214 THE FLOWER-GARDEN. [CHAP. Vin. 



flowers grown in gardens may be all arranged 

 under the heads of annuals, biennials, peren- 

 nials, bulbs, tubers, corms, dwarf flowering 

 shrubs, climbers, twiners, trailers, and rock 

 plants ; and, as the culture of the plants in each 

 division is nearly the same, I shall say a few 

 words on each, particularising those plants 

 which require a different treatment from the 

 ordinary routine of their kind. 



Annuals. — Most of the hardy annual flow r ers 

 should be sown in March, April, or May, in the 

 open border where they are intended to remain. 

 The usual method of sowing in the borders is, 

 first to loosen the ground with a fork, and to 

 break the soil very fine ; after which it should 

 be made perfectly level, and raked. A circle is 

 then made by pressing the bottom of a flower- 

 pot saucer, three or four inches in diameter, on 

 the ground, and six or eight seeds are spread 

 over the level surface thus formed : a little soil 

 is then sprinkled over them, and the surface 

 slightly pressed again with the saucer. If the 

 weather or the soil be dry, a slight watering 

 should be given to the seeds after sowing, with 

 a watering-pot having a very fine rose ; but this 

 must be done carefully, as too much water would 

 wash the seeds out of their place. It is usual, 

 after sowing, to stick a flat stick into the 

 ground, in the centre of the patch, with the 

 name of the flower upon it ; and it is better to 

 write these names very plainly with a rather soft 

 black-lead pencil, than with ink, as the ink is 

 very apt to run, and to render the words indis- 

 tinct. It is customary with many gardeners, 

 after sowing flower-seeds, to turn a flower-pot 



