104 The Flower Garden [Chapter 



Set out in rich garden soil and supply abundantly 

 with water. Strong stakes must be provided, as the 

 plants are very brittle at the joints, and a storm may 

 do great damage if they are unsupported. An ex- 

 cellent way of growing them is to plant them in front 

 of a wire fence or chicken netting on the side toward 

 the prevailing wind, that they may be blown against, 

 rather than away from their support, and the stalks 

 and main branches tied to the wires with raphia, wool 

 twine, or strips of cloth; thus protected there will 

 be little danger of their being injured by rough 

 winds. 



If an occasional seed is allowed to form and self- 

 sow there will come up very sturdy little plants the 

 following spring, but fresh seed should be purchased 

 every other year to insure against deterioration in size 

 of blossom and quantity of bloom. 



Columbine (the Aquilegia) seed may be sown in 

 the open ground in the North when the trees are in 

 leaf, or any time after May loth. Cover the seed- 

 bed with a newspaper and keep moist until the 

 plants are up, in ten to twelve days. Transplant when 

 large enough to handle into fresh rows or, when they 

 have attained sufficient size, into their permanent 

 quarters. Planted in a row where they will have a 

 background of green the effect is beautiful. One of 

 the prettiest beds I remember was of mixed Colum- 

 bine pure white, rose, and lavender in front of an 

 old grey building, on which grew a delicate vine in its 



