Evening star., 1941-10-04

wet OF SWdInpy Sllc Is " pc
avoided. Like many of our Wild
flowers, its roots need cool, moist
situation. This may be provided in
part by Incorporating quantities OF
humus in the soil and by mulching
In late summer and early fall fire.
ouent watering is necessary unless
the soil is naturally moist. This
season has been distinctly unfavor-
able to the windflowers and more
than the usual amount of moisture
has been needed to produce the
length of stem and size of flowers
desired.
Most gardeners think of the wind
flowers as being adapted only to the
perennial border, but they do we'll
naturalized in wildf1ower garden,
if the shade is not too dense. Since
they resent disturbance the wind
flowers are admirably suited to Sit
uetions where they may be more or
less left to themselves. However,
greedy tree roots and grass may so
rob them of moisture and plant food
that they contribute little or nothing
to the garden glory.
While this is the season of their
flowers-from now until frost, they
transplant best in the early spring.
Well-rooted plants set out in
carefully prepared bed will produce
a few flowers the first season. A
large clump in favorite situation
should produce a number of flower
spikes and many, many blossoms.
In planting the windf1ower it is
well to incorporate well-rotted ma
nure as we'll as compost in the bed.
If this is dug deeply into the soil the
moisture holding capacity will be
greatly increased and the roots will
penetrate further. Deeply rooted
plants do not suffer so greatly dur
ing periods of relatively dry weather.
1t is well to supplement the leaf
mold and manure with light feeding
of commercial fertilizer. A table
spoonful to the average e-sized plant
in the spring and again two or three
times during the summer will pro-
duce stronger growth and larger
flowers. However. this feeding will
not benefit the plants unless they
have ample moisture.
The windflowers may be divided
in the early spring, although, unless
more plants are needed this should
not be done. When dividing save
the pieces of broken root and plant
them in the propagating bed where
they can develop into new plants.
Or, one may lift the club with a
spade and then by carefully collect
ing the roots cut off in the opera
ton have sufficient material from
which to grow a number of new
plants. Where one does this the
bloom from the clump is not seri-
ously reduced.
The windflowers do not seem to be
seriously troubled by insects or dis
ease In the fall the Blister beetles
sometimes attack the flowers and
eat the petals. Control by spraying
with lead arsenate or busting with
rotenone.
OF the several varieties of wind
flowers, Whirlwind-a white, and
! Queen Charlotte-a pink, are most
commonly planted. There are
number of others which are desir-
able. Alba; rubra-waXy red: rosea
superba-rose; September Charm
silvery pink; September Queen
I rosy-red. and Alice-silver rose suf-
! fused with carmine. Alba and the
September Charm are singles, the
others are semi-double. These are
the taller growing varieties, ranging
from to feet high. Prince Henry,
a double red. and September Sprite
are dwarf. The latter resembles the
species A hupehensis-an early
Towering dainty plant with mauve
rose flowers. Hupehensis is usually
listed as a distinct species. although
some botanists now classify 1t as
form of japonica.