110 



THE BEGINNER'S GARDEN BOOK 



the climate, the frost has made the ground solid. But in the 

 spring the ground thaws ; as gardeners say, the frost comes 

 out. At first the soil is very wet and cold ; but presently it 

 dries and warms enough for the planting of seed. 



Now follows a period which we need to understand clearly. 

 It is spring ; and for the gardener the great difference between 



spring and sum- 

 mer is that frosts 

 may come at 

 night. They are 

 to be expected, 

 and since a heavy 

 enough frost will 

 kill certain plants, 

 such plants should 

 not be sowed until 

 the danger of 

 frosts is past. 

 These plants are 

 - called tender. 

 But there are other plants which will stand frosts, even when 

 they are young. These are called hardy. There is naturally 

 another class, a small one, called half-hardy, which will stand 

 light frosts ; but on the whole all garden plants are divided 

 into the two classes of hardy and tender plants. The hardy 

 plants may be planted in spring. The tender plants cannot 

 safely be planted until summer. 



Since I am discussing plants in groups, let me speak of two 

 more ways of classifying them. One depends upon the length 

 of a plant's life. Some plants sprout, grow, make seed, and 

 die, all in the same year. Such are asters and tomatoes. 

 They are annual plants. Others will make seed for several 

 years in succession before they die. Peonies and asparagus 



Fig. 60. — Muskmelon, a tender annual vegetable. 

 Frost easily kills this plant. 



