n6 The Flower Garden [Chapter 



From the blooming of the first Pansy until frost the 

 bed must be gone over every day and all faded flowers 

 removed. This is absolutely necessary to insure free 

 blooming. The formation of a single pod of seed 

 lessens the blooming capacity of the plant and reduces 

 the size of succeeding flowers. 



To maintain a high standard it is best to purchase 

 fresh seed each year, buying the best to be obtained. 

 Special mixtures sent out by the leading florists are 

 made up of the best strains of the Pansy specialists in 

 this country and Europe. One must not expect to 

 purchase these collections for the price of ordinary 

 seed, from twenty-five cents to fifty cents being the 

 usual range of price. A packet of such fine strains 

 as Giant Gassier and Giant Trimardeau should be 

 included*, and such special colours as may be wanted 

 in larger quantities than the mixed packages furnish. 

 Snow Queen is the best pure white, and the bed should 

 contain a liberal number of these plants. Aurora is 

 considerably larger than the Snow Queen, but shows 

 purple markings in the centre, and is not so fine in 

 shape and texture. With the exception of size, Snow 

 Queen is an ideal Pansy. If it is desired to carry the 

 Pansy bed through the winter it may be done by using 

 pieces of board, half a yard long, with notches cut 

 in one end and the other end pointed. Put these 

 through the centre of the bed a few feet apart, ham- 

 mering the sharp end into the ground. Place long 

 poles lengthwise of the bed, resting them on the 



