CHAPTER VIII 



Annuals and Biennials 



ANNUALS are plants the seed of which must be sown each year. 

 Some plants, although they live more than one year, are not at 

 their best after the first year and should be considered as annuals. 

 The Pansy is such a plant; it is perennial, but is best when sown each 

 year. Annuals are not permanent, it is true, but they fill a great need 

 for profusion of bloom for garden effect. In few ways can a few cents 

 be spent so profitably as in the purchase of a package of annual seed. 

 They bloom so quickly and make such excellent fillers for the bare 

 spots between our shrubs and other perennial plants that they are 

 truly indispensable. For cut flowers they are unexcelled. Sorts may 

 be easily chosen with long, strong stems and excellent keeping qualities, 

 together with the daintiest or gayest colors. They commend them- 

 selves to planting near rented houses where investments for plants 

 would otherwise be somewhat wasted. 



For pot culture upon porches and areas where little space is avail- 

 able the annual fits in nicely. In window boxes the dwarf, com- 

 pact plants are just as useful as the tall climbers. The annual vines are 

 unrivaled in their ability to quickly cover unsightly buildings or rough 

 ground, as well as serving for shade upon rustic arbors and porches. 



In making few purchases does one need to be as careful as in the 

 buying of seeds. They should only be bought from reliable dealers. 

 These men aim to procure the seeds from the best plants, and 

 those bearing the finest flowers. The matter of getting good seed must 

 depend entirely upon our confidence in the dealer. The wise gardener 

 avoids wasting his ground space by sowing seeds which have lain 

 about grocery stores for any length of time. Many places are ill fitted 

 for seed storage; seeds are resting, living plants, not pebbles^ 



SOWING. Many annuals, such as Petunia, Phlox, Verbena, orna- 

 mental Tobacco, China Asters, Snapdragon, Cosmos, Sweet Alyssum, 

 Pansy, annual Larkspur, Salpiglossis, Scarlet Sage, Swan River Daisy 

 and Torenia, benefit by being sown indoors in order to give them a 

 growing start before placing in open soil. 



March is the best time to sow. This necessitates procuring a good 

 loam in the Autumn and storing itin the basement. . The soil need not 

 be rich, but it should be loose, which can be accomplished by the ad- 

 dition of well-rotted manure, or if this is not available, sifted coal 



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