Mr. Joseph Harris of the Joseph Harris Seed Company, Rochester, N. Y., would like to see yellow sweet peas and pure yellow petunias brightening the landscape but concedes that these are difficult.
He thinks an aster strain (Callistephus) which is completely unaffected by aster yellows disease, may come along sooner than expected. Disease resistance in general and the adaptability of many flowers to a wide range of growing conditions are definite trends, Harris believes.
He feels that the coming of F1, hybrid petunias, snapdragons, zinnias, and marigolds open a whole new field for such hybrids in other species—flowers that would be virtually free of insect and disease damage and which will produce a spectacular bloom.
In particular, Harris looks forward to fully double hybrid geraniums from seed, which would be useful for bedding and other outdoor purposes.
The Harris Company is working on pansies that will bloom earlier and last longer, new types of garden carnations, and many other similar projects.
Yellow Petunias Certain For Future Gardens
One flower certain to be in future gardens if plant breeders have their way (as they doubtless will) is the yellow petunia.
Many other seed growers besides Harris are interested in this. Mrs. Edith M. Cox of Pan-American Seeds in Paonia, Colo, says the firm is making good progress on a deep yellow petunia.
When the desired color is achieved, they will turn their attention to a double-flowered petunia of the same hue. A major goal of Pan-American is to round out the entire color range in both petunias and snapdragons.
James W. Wilson, of Ferry-Morse Seed Company, Mountain View, Calif., reports that Ferry-Morse flower breeders are working on a yellow petunia and aiming for one with a clear, sunny shade.
George F. Will, Jr., of Will’s Seed Company, Bismarck, N.D., also thinks a deep yellow petunia will have a great future.
A yellow petunia is currently on the market, but it is not the ultimate toward which breeders are working. George B. Weaver, Jr., of the Fredonia Seed Company, Fredonia, N. Y., would like to see a small-flowered multiflora variety under six inches high, suitable for border and edging purposes.
Mr. Will also hopes for a new compact, bush-type zinnia suitable for cooler climates. This would be well received in the northern tiers of states.
Can We Tame the Dandelion?
Kenneth E. Relyea of the Farmer Seed and Nursery Company, Faribault, Minn., (now combined with the John A. Salzer Seed Company) suggests that the common dandelion could be domesticated (in the sense that it already is, in being planted as a vegetable) and produced in shades of yellow, orange, blue, and pink.
It would be regarded as an ornamental rather than a weed. In the field of perennials, Mr. Relyea envisions a miniature rose bush with full-size blooms and a creeping type of rose useful as a ground cover.
In the opinion of Mr. A. N. Kempf of Bodger Seeds, Ltd., El Monte, Calif., the most important trends in flower breeding are toward more compact plants with more blooms, better adaptation to varied conditions, and resistance to diseases and insects. He believes that introducing the F1 hybrids will help realize these goals quickly.
Looking toward future flowers, David Burpee of the W. Atlee Burpee Company, Philadelphia, Pa., asks flower gardeners what they want now. He generally finds that they want easy-to-grow flowers from seeds sown on the open ground.
They want them to be vigorous and disease-resistant, producing blooms in spectacular quantities over a long period, with strong stems for cutting and long-lasting as-cut flowers. Burpee keeps these wants in mind when working to develop new varieties.
While noting the growing demand for dwarf plants, at the same time, he sees a continuing desire for bigger, more glamorous flowers, like hybrid marigolds and zinnias.
Search For White Marigold
One of the most publicized quests for new flowers in recent years has been Burpee’s search for a white marigold.
The first hybrid flower produced in the United States was Burpee’s Red and Gold Hybrid Marigold—a cross between a little red French marigold and a big golden American variety.
After this was successfully introduced in 1939, thoughts turned toward the possibility of a pure white variety. Through selection and hybridization over several years, marigolds developed paler and paler in hue.
Then in 1953, having given the flower this start, Burpee offered $10,000 to the first gardener to send seed producing a pure white marigold at least 2 1/2″ inches across.
Since then, thousands of samples have been received, all grown and examined at the Floradale Farms in California. Progress is being made, but the elusive white has not been captured.
Burpee still feels that a pure white should appear within the next few years. He hopes that salmon, pink, and rose-colored marigolds may be developed through it.
New Breeding Techniques For Future New Flowers
Burpee also believes that new breeding techniques, such as the use of colchicine to double the chromosome numbers, the use of male-sterile plants, and radiation-induced mutations, open wide possibilities for the creation of new flowers. So the question is simply, what do gardeners want?
The fulfillment of some of these hopes is upon us now, and the realization of others is just around the corner. Some are only in the dream stage—but the first step toward achievement is imagination.
44659 by Richard L. Hawk