FOR THE HOME BEAUTIFUL 157 



GROWING ANNUALS FROM SEED 



ANNUALS are that class of plants, growing 

 quickly from seed, blossoming for a single season, 

 and dying down with the frosts of Fall. 



Some seeds are much easier to germinate than 

 others. We all have our failures as well as our 

 successes. Some classes of seed are unreliable even 

 in the hands of professionals. Other sorts could 

 hardly fail under any treatment. 



Good judgment will tell anyone that tender seeds 

 should not be planted outdoors before all danger 

 from frost is over and expected to grow. Many 

 kinds, however, may be started in small boxes in 

 the window during February, March, or April, and 

 transplanted to beds in May. This is a good plan 

 with such seeds as those of Verbena, Scarlet Sage, 

 and numerous others, and by this plan they will 

 come into bloom much more quickly. 



It is hardly worth while, however, to start such 

 rapid growing sorts in the house as Alyssum, Mari- 

 gold, Zinnia, Calendula, but rather a better plan 

 to wait until all danger from frost is past and 

 then sow the seed directly outdoors, later thinning 

 out the plants or transplanting them to other 

 positions. 



If you sow any seed in boxes they should be 



