io JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



habits of the plant are more " refined," and the colours 

 and sizes of the flowers themselves are nearly always better. 



Many hardy annuals are most useful to use as cut 

 flowers ; they look beautiful on the dinner-table, especially 

 in artificial light. I hope, however, to deal fully with this 

 subject in Chapter XX. 



Sowing in Pots and Boxes : We have often been 

 told that " a hardy annual is a plant to be sown where it 

 is to grow," but this maxim, though true twenty years ago, 

 is now a mistake. Numerous annuals are better sown where 

 they are to grow, but nearly all of them can be successfully 

 transplanted, and indeed in some places it is impossible 

 to get them to grow if sown outside. 



In my own garden, for instance, living as I do in an 

 exposed part, on to which the winds blow straight from 

 the Derbyshire Moors, and much troubled by birds, I find 

 it is better to sow a good many of my hardy annuals in 

 pots and boxes, and plant them out later. This is 

 specially the case with Acroclinium, Erysimum, Xeranthe- 

 mum, Schizanthus, Dimorphotheca, Omphalodes, Tulip 

 Poppy, and Mignonette. Others, however, like Calendula, 

 Candytuft, Clarkia, Cyanus, Calliopsis, Jacobea, Eutoca, 

 Godetia, Larkspur, Nemophila, Saponaria, Silene, Convol- 

 vulus minor, Malope, and Virginian Stock, come up 

 splendidly when sown outside, but I usually sow in pots 

 and boxes in March to get them to flower earlier. My 

 method of growing them is as follows : 



Crocks and rough compost are put over the drainage 

 holes of the pots and boxes, which are then filled up with 

 light loamy soil containing plenty of sharp silver sand. 

 The seeds are sown thinly on the surface of the soil, and 

 covered with very little soil. The pots are then watered 

 with a fine rosed can, and put in a warm dark cellar. As 

 soon as the seedlings germinate, the pots are gradually 

 brought to the light, and are subsequently stood on bricks 

 or ashes in a cold frame. They are kept well watered, 

 and when large enough, transplanted into other boxes 

 2-3 ins. apart each way ; and they are finally planted out 



