Gardening for Amateurs 



A border of Canterbury Bells 



Some Favourite Flowers from Seeds 



HARDY BIENNIALS 



A GOOD gardening definition of a 

 biennial is a plant that blooms in 

 the season following that in which 

 seed is sown, and dies after blossom- 

 ing. Though not a large class of plants 

 the hardy biennials form a very import- 

 ant one ; they comprise such indispens- 

 able flowers as Wallflower, Canterbury Bell, 

 and Sweet William. The best time to 

 sow the seeds is about midsummer ; the 

 plants will then flower during the follow- 

 ing spring and summer. This general rule, 

 however, is very flexible ; some growers 

 sow seeds of some biennials as early as April, 

 and of others as late as August. With one 

 or two exceptions, which are noted later, the 

 seeds of biennials are best sown on a pre- 

 pared border outside. Neither choose a 

 position where the soil is very rich nor 

 manure the ground previous to sowing, for 

 the object is not to obtain big, gross plants 

 the first season, but tough, sturdy ones, that 

 will stand the winter \\<ll. 

 Sowing the Seeds. Having selected a 



position for the seed-bed, dig over the ground, 

 tread it moderately firmly, then level the 

 surface and rake the soil fairly fine. Next, 

 with a hoe, proceed to draw shallow drills an 

 inch deep, 2 inches wide, and a foot apart, 

 straight across the ground. In these scatter 

 the seeds thinly, label plainly, and draw 

 the fine soil into the drills again with the 

 rake to cover the seeds lightly. In many 

 gardens, town and suburban gardens in 

 particular, it is necessary to stretch cotton 

 across the seed l>ed to prevent birds from 

 eating the seeds and damaging the seedlings. 

 The house sparrow is a great sinner in this 

 respect. A scattering of soot is the best 

 thing to keep away slii^s. and a fn-sh lot 

 should be used if rain wa.shrs it a\\ay. In 

 due course the sellings will Uvomr large 

 enough for n-m<>\al: they arc then lifted 

 and transplants! at a \\idi-r distance apart, 

 there to remain until autumn or spring. 

 Set the young plants out 4 to 6 inches 

 apart in rows, the latter being 12 inches 

 from each other. Soj)t< ml., r is the best 

 time to transfer most biennial plants to 



