Evening star., 1936-06-30

had no hummingb1rdS in years have but
to display few tall spikes Of flowers,
especially If they are red, and overnight
there will be q couple OF these most
charming birdlets at their throats, feast
ing on the nectar and small insects. It
is generally agreed that while 1t would
seem more poetical to say that the
hummingbird feastS only on nectar, the
truth is that it eats insects as well. There
are on the market small tubes of colored
glass, which are designed to be filled with
sugar solution, and hung onto branches
Of more prosaic plants which ordinarily
do not attract the hummers. Whether
these work or not, we cannot say, since
we forgot to fill our set up and put the
tubes out. Whether these function or
not we aim to discover.
+*
The gladiolus blossoms are sure-fire
when it comes to attracting humming-
birds.
They are, too beautiful beyond COM
pare. We say this advisedly, after spend
ing several happy minutes the other day
looking at two vases of these beautiful
things. and trying to figure out how any
other flower could be any more beautiful.
Surely every flower is beautiful in its
season. But there are some acknoWl-
edged leaders, few of which we have
named. The hardy phlox, which is our
subject today, and our perpetual admira-
tion in the garden, cannot vie with
these leaders of the flower garden king
dom. These great ones are the acknowl-
edged peers, along with the giant dahliaS
and few others.
The T10dact EttIa violate tho uorio,,~
wildfiowerS. even many of the weeds,
are beautiful, but ninty-nine persons
out of one hundred would admire the
larger ones first. This is what it means
to be large and beautiful at the same
time. Size is only factor, one which
we can deprecate as much as we may,
still it catches every eye and turns every
head.
For beauty of structure, blossom, leaf,
coloration, habits of growth. versatility,
there are few flowers to equal the mod
ern gladiolus.
II you do not believe us, have a good
florist send you up a dozen of his best
and arrange them in two vases on the
hearth.
Go to friends garden, if he grows
the gladiolus, and wander among his
varieties in bloom.
Surely there Is no flower more beau
tiful. 1t is possible to love them all, and
still come back to this as surprising, or,
If not exactly surprising them all, still
as not being surpassed by any.
Compared with this regal beauty, the
hardy phlox must remain quiet, beauti-
full and beloved garden inhabitant Isn't
that great deal? For the old-fashioned
door yard there is no better plant. Some
will recall an old frame house, a little
frame house, in the downtown section
one OF those antiquated places which
time has passed by. The front yard,
which was tiny, too. was planted solid
with phlox. And surely there was no
more beautiful display to be seen any
where, although probably most cost a
great deal more.
The garden phlox is to be recommended
on all scores. Every garden ought to
have. and almost every one has, many
plants of it, which is saying great deal
for its popularity, when one thinks of
the great gorgeous flowers and the
publicity they have received, and the
acclaim which is rightly theirs Still
there Is room for hardy phlox and the
zinnia and the humble petunia, thank
heaven