THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



Annuals autumn- 

 sown. 



year these often being kinds sown in spring in gardens. Holly- 

 hocks, Foxgloves, Chimney Campanula, and Sweet Williams come 

 under this head, but in some cases early raising in spring gives us 

 a chance of blooming some of them the same year as they are 

 sown. In any case it is better for simplicity's sake to group all 

 annual and biennial plants together, and with them the half-hardy 

 plants raised from seed for use in the flower garden, as the work of 

 raising all is, to a great extent, the same. 



Annuals are a much greater aid in the flower garden than is 

 generally acted upon. Often sown in a hurried way in the spring, 

 they give a good effect, it is true, for those who 

 depend much on annuals ; but some of the very 

 finest are best if sown in the early autumn, so that 

 they can get a hold when there is still some warmth 

 in the earth. I usually sow them the first week in September, and 

 among the beautiful things that pass the winter with safety here 

 and flower long in the spring are the Collinsias, grandiflora and 

 bicolor, Nemophylla insignis and maculata, the beautiful Phacelia 

 Campanularia, which first seeded itself in my garden and taught me 

 that it might face the winter, best of course in a warm position and 

 free soil. There may be also some we have never tried, because all 

 the European annuals might certainly be depended on to go through 

 the winter. Of the Phlox I am not so sure about, but it is a hand- 

 some plant in summer. The blue Cornflower is much better and 

 handsomer autumn-sown. And one may say generally of all annuals 

 that naturally shed their seeds in summer and autumn, and in their 

 own country gather strength during the winter, that they are able to 

 throw up a fine bloom in the spring. 



Some Annual and Biennial Plants, and Half-hardy Plants raised from Seed 



for the Floiver Garden. 



Acroclinium 



Adlumia 



Agathaea 



Ageratum 



Agrostemma 



Alonsoa 



Alyssum 



Amaranthus 



Amberboa 



Ammobium 



Anagallis 



Antirrhinum 



Arctotis 



Argemone 



Bartonia 



Boerkhau sia 



Brachycome 



Caland rinia 



Calceol aria 



Calendula 



Calliopsis 



Campanula 



Cannabis 



Catananche 



Celosia 



Celsia 



Centaurea 



Centranthus 



