeks had name for the chrys-
euthemum The Romans turned 1t into
the latter word. It meant gold flower, -
and even today one instinctively thinks
OF yellow in connection with this flower
Chrysanthemuns have been known
for about 1000 years, but it was net
until about 1900 that they we're grown
commercially. as it is known.
The French. as usual, had hand In
their propagation. There are few flow
ers which their artistic minds and ca
pable hands have not improved, as we
say.
Chrysanthemums (the national flower
of JAPAN belong to the family OF
Compositae, which includes such things
as the ox-eyed daisy, the marguerite,
and many other favorites
Ore variety (the painted daisy'D
is used to make what II known as
pyrethrum powder, the well known in
secticide.
The versatility of this family. how
ever, is as nothing comparef with its
attrsctiveness. A close relation of the
aster, 1t partakes Of much OF thpt flow
er's be1uty, and even Of some of its
colorings.
The distinctive feature of the typical
NUNS" however, is that somehow they
incorporate in themselves something OF
the spirit Of the Autumn itself.
Their blended tones are reminiscent
Of the turning leaves of t-ee~ end Of
wood smoke on dull, windy days.
4 =
Some home owners refuse to grow
them. however. owing to the fact that
they take UP considerable room in bor-
ders-theoretically 18 inches each way
and require all Spring and Summer
to come into bloom.
M7nv gardeners would rather have
other flowers in bloom during the Sum-
mer end If that is the way they feel
about it, well, 1t is their garden. and
they have a right to do as they plerSe
Some feel the same wav about tulips
There can be no doubt Of their beauty
but afterward the foliage takes SO long
TO mature the bulbs for next season
that the impatient gardener gets tired
waiting for the leaves to turn brown.
The foliage, after the flowers are gone,
requires too much good room which
; might be given to other things.
The difference is, of course that the