A GARDEN OF ANNUALS 13 



Thinning Out and Tying Up : When the young plants 

 are 2-3 ins. high, the important operation of thin- 

 ning out should commence. They should be thinned out 

 to 1-6 ins. apart each way. Pull up the weakest of 

 the plants ; do not, except in the rarest circumstances, 

 pull up strong plants to give weak ones a chance. 



This may seem " unchristian," but it is not so. A lady 

 gardener once denounced me as " very unkind " to pull 

 up and destroy the weak plants. But I pointed out to her 

 that really I was doing the kindest thing I could. If the 

 weak plants remain they lead miserable lives for a time and 

 then die. Far better to have them up and end their sickly 

 career, than to let them linger on in that state. 



Those who have never had the heart to thin out their 

 plants properly should take courage. It is a great shame 

 to let too many plants remain on a square foot of ground, 

 for it means that none of them do their best. Better grow 

 two good plants covered with bloom than twenty-two sickly 

 seedlings with hardly a flower showing. If gardeners 

 could be persuaded to thin out hardy annuals really 

 thoroughly, even up to 9 ins. apart each way, they would 

 get finer flowers and much better plants. 



However, we must return to our practical work. Dwarf 

 annuals should be 2-3 or even 4 ins. apart, and plants like 

 Clarkia and Godetia 6-9 or even 12 ins. apart, except 

 in the case of "specimen" plants, which are referred to 

 later on. 



Shirley Poppies and a few other annuals need not be 

 thinned so much, 1-2 ins. apart each way is enough. They 

 then support each other to a certain extent, and look very 

 well when grown en masse. 



One thinning is never enough, it is impossible at one effort 

 to complete this heart-rending task. It should be repeated 

 after an interval of two or three weeks, and after this 

 second thinning, a third one may be needed a fortnight later. 



And here is a practical hint : in thinning be gentle at 

 your task. In any case you will loosen some of the other 

 seedlings which you wish to remain in the clump. So give 



