POPULAR SUMMER FLOWERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21266, 21 February 1931, Page 7

POPULAR SUMMER FLOWERS

ANNUAL ASTERS. DISTINCTIVE TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS. Asters seem to thrive well in seasons like the past one, when severe early summer heat is followed by prolonged rains after midsummer. In early summer last year, and during previous similar seasons, the asters looked as though they would never be much good. Their rosettes of leaves were blistered, and the plants seemed stunted. But soon after the rains commenced fresh shoots and new leaves appeared, and eventually the autumn held a wealth of bloom. It has been noticed on various occasions that seedling asters, which in their young stages are allowed to become rank, soft, and coarse in growth, arc not long before they begin to dwindle and fail, whereas hard, short-jointed, small-leaved seedlings pass through the critical period unscathed and “then go ahead to make the finest of plants. This is a point to bear in mind when purchasing asters at planting time. Too often the amateur is prone to hanker after the biggest and most luxuriantlooking specimens. In this particular instance that may prove the reverse of wisdom.

When sowing seeds also it is essential to study porosity rather than richness of soil, to avoid anything in the way of manures or stimulants, but to let the roots have a tolerably firm root run, and to give only enough water to avoid distress through drought.

Modern selections of asters are so beautiful, rich in colour, and comely of form, that nobody should be content to grow inferior strains. Only the very host types should be grown, so that the task of raising the seed in early March, pricking out the seedlings, hardening them off, and eventually planting them out, may yield its just reward. .

\TYPES FOR CUTTING. Those who want flowers solely for cubing should not overlook the Californian Giants, which are the largest and tallest double asters we have. These and the late tall branching asters are September flowering strains, and their large heads are carried on long stems, which branch freely, giving plenty of cut flowers of excellent quality. Deep rose, peach blossom, white and light blue are the best of the giants of California, while in the tall branching type, Heart of France (real ruby), Peerless Pink (flesh), and dark blue are excellent. A good tall branching strain, which flowers a few weeks earlier, is that known as paeony-flowered. This will appeal to those who are particularly fond of flowers with incurved petals. Light blue and purple in this case arc as incurved as any chrysanthemum. The quality and the strength of a presentday strain of this type, as sent out by any first-class seed house, is a totally different and more strikingly useful flower than the old, short-petalled and stumpy pteony-flowered aster of the end of last century. The Crego or Giant Comet asters are universally grown, being the most popular of all. They branch freely, and the petals of their large blooms are long and fine in texture. Always ask for Giant Comet in preference to Comet. Those of special merit are the rose, flesh-coloured, white, and deep blue. Even the original type of Comet was so good that it became widely popular, and amateur gardeners learned always to ask for Comet asters. Unfortunately, a great proportion of the trade in small bedding plants is in the hands of growers who cater for cheapness and a good many inferior strains of plants became distributed under this name. It is for that reason care should be exercised to procure really good strains of the giant type, which is by far the best.

Ostrich Plume asters are similar, but their petals are usually wider and tend to curve back slightly. They are excellent for cutting, and a great improvement in the Hercules glass, being stronger and branching more freely. The cinnabar-red and lilac selections are both good. The Hohenzollerns may be regarded as early Ostrich Plume asters, but their early-flowering quality is the only point which is likely to gain them preference. FOR BEDDING. Types of intermediate branching growth are useful both for cutting and bedding, and among these the Eclipse class have but few rivals. It would indeed be difficult to find more beautiful asters than these. Their characteristics are large elegant blooms, with beautifully quilled petals of graceful ray-like appearance. Salmonbronze is the best, but Malmaison-rose (flesh-pink), azure-blue, white and violet have also much to commend them. There are asters of intermediate growth with flowers not unlike the double cosmcas. These are usually listed either as ray or -nemone-flowered. From a central portion, which is very double and short-petalled, a ring of longer ray-like petals arise. Unfortunately, these strains, desirable as they are, throw a certain proportion of the single sinensis type, just as strains of double cosmeas produce a number of singles. If asters are required really early in the season, Early Dawn should be grown. This is a white, double aster, which comes into its own in January, during the first two weeks. The Hohenzollerns, already mentioned, are early, while a splendid white of Ostrich Plume appearance and good branching habit is Queen of the Market.

Single asters strike an entirely different note, but are none the less valuable as cut flowers. The ordinary sinensis, in its many colours, is useful, but for the connoisseur the Elegance or Marguerite varieties are best. These not only branch freely, and possess an upright habit, but have petals beautifully twisted and quilled, giving them a shaggy appearance only to be found in some varieties of single chrysanthemums and of moon daisies.

Asters do not figure quite so prominently on the show bench to-day as they did 30 years or more ago. This is, in part, due to the fact that so many other kinds of flowers have advanced in popularity. Another contributory cause of falling off is that present-day tendency is to look askance upon anything staged on boards after the formal manner of the old-fashioned florist. After all, an exhibition aster is grown for symmetrical form and high development, and for the display of these points of merit there is no better method than to stage the flowers on boards. It is quite readily admitted that this style does not make for a graceful display, when viewed as a whole, but it facilitates close comparison of bloom with bloom. —“Don,” in Amateur Gardening.