14 The Book of Annuals 



to grow, he had no means of knowing. Its color — 

 white or pale blue flowers — was listed, also its height, 

 but whether it was one of the timid plants that need 

 careful guarding from more vigorous neighbors, or 

 a weed-like ruifian, seeking but a chance to oust all 

 else from the vicinity, was as a closed book — and the 

 definitely successful and well rounded garden a far- 

 off goal. 



' ' I suppose I should be able to find all these things 

 in the books," said my friend, "but somehow it 

 seems rather hard to dig out. The gardening writers 

 tell me how to treat hollyhocks for the rust and that 

 bulbs should be planted upon a cushion of sand, but 

 I haven't yet found one book that will give me a 

 start by helping me to pick out a dozen or fifteen 

 flowering plants that will grow in spite of my igno- 

 rance of their needs, and give me a variety of at- 

 tractive bloom throughout the summer months." 



All of which is my reason for presuming to add 

 this humble little volume to the long list that can 

 scarcely be denied a space on the amateur gardener's 

 bookshelf. 



The arrangement, it is hoped, has been kept as sim- 

 ple as the aim of the book : fifty plants that flower 

 the first year from seed sown in the spring are pic- 

 tured in the following pages. Opposite each is given 

 in condensed form the desired data regarding color, 

 height, character of growth, soil preference and gen- 

 eral culture, from which a garden of annuals may be 

 chosen and brought into bloom. The list has been 



