May, 1912 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



121 



The Annual Border at the Ontario Agricultural College 



Planting Notes for May and June 



Wm. Hunt, O. A. C. Guelph, Ont. 



I 



IF the season is at all a backward one — 

 as it appears likely to be this year — the 

 early part of May will be quite soon 

 enough to do any planting or transplant- 

 ing that may be required in the peren- 

 nial border. Better results can be ib- 

 tained after the plants have started root 

 action than very early before root action 

 has started. Any trimming in, or "-e- 

 :. arranging of clumps or groups of per- 

 ennials, and the transplanting of same, 

 should be done before top growth is 

 more than two inches in height. One 

 or two early flowering kinds may be left 

 until later before dividing or transplant- 

 ing them. The several varieties of the 

 phlox subulata, garden primrose, and 

 cowslips are among those that may ije 

 left until they are out of flower before 

 being divided. Even these are some- 

 times better transplanted very early in 

 spring. 



There are a few kinds of perennials 

 that should not be disturbed in spring 

 or early summer. Paeonies, Dicentra 

 (Bleeding Heart), and German Ins 

 should be dug up and divided, if thev 

 require it, about the end of September 

 or early in October. Lilies of all kinds 

 should not be disturbed in the spring ; 

 early in September is the best time to 

 take up and divide these, but do not dis- 

 turb them at all as long as they give 

 good flowering results. 



If the clumps of spring flowering 

 bulbs, such as narcissus, tulips, and cro- 

 cus, are getting too crowded, mark tlie 

 spot with a label where they are grow- 

 ing, and then dig the bulbs up about 'he 

 end of July, dry them a little, and put 

 them in the cellar until planting time in 

 October. Almost all of the other kin. Is 

 of perennials, such as campanulas, lark- 

 spurs, giallardia, monarda didyma, core- 

 opsis, Dictannus fratinella, woundwort. 



snow-in-summer, and other similar kinds 

 of plants, can be transplanted if thev 

 require it in the spring. 



ANNUALS 



Nearly all of the early sown annuals 

 can be planted out from flats or cold 

 frames from about the middle to the end 

 of May, acording to prevailing weather 

 conditions. A few of the most tender 

 kinds, such as nasturtiums, zinnias, bal- 

 sams, and climbing Cobaea scandens and 

 Tropaeolum Canariensis (Canary Creep- 

 er), should not be planted out until the 

 ground is warm, and all danger of frosty 

 or chilly nights is past. It is better to 

 wait a week until the weather gets warm 

 and settled, than to put them out to be 

 chilled so as to give them a set back, 

 or perhaps to be frozen and ruined. 



The first or second week in June is 

 usually quite early enough to set out 

 very tender plants. Nasturtiums and the 

 climbing plants mentioned should he 

 grown on early in pots, or sown where 

 they are to grow for the season, as they 

 do not transplant readily from flats ; r 

 cold frames. The distance apart to plant 

 annuals — or to thin out when sown in 

 the border — must be governed by the 

 habit of growth and height of the plant. 

 A good general rule is to plant or thin 

 the taller growing bush kinds from two 

 to three feet apart, the medium height 

 plants ten to twelve inches, and the 

 dwarf varieties two to four inches apart 

 in the rows, and the rows for the dwarfer 

 growing kinds six to eight inches apart. 

 Phlox Drummondii and mignonette may 

 be left rather thick in the rows, about 

 four inches apart. 



The following list of annuals include 

 most of the popular and best kinds, jvith 

 their approximate height in feet an.-l 

 inches. They are also placed on the 

 list in each class in th? order of merit 



they are generally conceded to have as 

 decorative plants for the garden. 



CLIMBING ANNUALS 



Sweet Pea, four to six feet. 



Cobaea scandens, eight to twelve feet. 



Climbing Nasturtiums, six to eight 

 feet. 



Convolvulus (Morning Glory), six to 

 eight feet. 



These are suitable for training on a 

 trellis for a background where required 

 for an annual border, or for covering 

 fences or verandahs. 



PERENNIAL OLTMBERS 



Good hardy perennial climbers fi-r 

 spring planting are Aristolochia sipho 

 (Dutchman's Pipe), Ampelopsis Veitchii, 

 and Ampelopsis quinquefolia, and cls- 

 matis in variety. These may be planted 

 as early in the spring as possible. 



TALL ANN'TALS FOR BACKGROUND OR 

 CENTRE OP LARGE BED 



Ricinus (Castor Oil Bean), four to • "x 

 feet. 



Annual Sunflower, three to six feet. 

 Cosmos, three to four feet. 



MEDIUM HEIGHT ANNUALS 



Asters (Comet and Late Branching), 

 twelve to eighteen inches. 



Nasturtium (Dwarf), eight to twelve 

 inches. 



Phlox Drummondii, twelve to eighteen 

 inches. 



Ten Week Stocks, twelve to eighteen 

 inches. 



Zinnia (Tall), two to three feet. 



Balsam, one to two feet. 



French Marigold, twelve to eighteen 

 inches. 



Salpiglossis, two to three feet. 



Schizanthus, twelve to eighteen inches. 



Scabiosa, two to three feet. 



Silene armeria (Lobels), twelve to fif- 

 teen inches. 



Coreopsis (Calliopsis), one to two feet. 



Calendula, one to two feet. 



African Marigold, two to two and a 

 half feet. 



Gypsophila elegans, twelve to fifteen 

 inches. 



French Marigold, ten to twelve inches. 



Eschscholtzia, ten to fourteen inches, 

 inches (new). 



Diascia Barbarae, ten to fourteen 

 inches, (new.) 



DWARF ANNUALS 



Sweet Alyssum, six to ten inches. 



Candytuft, eight to ten inches. 



Portulaca, four to six inches. 



Dwarf or Liliputian Zinnia, ten lo 

 twelve inches. 



Dwarf Cicely Phlox, eight to ten 

 inches. 



Virginian Stock, ten to twelve inches. 



Swan River Daisy, ten to twelyfe 

 inches. 



_ TENDER GREENHOUSE PLANTS 



It is not safe to plant out geraniums 

 until the last week in May or possibly 

 early in June. The more tender plants 

 such as coleus, iresine, salvia, ageratum, 

 canna, alternanthera, Caladium esculen- 

 tum (Elephant Ears), should not be plant- 



