426 



Gardening for Amateurs 



garden of annuals is full of delight from 

 June to the end of September, and borders and 

 beds of them are a feature of many gardens. 

 The variety of annuals is so wide that there 

 are colours to suit all tastes ; they vary so in 

 growth, from the tall Sunflowers and Sweet 

 Peas, 10 feet high, to the dwarf Sweet Alyssum 

 and Violet Cress (lonopsidium acaule), as to 

 provide for all purposes. And how useful 

 many of them are for cutting. If there is a 

 large demand for cut flowers, it is worth while 

 setting apart a border for the cultivation of 

 suitable plants, so that one can cut freely 

 from such flowers as Annual Chrysanthe- 

 mums, Sweet Peas, Asters, Stocks, Miniature 

 Sunflowers, etc. 



The best soil for annuals is one that is 

 fairly light and well drained, though with 

 good cultivation the soil in most gardens may 

 be made suitable. The manure from a spent 

 hotbed, leaf -mould and wood ashes may be 

 forked into the ground where it is proposed 

 to grow annuals. In preparing the seed- 

 beds the surface soil must be raked level and 

 fairly fine. Seeds are sown either in straight 

 lines or shallow drills drawn with a hoe a 

 foot apart, or they are scattered thinly and 

 evenly (broadcast) over the surface. The 

 latter is the favoured method when the seeds 

 are sown where the plants are to flower ; 

 the former if the seedlings are raised on a 

 prepared border to be transferred later to 

 the flowering quarters. Too much emphasis 

 cannot be laid on the necessity for thin 

 sowing, for not only is it waste of seeds to 

 BOW otherwise, but nothing spoils plants 

 more than to crowd them in the early stages 

 of their growth. To facilitate thin and even 

 sowing, silver sand is often mixed with the 

 finer seeds. The depth to sow varies with 

 the size of the seeds, though seeds need to be 

 sown rather more deeply out of doors than 

 under glass. A covering of inch to 

 | inch of soil is ample for most seeds of 

 annuals, very small seeds need less, while 

 the larger seeds, such as Nasturtiums and 

 Sweet Peas, should be covered with 2 inches 

 of soil. 



The time to sow most annual flowers out- 

 side and under glass is from the middle of 

 March to the middle of April. The sowing of 

 hardy annuals in autumn is dealt with in 

 another chapter (see page 108). Verbena, 



Petunia, and one or two other annuals which 

 need a longer season of growth should be 

 sown in heat during February. Some half- 

 hardy annuals that quickly reach the flower- 

 ing stage may be sown outside towards the 

 end of April and during May, the beautiful 

 Nemesias for example. 



Shallow pans and boxes are preferable to 

 pots for raising seedlings, as they permit of 

 the seeds being sown more thinly. Shallow 

 boxes 15 inches long, 9 inches wide and 3 

 inches deep are convenient for the purpose 

 also. Suitable soil consists of 2 parts loam, 

 1 part leaf -mould and 1 part sand. Pass 

 this through a half -inch sieve ; the rough 

 material remaining in the sieve is placed at 

 the bottom of the boxes. Flower pans and 

 pots need such drainage as is provided by 

 a layer of crocks. Fill with the prepared 

 soil and press the surface level. When 

 sowing very small seeds the soil should be 

 watered some hours previously. Sift a 

 little soil through a fine-meshed sieve to 

 cover the seeds, except for those that are 

 minute ; the least sprinkling of silver sand is 

 sufficient covering for these. Place a sheet 

 of paper over the pots and boxes to prevent 

 the soil drying up rapidly. This must be 

 removed as soon as the seedlings show 

 through. Keep the seedlings on a shelf 

 within 12 inches of the roof-glass, otherwise 

 they will become " drawn " and spindly. 

 Shade from bright sunshine during the 

 middle of the day. When they are largo 

 enough to handle, transplant the seedlings 

 to shallow boxes or a prepared bed in a 

 frame. Place them from \\ inches to 3 

 inches apart according to their vigour. 

 Tobacco Plants, for instance, need twice as 

 much space as Musk. For the first few days 

 following the transplanting fairly close con- 

 ditions will be necessary, then gradually give 

 more air as the seedlings progress, and 

 harden off by exposing them fully about the 

 middle of May, ready to plant out in the 

 flowering quarters. 



All annuals delight in a fairly open position, 

 though a few will thrive on north borders 

 and in partial shade. It is obvious that no 

 hard and fast rules can be laid down respect- 

 ing the distance apart to plant annuals. 

 They vary so much in height and in manner 

 of growth. Some are so slender in growth 



