INTRODUCTION 



ANNUALS and Biennials are plants with limited lives. 

 An Annual is a plant that is raised from seed, which 

 germinates, grows, comes to maturity, seeds and dies 

 (irrespective of frost), all within the period of a year. 



In Nature these seeds are scattered broadcast in the 

 Autumn by the winds and other agents, and quickly 

 germinate, thus reproducing themselves year by year. 



HARDY ANNUALS are those which need no protec- 

 tion. There are numerous Hardy Annuals that will 

 stand a great amount of frost and bad weather, if, as 

 Nature dictates, they are sown in the Autumn. But 

 this is not the common practice. For one thing a 

 gardener usually is far too busy at that time of the 

 year, digging, sweeping up leaves, potting up geraniums, 

 attending to the glass-houses and frames and many 

 other duties, that he is not justified in spending his 

 time in sowing Annuals when he considers the Spring 

 will do as well. Neither does he wish to risk the 

 Winter when he has enemies enough to contend with. 

 So, in spite of Nature's teachings, he sows in early 

 Spring, when he considers the risks are over. Never- 

 theless, Autumn-sown plants are the best and strongest. 

 In very cold, bleak, and exposed places the practice of 

 sowing in Autumn is not recommended of course, at 

 least it would be attended with only a small measure 



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