Evening star., 1932-03-17
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

of varieties being listed under French
hvbrids. as they are called.
To many people, however, there is no
,nao cutie ike the old-fashioned sort,
ca1Ied the common purple lilac. This
Is the shrub of the old days, and
around it cling many memories ior
% In the small towns of the country,
from which so many OF us came, the
common lilac was the only one known
and planted. Its fresh fragrance, ltS
lilac blossoms, its deep green, It's sturoi-
ness. appealed to us as chlldren. we
have never quite got over our Iononess
for II and we see no particular reason
why we should. ,,,.
and every ward should have an althea
husb or two. Sometimes these are
called Rose of Sharon. They are up
right t-erowing. stanch affairs, almost
imnossible to kill, and for that reason
highly valuable in the average yard:
Children and humble bees like their
gracious and really beautiful blossoms
when planted close together altheas
make an admirable hedge, but Tor the
best effect should be permitted TO grow
unchecked. The practice of making Q
low hedge out of this essentially tall
bush is not to be recommended.
A few evergreens should be put In the
foundation planting of every nome. Our
fayorite is the PfitZer's juniper, Q
spreading low variety of dark green. ii
one prefers taller types, any nursery
man can give selection.
Another essential shrub, to our way
of thinking, is the Spirea van Houtte
perhaps the most popular SHRUB In cui-
tivation today.
It's widespread planting Is nothing
against it. When its long branches OF
white flowers are in bloom tnere is
nothing more beautiful, and all during
the rest of the Spring and summer IL
remains a classic shrub.
Sometimes folks call the van Houtte
the Bridal Wreath" but the latter is
a more sprawly bush, not to be com
pared with the queen of the spirea fam
ily. It must be admitted that shrubs
lose their leaves in Winter, but this is
no fault, after all. In some respects II
is a virtue, for only by loss and renewal
Of foliage do they keep their place IN
our hearts. 1t is true that they do not
do much OF Job of decoration IN Win
ter, but who cares? That Is the JOB OF
the evergreens.
r -
Every new gardener should have q
few gladioli and iris. If for no other
reason than to become acquainted with
two Of the finest flowers in the world
Along with the rose they constitute the
great floral trio. In saying this one is
conscious of a deep loss in emitting the
peony. but 1t cannot be helped. In
selecting books one never chooses one
without leaving out dozen or SO which
may be as good. The same holds true
Of flowers.
The ease OF growth Of both the glad
iolus and the iris, especially at the
hands of the newcomer to the garden,
makes them essential, but their floral
perfection is their chief charm, and the
one which enables them to take a
greater grip on the mind and heart
than any other flowers. There is no
enthusiast quite like the gladiolus and
iris fan" unless it be the rosarian.
And he, Of course, is in class by him
self.
Among the ANIMALS we select the
humble petunia and zinnia as essential.
If you don't grow anything else in your
garden the first year. grow these two
and have some pretty flowers. Both
have been perfected to point where
even the old-timers find them accept
able.
Two common vines ought to find a
place in every garden-the morning
glories and the honeysuckle. The for
mer. by self-seeding grow every year
without effort OF the latter there are
several good varieties besides the COM
mon sort.
We, have omitted perennials and
trees because they deserve columns and
volumes by themselves. They are es-
sential to the garden, but not neces-
sarily to the first-year garden.