Evening star., 1932-05-09
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

tulip has fiowered, and the chrysanthe-
NUNS has yet to flower. The one clut-
tiers up the border with its leaves after
the Towering Is over, and the other
| occupies much valuable space getting
its flowers ready to bloom.
Some garden writer's advise growing
chrysanthemums in large pots. even
the hardy varieties, and setting them
out in the early Fall where one wants
them to grow. but that way is scarcely
good practice for everyday gardeners
who have something else to do IN the
world besides garden.
One solution Of this problem Is to
have some chrysanthemums, but not too
many Of them. Even in a small yard
there will be hooks where a few plants
can be stuck in, preferably in the threes
which most growers advise.
The FOLIAGE of the hardy chrysanthe-
mum Is ordinarily good, and few of
these plants here and there will add to
the general greenery which is, after all
is said and done, the one great charm
Of Summer.
A world of green now begins to open
all over America, green in the trees, in
the grass. in the shrubs and perennial
plants Even ANIMALS will be up shortly,
adding their quota to the glory Of
greenery.
1t is a changed world. this Of Spring
from Winter, and it is mainly SO on ac-
count of that one color. However lovely
our flowers In color or form, there Is
beauty to leaves, to foliage of all kinds,
hich the garden minded person must
never forget.
Then, if his iris fails to bloom or his
gladioli do not do as well as he hoped,
he will not be too disappointed, but
will rejoice in the beauty of fresh green
/ leaves If he is able to do no more, in
a gardening sense, than keep his green
| cry green, he may call himself gar
dener, nevertheless.
! k*
Some experts say that chrysanthe-
NUNS should be kept dry after being
| set out at this time, others declare that
watering is needed, so take your choice.
/ 1t is probably with these as with so
many other flowers. one can do about
as one pleases so long as one is mod
crate in all things. To let plants bake,
+ except with certain flowers, is no more
desirable than TO swim them in too
much water
There are two bits of advice, how
ever, which mum fans" give, which no
doubt are worthwhile. One of these is
to be careful in the selection of vari-
cites, so that II one lives in the North,
for instance, he will not find himself
with too late Towering plants on his
hands
While they all bloom late. II they
bloom too late 1t will be after freezing
sets in, and not even these hardy plants
can stand 1t. This advise may not be
SO necessary in Washington, but even
I a. l. Co. n1,oc az
OF hardy chrysarthemum plants to in
vest!gate their blooming time thorough
" Those that bloom in what IS known
as "early" and middle" are just as
good, and much safer.
~
Another piece of advice which Is
worth acceptance is that the plants
must be divided, at least every two years.
Chrysanhemur1s. Ike water lilies and
lilacs, are what Is known as gross feed
ers When they become too crowded,
there is not enough food to go around,
and the blooms suffer, not only in size,
but in number, or the plant does not
bloom at all. Many a gardener who
complains that his hardy chrysanthe-
NUNS do not bloom could rectify the
/ fault in a season by taking his plants
up and dividing them at this time
Many people put stress on the fact
that the chrysanthemum blooms after
almost all the other flowers are gone;
but If it were not for its really beauti-
ful blossoms that feature alone would
scarcely make it the important flower
| 1t is among most floral lovers. Its
spicy, beautiful blooms are its charms;
the fact that they make Iong-lasting
cut flowers is a point in favor of this
Old, but perennially new, favorite of
mankind.