164 BIGGLE GARDEN BOOK 



Pink (dianthus) : The double and single annual 

 varieties are both pretty, although they are lacking 

 in odor. Sow the seed outdoors about May 1st; 

 thin to six inches. If the plants are protected with 

 manure they often bloom the second year. 



Poppy : Be sure to grow some Shirley poppies ; 

 also some of the double kinds. Sow seed in April 

 and thin the plants so they'll stand at least six inches 

 apart ; do not transplant. 



Verbena : For best results, sow seed in window 

 boxes or hotbeds in early spring and transplant to 

 the open ground in May; or sow outdoors in May. 



Zinnia : Grown in the same manner as petunias ; 

 the mixtures are hideous, buy separate colors. 



Then there are a host of other annuals candy- 

 tuft, cosmos, gillyflower or stock, mignonette, lady- 

 slipper, portulaca, sweet alyssum, etc., etc., which 

 I have not room to touch upon here. But they are 

 nearly all of easy culture and the grower needs no 

 special knowledge. 



As for the many kinds of so-called "house 

 plants" that are often moved in pots to the garden 

 in summer time, I can only say : Beware of setting 

 them out too early; toughen them first by letting 

 them stand on a sheltered porch for a few days, 

 protecting them with newspapers or cloths during 

 cold nights. Boston ferns and other house ferns 

 are improved by sinking the pots to the brim in the 

 ground in a place outdoors sheltered from hard 

 winds and partially or wholly shaded; thus treated 

 (and occasionally sprinkled with water) they will 

 "renew their beauty" for another winter. 



INSECT AND FUNGOUS ENEMIES. Only a few 

 general remarks are possible here. A careful study 

 of Chapter V should help the flower grower to decide 



