The Flower Gardou. 41 



liave a nice comfortable breeze as we sometimes do here In God's 

 country. 



Not that I am opposed to the introduction of new varities or 

 the improvement of old ones. Far from it. There is room for great 

 improvement along all lines and new and better sorts are coming out 

 the old and inferior sorts being dropped continually. 



Every season we try a number of new sorts of different plants, 

 each claimed to be the very finest that ever happened and sure to 

 revolutionize things. Once in a while we get something that is good 

 but most of them soon drop from sight and are never heard of again. 



Now let us suppose that spring is coming, that we begin to long 

 for the green growing things and for the smell of the fresh turned soil. 

 Say we have just an ordinary home and an ordinary knowledge of how 

 to raise flowers. We had a couple of flower beds last summer but the 

 pesky things did not amount to much. This season we are going to 

 start early and we are going to have the nicest yard in this neighbor- 

 hood or we will know the reason why. 



The first thing to be considered is annuals. These may be pro- 

 cured as small plants from most any florist or can be grown at home. 



Everything considered, it is perhaps better to get the started 

 plants, as they will be better and stronger than you can produce and 

 the expense will be slight and you will be amply repaid in the satisfac- 

 tion you get from them. 



I will mention a few of the best annuals which you can raise from 

 seed by sowing in shallow boxes, transplanting into other boxes v/hea 

 large enough to handle, and finally planting into your flower beds when 

 •danger of frost is past. Asters in their various types and colors, ihan 

 which there is nothing finer for cutting for a bouquet for the table. 



Marguerite carnations, that will bloom until everything else is 

 killed down by frost in the fall. Centurea Gymnocarpa or Dusty Miller, 

 Avhose silvery, feathery foliage makes a beautiful border. 



Nasturtiums, which you all know. In Nasturtiums, always get tbe 

 tall, growing sort, even though you don't want them to climb. For 

 this reason: The dwarf sorts form a compact little bush which twists 

 and winds with every breeze that blows and often breaks off after it is 

 too late to replace it, while the tall growing sorts spread over the 

 ground enough that they are not injured in this manner. 



Pansies, one of the most interesting classes of flowers grown. 

 Always something new in color and markings every time you visit 

 them. If you will sow these where you want them, in the fall, and 



