THE ANNUAL GARDEN 49 



breaking of the sod, to a riot of color — gives it an 

 importance second to no phase of garden culture. If 

 a permanent, hardy garden is in contemplation, and 

 it is desired to proceed economically and conserva- 

 tively by growing one's own plants from seed — which 

 may be done by the hundreds at a cost of the same 

 plants by dozens from the florists — ^then the use of 

 annuals to fill the beds until the perennials are ready 

 is invaluable as the seed may be sown broadcast in 

 the beds in April or May, according to the latitude, 

 and thinned or transplanted in May to give abundant 

 room for growth, and the first year of the garden 

 may have no embarrassing hiatus of bloom, but be a 

 sheet of beauty from early summer to frost; for all 

 annuals lend themselves remarkably well to mass bed- 

 ding, especially where grown one variety of flower in 

 a bed. It rarely pays to mix annuals in formal beds, 

 though that may be done with good effect in borders 

 along the foundations of the house, along the fence or 

 drive or other informal positions; even then it is 

 best to colonize each variety by itself, alternating the 

 clumps if .desired; or planting low-growing sorts in 

 front of taller growths. 



Many of our ornamental bedding plants may be 

 raised from seed and treated as annuals. Especially 

 is this true of the tuberous sorts, as the cannas and 

 dahlias, coleus and salvias, which are usually bought 

 of the florists, may be easily started in hotbed or 



