SUMMER. 89 



their number and variety are endless ; but as many of them, 

 if properly treated and planted out, make more show, and 

 flower better, than when so^^^l and left in clumps, there is 

 no need of taking up much ground with them. Some 

 species look well even as single plants, branching out and 

 flowermg in an independent free wa}^, quite as handsomely 

 as some biennials. Clarkia pulchella, blue and yellow 

 lupines, purj3le candytuft, and the large everlastings, seem 

 to like occasionally thus to be left alone in their glor}^ 

 '* Sow thick, thin in time,^' is said to be a golden rule in culti- 

 vating annuals ; the thinning should be performed in damp 

 weather, if possible, and the thinnings-out may be trans- 

 planted into a separate bed. The sowing of these plants 

 may and ought to be carried on from February till Septem- 

 ber, so as to have a succession for planting out ; indeed, in 

 one of Mr Beatoun's papers in the Cottage Gardener, he goes 

 so far as to say, " I am now convinced that not one of them " 

 (he is treating of annuals) " should ever be allowed to flower 

 without being transplanted, except the mignonette, and two 

 or three others." Further allusion will be made to this 

 subject when we come to our garden work and j^leasures m 

 autumn and winter ; but if we wish annuals to flower in 

 winter, they must be sown from April till June, and potted 

 off singly or by threes when they spring up. The autumn- 

 sown seeds and self-sown plants springing up in the borders 

 come early into flower, and one use to be made of these is 

 the filling up of blank spaces in the beds when summer 

 half-hardy plants are scarce. Mr Beatoun says, " Flower-beds 

 which were planted properly last May will now (July,) or very 



