Evening star., 1932-08-01
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

When all is said and done, there Is
no more satisfactory flower for the
average garden than the zinnia.
Recently we saw a paid gardener of
an expensive estate setting out plants
at the elaborate gateway of the drive.
And do you know what he was trans
! planting?
Nothing more formal or costly than
this same old-fashioned, yet ever new,
| flower, with its stiff, beautiful flowers
and dark green foliage.
The gardener at this place. pre-
sllmably, might have planted out or
chids If he had so desired
Yet he contented himself with plac-
ing at the very portals of a fine place
! about 18 zinnia plants in full bloom.
He knew what he was doing. too
The paSSerby in day or two would
have thought the flowers had grown
from seed there. so erect did they hold
themselves, with their fine color un-
dimmed by any tinge Of yellow.
The effect secured was good. from a
gardening standpoint, utterly aside
from the question of cost, or, rather,
| irrespective of money.
Here was one artistic matter in
which gold scarcely played part.
A 10-cent package of seed. purchased
in the Spring and planted early, would
have furnished enough plants to adorn
the gateWayS of a dozen estates.
The happy thing about this same
| flower is that it looks quite as well
growing on the small place. As with
all the better horticultural specimens
all those really fine plants which are
so good that they never bring up the
| question of cost-the Zinnia is a flower
| for everybody's garden.
! In the beginning a somewhat ugly
rather crude blossom, the typical An-
MIA flower of today is thing of beauty
It achieves its good looks despite its
stiffness. which, in the modern forms
has been converted into one OF its
! real features.
/ There are plenty of soft, wavy BIOS
SONS in the floral world.
Petals which are crinkly are well
,, known, in such types as the sweet pea
and scores of other flowers.
The flower of real worth, yet of a
| somewhat angular form, is not so well
represented. In fact, the better zin-
MAS rank second only to the best show
| dahlias in this.
They combine stiffness which is
| pleasing with colorations which are
| charming.
When it is considered that this
! flower will do well in the shade, or at
/ least partial shade, it may be realized
| that here is plant for almost every
garden
No one looking at the best of the
modern InniaS would ever associate
! them with the ugly brick-red flowers
of small size which were zinnias as
Nature made them.
1t took a German scientist, Herr DR.
Zinn, to see the possibilities in this
primitive plant.
Since his day floral workers of all
nations have tried to better the zinnia
and some Of them have succeeded
marvelouSly.
The types now range from the So
called pom-pom zinniaS, or buttonhole
zinniaS, to the enormous giants" with
several intermediate types.
All varieties-and there are about SO
which may be secured in commerce
are to be found in the various tintS of
red, yellow, purple, and SO on.
Even a successful white Zinnia has
been attained. Formerly the white
forms we're to be called white only by
courtesy, being in reality a very pale
| green, but practically white flowers
may be secured now, and these, spotted
among the deep shades, give neces-
sary contrast
Even the most enthusiastic znnia
addict would not say for a second that
| the flower in any way compares with
| the blossoms Of the rose, the iris, the
gladiolus, or the peony, or the dahlia.
This great five Of the floral world is
unique.