Annuals for tKe To\^n Lot 



RodericK Cameron, Niagara Falls SoutH, Ont. 



SINCE the owners of small town 

 lots are in the majority, and many 

 of them are thirsty for information re- 

 garding the planting of their lots to the 

 best advantage, a further treatment of 

 that .subject in Thk Hokticui-Turist 

 is necessary. Many persons have re- 

 cently bought their homes. Others 

 live in rented homes. In each class 

 may be found parties having admirable 

 taste and love for flowers, etc. Those 

 who have recently bought homes, how- 

 ever, cannot afford yet to plant with 

 the permanent material. Those hav- 

 ing rented homes wish to have them 

 beautiful with as little expense as pos- 

 sible, since it would not pay them to 

 plant and improve permanently prop- 

 erty belonging to others better able to 

 do so than themselves. 



To meet this want, I submit the same 

 diagram as was used last month. Bor- 



The fence must be covered. Sow 

 close to it a row of the tall growing nas- 

 turtiums. No. 17 may be planted with 

 ferns from the woods. No. 18 and 27 

 would look well planted with dwarf 

 nasturtiums. 22-22-24 can be devoted 

 to mixed geraniums, or scarlet salvias 

 bordered with Oolden-bedder Coleus, 

 or Madam Salerov geranium. If the 

 dividing line fence at 11-12-12-13-13 

 is open picket or netting, plant sweet 

 peas a foot from it, beginning at 12, 

 and coming to the front 1 1 . From the 

 centre 12 to the end of the fence 13 may 

 be planted or sown with ornamental 

 gourds, and from there to the grass 

 margin with Asters, Ten Week Stocks, 

 Annual Gaillardias or Sweet Scabiosa. 

 Beside the clothes posts, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 

 and 6, plant or sow a few seeds of 

 Morning Glory or Adlumia cirrhosa to 

 cover them. At ^3 sow next the fence 



SOUTH 



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Arrangement of Annuals on a Town Lot. 



ders, paths and lawns are similar, but 

 annuals are to be planted instead of 

 perennials. There can be excellent re- 

 sults obtained, and quicker returns 

 than from perennials. 



I would recommend the following an- 

 nuals to be planted, or sown according 

 to the numbers on the diagram. The 

 vines on the building recommended 

 last month will be left as they are, 

 since they should be permanent from 



At number 28-29, one foot from the 

 grass margin, sow a row of Sweet Alys- 

 sum, and a foot from the alyssum sow 

 a row of purple Candytuft. There is 

 room for another row, and it can be 

 planted with French Marigolds or zin- 

 nias mixed. 38 may be sown with 

 Mashet Mignonette, and here and there 

 may be dropped a few seeds of that 

 beautiful poppy, Papaver umbrosum, 

 to brighten the plot of mignonette. 

 The poppy seeds should be sown about 

 midsummer, to make strong plants for 

 blooming the following summer. They 

 are biennials, and will seed and care 

 for themselves after once sown. 



the tall or climbing nasturtiums to 

 cover it, and edge the border next the 

 grass with tufted pansies, the re- 

 maining space with Antirrhinums and 

 Linaria bipartita, of which there are 

 two colors, purple and white, the pur- 

 ple being the type. They are prolific 

 bloomers all summer, resembling minia- 

 ture antirrhinums, and "good to cut. 



Most of the above annuals may be 

 sown where they are expected to bloom, 

 but there are a few that would bloom 

 earlier, and perhaps be better if sown 

 in a hot-bed early in the spring, and 

 planted outside when large enough. 

 Those that would be the better for this 

 treatment are Ten Week Stocks, antirr- 

 hinums, asters. Tufted Pansies, Sweet 

 Scabiosa and Linaria bipartita. 



When I want to grow some choice 

 annuals in a hot-bed from seeds, I gen- 

 erally commence to get some good hot 

 manure ready about the middle of 

 March. I like to turn it over once or 

 twice before the first of April to get 

 rid of the most of the heat and steam. 

 I then form it into a bed and place the 



51 



frame on it. About the first of Ajjril 

 I place the sash on the frame tighll> 

 for a day or two, and then open tin- 

 sash and put into the frame four to six 

 inches of rich loose loam, and replaci 

 the sash, leaving about three inches ai 

 the top open to let out the steam. 

 About April 8 or 10 the bed should be 

 in good condition to receive the seeds. 

 About that time I stir the soil thor- 

 oughly, rake level and fine, and draw 

 shallow lines or drills four to six inches 

 apart north and south, because the 

 frame should face south. In these 

 lines or drills sow the seeds thinly, and 

 cover in proportion to the size of the 

 seeds. The smaller seeds like dust 

 should be sown on the surface; they 

 will find their way into the crevices of 

 the soil be it ever so fine. 



Some varieties of annuals germinate 

 very quickly ; others are very slow in 

 germinating. The latter must be known 

 so that they can be treated properly. 

 The best results are obtained by cov- 

 ering them with long strips of paper, 

 held in place with a few small stones. 

 This keeps the heat and moisture on 

 the seeds, forcing their germination 

 much faster than if left bare. Be sure 

 to uncover them as soon as they are up, 

 b\ placing the strips on a few stakes 

 from four to six inches above the plants. 

 In a . few days they will be strong 

 enough to stand the direct rays of the 

 sun. 



I scarcely ever prick out the annuals 

 separately. It is Joo much labor. I 

 prefer sowing enoi:gh rows to begin 

 with. If they are too thick, I thin 

 them out and throw the thinnings away. 



About June 1 these plants should be 

 in good condition to plant in the open 

 for blooming. At this time I treat them 

 differently to any other person I have 

 seen or heard of. I drench them, soil 

 and all, with water, and allow 10 or 15 

 minutes for it to settle. I then begin 

 at one end, place my hands one on 

 each side of the row of plants, and press 

 the fingers down through the soft soil 

 below the roots. The soil and roots 

 between the fingers is packed tightly : 

 and drawn up, the soil and roots being ■, 

 formed into a hard ball. There may ' 

 be in each ball of earth two or three 

 plants. 



When all the plants are treated in , 

 this fashion, I place them back into ■ 

 the frame in rows, covering the balls 

 with the soft soil in the frame, and the 

 frame is shaded for a day or two until 

 the plants survive the shock. After 

 three or four days they may be sub- 

 jected to all the light and heat they 

 can get. In two days more they may 



