Evening star., 1943-04-25

Many gardeners are faCed With the
problem of growing ANIMALS on soils
that are deficient in humus and ex-
posed to the full heat of Washing
ton summer sun. In view of the
probable shortage of water with
which to keep flowers growing. it is
desirable to give attention to those
most apt to succeed under dry con-
ditions. The so-called ANIMALS for
hot, dry places are the logical an
swers to such a problem. However,
it must be recognized that even
those mentioned below reward care
and attention. The attention
though, should be given before
planting time-in soil preparation.
Good soil preparation will insure
their withstanding drought without
watering and making an attractive
showing.
The list OF ANIMALS for the hot,
dry situations is not long, Many
kinds have numerous varieties and
forms, however, so that we may
have a variety of color and form.
Marigolds, annual phlox, portulaca
and nasturtiurns are probably the
most widely grown of this group
of ANIMALS. Others worthy of con-
sideration are California poppy,
cape-marigold dwarf morning-glory
and the fig-marigold.
Marieolds Boast
Gorgeous Colors.
Marigolds are available in many
shades of yellow and red. The
dwarf forms, commonly called
dwarf French, have the red shades,
while the dwarf Scotch and the tall
African display nearly every shade
of yellow and orange. The odorless
marigolds have come in for consid-
cradle attention in recent years, al
though they seem to have lost some
of their vigor through the deodor-
izing process. However, they are
still strong growing and produce
large flowers.
The marigolds may be grown in
doors or from seed planted out-of-
doors early in the spring. They are
hardy. They stand transplanting
without difficulty, and while best
results are obtained from careful
seed-bed preparation they will do
reasonably well under ordinary con-
ditions. AS soon as the seedlings
are large enough they should be
transplanted to the border, setting
the dwarf kinds Is to 18 inches
apart, the taller ones 3 feet.
Marigolds start into flower fairly
early in the summer-depending
upon how early the seed are soWn
but give their finest displays in
the late fall. Unlike many ANIMALS
that turn brown and stop blossom
ing in late summer, marigolds put
on an extra squirt as the nights be-
come cool and fall rains come.
Phlor Is Highly
Recommended.
The annual or bedding phlox (P.
drummondD is not quite as easily
grown from seed as the marigolds,
but it Is an excellent summer flow
ering plant. The masses of color in
many shades are we'll worth having.
The seeds are tiny and require
more careful handling than those
of the marigolds While classed as
half-hardy, which would indicate
that we might SOW them in beds out
of-doors early in the season, most
gardeners start them indoors fairly
early in March. AS soon as the seed
lings are we'll started they should
be transplanted to the border, set
ting them 6 to inches apart.
Pinch them back, so that they will
make bushy plants 10 to II inches
high. If the flowers are kept cut or
removed as soon as they begin to
fade they will continue to flower
over a considerable period.
The California poppy (Eschscholt-
zia) is a most satisfactory plant for
the hot. dry situation. but it does
much better when sown in the late
fall or winter than from late spring
paintings. The finely divided gray
green foliage S attractive, while the
deep yellow flowers are very desir-
able for show as we'll as for cutting
The newer forms and varieties are
available in wide range of colors,
although many still prefer the rich
golden yellow of the species. A dou-
BILE form is also available
1t is not wise to attempt trans
planting, so the seed should be soWn
where they are to grow. Thin to
from to inches apart. The plants
under favorable conditions will grow
to height of IL inches. Do not
attempt to fertilize them.
If the California poppy is happy
1t will self-seed and persist for
many years with the one planting.
The portulaca is another of the
hardy ANIMALS for the hot, dry bor-
der. Like the California poppy, the