Imperial Valley press., 1941-06-01
Anne Davis
Notebook

That's boast few collectors can
make, but one which Miss Eva
Wilson, high school English teach
er, is certainly entitled to, for her
hobby, the collection and pressing
Of wild flowers, more than pays
for itself.
Miss Wilson became interested in
this hobby some IL or Is years ago,
but as it proved to be fairly ex-
pensive, involving many trips to
cut-of-the-way places, she sought
some means of making her hobby
at least self-supporting.
For years she had experimental
with methods of pressing the flow
ers to retain their natural color
and beauty, and then with some
way of housing the collection, fin
ally evolving her present method,
that of making pictures from the
pressed flowers. These blossoms
are mounted on a heavy paper or
board background, placed III d e r
glass and framed, making beauti-
ful floral pictures.
So many of her friends had ad-
mired these wild flower pictures
that she took them to. a little shop
in Laguna TO see if theye We're
saleable. Saleable they were, far
beyond her dreams, and | ter,
when, through friends, she made
a connection with a Hollywood
shop, she found them equally sue
cessful. One day when talking with
the owner of that shop, buyer
from one OF Los Angeles largest
department stores, overheard her
and asked to have some Of them
for his shop. Since then, this store
has taken her entire output, which
runs from 8O0-1000 pictures a year,
and would take even more if she
had the time to make them.
Miss Wilson'S pictures are really
lovely as she has a definite artis-
tic flair for grouping and arrang-
ing her flowers and for providing
harmonizing or contrasting back
grounds.
She experimental with methods
Of pressing until she evolved one
which met with her own high STAN
cards. and perhaps the Saturday
Evening Post would be surprised
to see large stacks of their maga-
zines which she keeps on hand,
not for reading purposes, but be-
cause the paper which they use
has Just the right amount of gloss
and is just the right texture to
make it ideal for pressing.
When Miss Wilson goes on a trip,
her Car is filled Posts and her
press, ready to preserve the wild
flowers she may find. Not all
flowers will retain their original
color after pressing, Miss wilson
has found to her sorrow, but the
majority can be preserved most
not for sale, Miss Wilson hopes to
successfully.
For her own collection which is
have a complete display of desert
flowers, and has made many week
end trips about the valley search
ing for rare blossoms, some OF
which have such pretty names,
fairy busters" found near Ogilby,
the "Adonis blazing star" and manv
more.
For some years Miss Wilson spec
ialized in wild flowers, but since
there is a more limited variety
here, she has also included domes-
tic flowers in her pictures she Of
fers for sale and has found that
they are equally popular. Certain
flowers, and certain arrangements
are best sellers and she receives
many orders for repeats on these,
year after year.
In her own collection Miss Will
son also has flowers from all parts
of the United States and from
Europe, friends, knowing of her
hobby supplying her with rare
specimens whenever possible.
Weekends and vacations are nev-
er a bore for Miss Wilson. She
steps into her car, made possible
through her hobby, and is off for
a delightful trip in search of new
examples for her evergrowing and
always fascinating hobby.
Another hobby, and one concern
ing flowers, is that of Mrs. o. G.
Horne. Mrs. Horne has always
been a garden enthusiast, but she
is now particularly interested in
roses, and not only grows them
herself, and beautiful ones, but has
made an exhaustive study on the
subject.
Did you know that more than
100000 poems have been written
On the subject of roses, so fascinat-
.ng is this flower to the poet? Did
you know that Father George A.
5choener of Santa Barbara, known
is the padre of the roses, had
some $500 varieties of roses in his
garden, that he developed the black
Ielvet rose and also a bush which
oloomed 365 days of the year and
whose leaves as we'll as the bios
joms, were scented - that he grew
rose nine inches in diameter?
III these and many more equally
fascinating bits Of roselore are
Known to Mrs. Horne as a result
If her newest hobby, this infor1na-
ion being compiled in an attrac-
i've scrap book which she made