Evening star., 1938-07-09

hirta) is frequently gathered along the
highway and taken home as a cut
flower. but not many can be found
growing in our gardens. It is q good
late bloomer and thrives In rather poor
soils. When planted on rich soils it
tends to be very tall and coarse. There
Is quite variation to be found in the
petal formation and some difference
in the shade of yellow-from pale to
deep yellow.
The vigorous-growing Joe Pye Weed
makes snowy background but 1t is
too coarse for cutting. It likes fairly
moist situation and blooms in late
summer. Another moisture loving
Wildling. is the so-called hardy ager-
atum" (Eupatorium). It grows and
flowers very much like the tender
ageratum-from l to feet high. It is
very useful around pools.
FVEN the weed Tansy (Tanacetum)
which may be found more often
in the herb garden than in the flower
border is not unuseful in a vase of
mixed flowers. Its heads are q bit
too heavy for general use-the Queen
AIMS Lace being more graceful. Bounc-
ing-Bet used to be grown in the old
fashioned garden but now 1t Is found
along the roadside. It spreads so
badly, however, and is 50 difilcult to
control that it. is best omitted from
the small garden.
The wild English Primrose Is cul-
ivated in European gardens but 1t is
considered weed here. We grow the
one that Is native to Missouri-it is
shower and more difficult to grow.
Actually the native primrose Is no
more OF weed than larkspur OF the
Swamp-Aster (Boltonia).
There are many other natives that
are worth considering, such as Butter
and Eggs Uinaria vulgaris), the COM
mon Toadfax; the American Turk
soap lily Qilium superbun) which
grows well in shady moist places; the
Trumpet vine (Bignonia radicans) a
strong vigorous growing vine which is
covered with snowy trumpet-shaped
flowers at this season of the year, and
is suitable for covering arbors, fences
and pergolas.
There are many other weeds" that
might be used in our gardens If they
had a price tag upon them. Ameri-
cans, as rule, are not interested in
taking weeds and wild flowers to de-
velop as the English have done long
ago. We lack the patience which is
necessary to grow them into things Of
use. The common pasture weed,
Mullen (verbascum), has been bred
into an attractive stately garden plant
by the English gardeners and it Is
now being reintroduced into America
with varietal names and a price tag.
THE herbacious st. Johnswort (hy-
pericum) Is a native that grows
unnoticed along the roadside. Its
only fault is that the flowers are
small, a fault which a careful breeder
should be able to overcome.
We are not alone in this disregard
for our natives. In Australia, where
the nasturtium is native, it Is treated
as weed and pest. We must pay
money and struggle valiantly to grow
Thence every gardener tries to have
it in his or her collection. In North
Africa, where lupines and calendula
are at home, they attract attention
only from the tourists.
Perhaps one reason that so many
of the summer and fall Towering ma
tives go unnoticed is that we get over
the back-to-nature urge with the
coming of hot weather. The roads
are hot and dusty and the lure of the
sea breezes is stronger than our in
Serest in pretty flowers. Whatever the
reason for this neglect, the summer
blooming natives are worthy of con-
sideration since our gardens also suf-
fer neglect at that season. Things
which will thrive without care in the
hot dry summer are desirable. Grown
for cutting or for garden effect, they
merit consideration and should not be
overlooked. Flower, lily, shrub, vine
or tree, the natives are best when
grown under natural conditions.