THE GARDEN 7 



any hints they can, always glad to receive a word of praise, one will find 

 them to be perfect storehouses of the best kind of information — that is, 

 reliable information reaped, in most cases, from pure experience. 



ANNUALS— BIENNI ALS— PERENNIALS 



An annual is a plant which completes its life cycle, from gei'mination 

 to seed-ripening, within one year. 



The seed is sown in the early or late spring; the seedlings are trans- 

 planted, or not, according to the variety of plant; bloom appears, comes 

 to perfection, fades; finally seeds form, either as a berry, seedpod, etc., and, 

 if the plant is left undisturbed until the seeds are ripened, the plant seeds 

 itself in the ground, and may, or may not, re-appear from these seeds next 

 year. 



Such plants are: Asters, petunias, phlox drummond, marigold, nico- 

 tinia, verbena, poppy, portulacca, ten weeks' stock, godetia, morning glory, 

 sweet peas, and many others too numerous to mention. 



No experienced gardener will neglect the annuals, because long ago 

 they proved their worthiness. Those named are among the most popular, 

 and most easily grown. These are, moreover, capable of giving a beautiful 

 display of bloom with a minimum of trouble. Grown from seeds in a few 

 short weeks, flowering over a more or less long period of weeks, they give 

 plenty of color, bloom and a certain amount of fragrance. 



For convenience, we divide annuals into hardy and half hardy vari- 

 eties. Hardy annuals are those that may be sown out of doors, in the beds 

 or borders where they are to Moom, or may be transplanted. Half-hardy 

 annuals are those which germinate much more slowly, and in order to 

 obtain seedlings that will bloom before the frosts come, the seed must b-3 

 planted either in a hotbed or greenhouse where they may receive the 

 required heat to cause sufficient growth. Then they are transplanted out- 

 doors in the selected places. Some of these latter are: Ageratum, carna- 

 tions, galliardia, golden feather, dianthus, celosia, and others. 



Biennials are plants that complete their life cycle in the second year 

 from germination. Sown one year, they bloom and ripen their seeds the 

 next year. Some biennials may be classed among the perennials, according 

 to the manner of sowing. That is, if sown for three years in succession, 

 they may be safely left to perpetuate themselves year after year. Biennials 

 that are popular, and easily grown, are: Foxgloves, wallflowers, sweet 

 rocket, sweet William, primula, Iceland poppy. Several biennials that are 

 hardy are absolutely essential in every well-ordered garden, in order to 

 have some stock that will surely bloom. 



No gardener will depend upon annuals alone to provide honi'i flowers. 



Perennials are those plants which require at least two years before 

 bloom appears, and the plant will live three or more years. 



When gardeners speak of perennials, as a rule, they have in mind 

 herbaceous perennials; but, strictly speaking, perennials Include shrubs, 

 trees, und bulbous plants. 



Many biennials may be counted as perennials, especially if the seed of 

 the plant in mind has been sown for two or three years in succession. They 

 may thereafter be left to increase to such an extent that, sooner or later, 

 their roots may be divided. 



Such plants are the columbine, sweet william, peony, the different 

 hardy lilies, such as lemon, orange, maid-lily, spiderwort, the many 

 varieties of bellflowers, clematis, and many others. , 



A careful and observant gardf ner may find out for himself many valu- 

 able points about his various roots and shrubs by exercising a little careful 

 experimenting. 



