34 MY GARDEN 



eya Coulteri) may be a year or more in rousing their 

 little green souls to energy and action. Being rather 

 impatient for results, I do not care to raise these slow- 

 coaches from seed, and buy them ready grown but if 

 growing them from seed is undertaken, they should be 

 planted somewhat deeper than would ordinarily be the 

 case, in some spot where they may take their time, se- 

 cure from disturbance and carefully labelled. 



Until the little green backs are seen to hump up along 

 the straight rows, the seed bed is best entirely protected 

 from the sun, and should thereafter have full sunshine 

 for part of the day only, and the soil must never dry out. 

 One good drying out may mean death to a whole frame 

 full of green babies a calamity not to be borne with 

 resignation. 



Seeds may be sown indoors in a box in January, 

 February, and March, and pricked out into other boxes 

 when large enough to handle. An outdoor seed bed is 

 best not started until May. Here we have found the 

 use of the cold frames so invaluable for raising tender 

 annuals and perennials that we use no other means, 

 save when the frames are overcrowded 'and we must re- 

 sort to the hot beds in the kitchen garden, or entrust 

 such reliable folk as Sweet William, Coreopsis, and Fox- 

 gloves to the open air. In the frames the little plants 

 are much more easily protected from all the blights that 

 lay in wait for infant plant life frost and sun, drought 

 and beating rains, weeds, insects, and all forms of de- 



