ANNUAL FLOWERING PLANTS 91 



PHLOX 



The annual phloxes are easy to grow from seed and 

 bloom quickly. They have a great variety of desirable 

 colors and furnish cut flowers during the greater part 

 of the summer. They are valuable as clumps in borders 

 and as an undergrowth for tall, bare-stemmed plants ; 

 they may also be used for pot and box culture. 



Soil. The soil should be rich. Well-decayed stable 

 manure or leaf mold thoroughly mixed with the earth 

 will cause the plant to make a luxuriant growth and 

 will bring out the delicate color of the flowers. The 

 soil should be kept moist and in good tilth during the 

 entire summer. 



Sowing. Phloxes may be transplanted easily. Sow 

 the seeds in boxes in March or April, or in the open 

 ground in seed beds early in May. When the ground 

 is in good condition, transplant to a permanent place, 

 setting the plants a foot apart each way. The seeds 

 may also be sown in permanent beds and thinned as 

 the plants become crowded. 



There are advantages in transplanting : the soil that 

 has been packed by the spring rains can be put into 

 better condition ; weeds may be destroyed ; and the 

 plants may be set a little deeper than those in the seed 

 bed, thus insuring a stronger growth of roots. Weeds 

 must be removed when they are quite small ; if they are 

 permitted to grow for any length of time, the roots of 

 the phloxes will be loosened when they are pulled. 



