Annuals and Biennials. 595 



Anemones prefer a somewhat lighter soil than Ranunculuses, 

 but both will flourish where the above conditions are attainable. 

 It is customary to grow them in beds or borders by themselves, 

 and when these are artificially made, the best material to select 

 is turfy loam that lias been stacked and turned about until the 

 herbage is decomposed. The inclination of the ground should be 

 towards the south or east, and the situation tolerably open, that 

 is to say, sheltered, but not shaded. Anemones for the principal 

 flowering should be planted in September or October. If planted 

 in spring they produce a far less luxuriant growth. The proper 

 depth is about three inches, or rather less in a compact soil. 

 The Turban Ranunculuses may also be planted in autumn, but 

 the Persian, being rather tenderer, should be deferred till early 

 spring. Ranunculuses prefer a cool, 'slightly retentive soil, 

 but the drainage must be efficient. Watering is sometimes 

 necessary, and should be carefully done. Protection from frost 

 should be afforded, or the foliage and inflorescence will suffer. 

 Another condition is firmness of the soil around the roots. 



6. Culture of Annuals and Biennials. 



Plants of annual or biennial duration possess so many valuable 

 qualities that they are quite indispensable in the flower garden. 

 Some are cherished for their fragrance, as the Sweet Pea, 

 Mignonette, and Stocks ; others for the showiness and the variety 

 of their brilliantly coloured flowers, as Poppies, Zinnias, and 

 Asters ; others for their diminutive, compact habit, and pro- 

 fusion of flowers, as Leptosiphon and lonopsidium ; others for 

 the duration of their scarious flower-heads, as Helichrysum 

 and Waitzia ; and others again for the elegance and grace of 

 their inflorescence, as Humea elegans and Agrostis nebulosa. 

 A large number of perennials, many of them tender, are com- 

 monly treated as annuals, and flower the first season. The fact 

 of their being amenable to this mode of treatment is usually 

 mentioned under the description. A notable case in point is 

 the Lobelia Erinus, a difficult plant to preserve through the 

 winter, but easily raised from seed, which it produces in great 

 abundance. Annuals are of the greatest service for filling up 

 vacant spaces, or, when judiciously selected, for growing by 

 themselves in beds or borders. Such plants as the China Aster, 

 Zinnia, and Phlox Drummondii, make very effective beds, either 

 with their varieties mixed, or in separate colours. Another 



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