HOW THE FLOWERS LIKE TO BE TREATED 



WM. HUNT, ONT. AGRI. COI.I.KGE. 



SEED sowing and transplanting will be 

 the first work in the flower garden. It 

 will be too early until about the second or 

 third week in June to plant out the tender 

 varieties of plants such as Coleus, Achyran- 

 thes and Alternantheras, etc. 



Hardier flowers, such as carnations, chry- 

 santhemums and even geraniums, can usual- 

 ly be planted out of doors early in May, 

 more especially the two first mentioned. 

 Care must be taken with all kinds of plants, 

 either naturally tender or hardy, never to 

 plant them out in the open ground, whether 

 from the window, greenhouse, or hotbed, 

 without first putting the plants through the 

 hardening-oflF process. This is done by 

 gradually introducing the plants to the al- 

 tered conditions of out-door life by exposing 

 them for a few hours a day at first to out- 

 door conditions. 



This can be done by standing the plants 

 out where they can either be lifted indoors 

 again, or where they can have some tem- 

 porary protection until the growth has be- 

 come somewhat hardened to the more trying 

 and altered conditions^ to be found out of 

 doors in early spring time. A cold frame 

 is a good place to harden tender plants in. 



Nasturtium, Balsam and Portulacca scid 

 can usually be sown outside with the best 

 chance of success about the second or third 

 week in May. The Cobea scandens, al- 

 though a purely tropical climber, succeeds 

 splendidly even in the northern parts of the 

 province if not planted in the open until well 

 on in June, when the ground has become 

 thoroughly warmed up and all danger of 

 frost is over. 



A few seeds sown in pots early in May 

 and kept in the greenhouse, window or hot- 

 bed until the time mentioned for planting 

 them out will make nice plants for planting 

 sometime in June. About three seeds in a 



The Favorite Spring Flowers. 



The demand for Easter Lilies this spring was so active, florists in 

 the leading Canadian Cities wers unable to fill all their orders. An 

 article on this suWject appears in this issue. (Photo by Galbraith 

 Photo Co., Toronto.) 



three or four-inch pot is the best way to sow 

 them. They will not need re-potting be- 

 fore planting out, as they do not transplant 

 very readily if separated. It is best to plant 

 the whole pot of plants out together, 

 whether there be one, two or three plants in 

 the pot. Use rather light sandy soil to sow 

 the seeds in, and cover them with about a 

 quarter of an inch of soil. Keep the soil 

 in the pot moist, but not soddened with 

 water. Put the pot in a warm surmy place 

 in the window until the seed is up, when a 



