The Culture of Flowers from Seeds 



distinct varieties are remarkably well adapted to form bands and 

 masses of red, white, and yellow, and also to make a delightful ground- 

 work for enhancing the splendour of late Tulips and clumps of 

 Aubrietia, Yellow Alyssum, and other of the more distinctive plants 

 that are employed in high colouring in first-class geometric gardening. 

 A list of such plants will at once indicate that there is a field of 

 enterprise for the practitioner of spring flower gardening ; and while 

 cheap and effective materials are thus brought into the service, there 

 is no interference with the later summer bedding, because, if the 

 annuals are well managed, they will give their plentiful bloom when 

 the garden is most in need of colour, and may be cleared off in 

 time to make way for the plants that are generally employed in 

 the summer display, and which are known as ' bedding plants ' par 

 excellence. 



In the management of annuals for an early bloom, it is of great 

 importance to sow them at a proper time, so that they will be strong 

 enough to perform what is required of them, and yet not so forward 

 (or, as we may say, ' winter proud ') as to suffer from the severity of 

 the weather. In the North the middle of July is none too early for 

 a general sowing in beds, and in the South the middle of August is 

 none too late. In some few sheltered spots in the extreme South- 

 West the middle of September is a suitable time. As a rule, how- 

 ever, the sowing should be made as early as those familiar with the 

 soil and climate of the place may deem safe, the main point being 

 to have the plants as forward as possible without being in such a 

 succulent state as to be seriously injured by the weather. We prefer 

 sowing in drills on a rather poor soil well broken up to a kindly state, 

 and if the weather is dry at the time of sowing, the drills should be 

 freely watered before the seed is sown, and there will be no more 

 watering needed. The after-management is extremely simple : the 

 plants must be kept clear of weeds, and be slightly thinned out if 

 much crowded, for a few sturdy specimens are of more value than 

 any number that have run up weak and wiry through overcrowding. 



In sheltered gardens, having dry chalk or sandy soils, the greater 

 part, or perhaps the whole stock, might be transplanted from the 

 seed-beds to the flower-beds and borders in the month of October; 

 but on heavy soils and in exposed places it will be advisable to delay 

 the removal until March. This part of the work must be nicely done, 

 the plants being lifted in clumps and no attempt being made to single 

 them, and they must be carefully pressed in and aided with water, if 

 necessary, to promote a quick ' taking hold ' of their new quarters. 



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