ADVANTAGEOUS COLORS 



gardens, therefore, annuals form par excellence the 

 picking flowers. 



They are a cheery, gay race, never stinting their 

 bloom, or diminishing in vigor when the proper chance 

 to flourish is given them. They are, besides, plants 

 that can be relied upon to act in much the same way, 

 even under diverse circumstances. 



Many annuals are indifferent to the nearness of 

 the sea, delighting in sandy stretches of coast and 

 the broad glare of the sun. Very frequently they are 

 sown for convenience to fill spaces where it is expected 

 that later other things will grow permanently. Again, 

 it is often the color of the blossom that is thought of 

 to the exclusion of all other interests. 



Among the annuals are to be found many of the most 

 brilliant and startling colors known to the world of 

 flowers. Nasturtiums show their vivid, almost bar- 

 baric colors to advantage when near the sea. They are 

 natives of Peru, where strength of color is more identi- 

 fied with the climate than it is with that of the United 

 States. 



A child may grow nasturtiums with success. 

 The process is merely to sow their seed in early May 

 and then to await the unfolding of their flowers. As 

 border plants growing about a foot high, they are 

 valuable, and they are also useful to work in among 

 rockeries. The climbing varieties give satisfaction in 

 many places. Nasturtiums are annuals with a liking 

 for sandy soil, although I have also seen them growing 

 very acceptably in soil that was poor and abundant 

 in clay. 



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