366 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



July, 1912 



phlox to the 1 2-inch Drummondi grandi- 

 flora we find a multitude of good points, 

 such as few other flowers can boast. 

 Easily started in any soil, rapidly growing 

 and free blooming. Sown in masses, or 

 in ribbon beds, phlox is equally showy, 

 and if water is supplied during dry seasons, 

 it blooms a long time. There is a splendid 

 assortment of firmly fixed colors on hand. 

 From pure white and delicate mauve to 

 bright rose and vivid crimson, we have 

 in phlox a collection of colors found in few- 

 annuals. Three distinct types furnish 

 plants for nearly all bedding purposes — ■ 

 carpet bedding, semi-dwarf borders and 

 foot-tall beds. Dwarf Cecily phlox grows 

 four inches tall. Next come the dwarf 

 grandiflora types, six to eight inches high, 

 with nearly as complete an assortment of 

 firmly fixed colors as the Drummondi 

 grandiflora which averages a foot tall. 

 Let phloxes grow in a solid row — don't 

 thin them out and don't transplant 

 them. 



Portulaca is included in this assortment 

 for two reasons — it is invaluable for dry 

 sandy soils where few other flowers will 

 thrive and they will furnish a fine under- 

 growth for taller growing plants, covering 

 the soil with a carpet-like mass of glossy 

 bluish green foliage. For rock gardens 

 with poor soil, for sunny slopes or hot 

 exposed situations, it is one of the most 

 appreciative flowers I know. Plants spread 

 considerably, growing as large as three feet 

 across, but never more than six inches high. 

 The many dazzling colors in both single 

 and double varieties will create a cheerful 

 spot in even the dreariest situations. 



Verbenas are so easily grown from seeds 

 and adaptable to so many purposes that 

 it is a wonder more people don't grow them 



. 







Verbenas are better from seeds than from cuttings. 

 The dark green foliage makes a rich green carpet 



Perhaps the florists are to blame for this 

 because as soon as florists handle plants of 

 of a certain type, the good public believes 

 them "hard to grow." Nothing is more 

 erroneous than this in connection with 

 verbenas. The facts are that they are 

 not only grown more easily than many 

 vegetables, but the plants you raise from 

 seeds will bloom more freely and longer than 

 those propagated by florists from cuttings. 

 Each plant, in time, will carpet a space 



three to four feet square. The beautiful 

 dark green foliage will completely hide the 

 soil, displaying to best advantage the mag- 

 nificent flower umbels which average three 

 inches across. Mayflower is a particularly 

 fine sort with delicate fragrance. A dozen 

 or more kinds of Verbena Hybrida offer 

 a complete assortment of colors. 



Zinnias are considered rather "coarse" 

 flowers by many. But zinnias have a 

 mission — they grow nearly anywhere for 

 anybody. When you begin to study the 

 sturdy plants, their substantial foliage 

 and strong symmetrical growth, you will 

 begin to like them — more for their de- 

 pendability and faithfulness than for any 

 other reason. The newer sorts show splen- 

 didly contrasting colors which are well 

 fixed. Some of them have unique curled 

 petals, not unlike a cactus dahlia, zinnias 

 also are procurable in three heights — like 

 marigolds. The Dwarf Miniature averages 

 four inches tall; the Compacta varieties 

 twelve inches — the tall sorts as high as 

 three feet on good garden soil. 



Here are a few practical combinations 

 for flower beds of annuals : 



Tall crimson zinnias for centre of round 

 bed or background of ribbon bed, rows 18 

 inches apart, 12 inches between plants, 

 surrounded with row of Eschscholzias and 

 bordered with Empress candytuft. 



Orange Prince marigolds for centre or 

 background, surrounded by row of com- 

 pact white zinnias, bordered with Dimor- 

 photheca. All rows 12 to 18 inches apart, 

 8 to 12 inches between the plants. 



Verbenas in solid color for dwarf ribbon 

 bed, plants 1 2 inches apart each way. When 

 well established, border bed with 

 Phlox Drummondi, var. compacta. 

 frequently. 



mixed 

 Water 



Twelve Annuals Best for Bedding 









HEIGHT 















DEPTH 





or 



BLOOMING 













TO SOW 



transplant inches 



BLOOM- 





CHARACTER OF 



SIZE OF BLOOM 







COMMON NAME 



SEEDS 



(inches) 



APART 



ING 



PLANT 



(inches) 



SEASON SOWN 

 AFTER MAY 15 



PLANT 



(INCHES) 



COLOR 



SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICAL USE 



Ageratum 



1 



8 



6 



5-18 



July to frost 



Upright and 

 compact 



1-2; umbels 



White, blue, rose, 

 lavender 



Use for carpeting 



Alyssum 



1 

 4 



Grow in solid 

 row 



3-12 



End of June 

 to frost 



Spreading 



2-3; trusses 



White 



Ideal border plant 



Aster, dwarf 



1 

 4 



6-8 



6-12 



Aug. to frost 



Upright and 

 compact 



2-3 ; flowers 



Complete collec- 

 tion 



Use in solid beds and border 

 with contrasting colors. 



Candytuft 



1 

 4 



Grow in solid 

 row 



6-12 



End of June 

 to frost 



Spreading 



3-5 ; trusses 



Good assortment 



Border plant 



Orange daisy 



1 

 8 



10-12 



12 



July to frost 



Spreading foli- 

 age ; flowers 

 upright 



2-25 diameter 



Orange and light 

 hybrids 



Use in solid beds 



Eschscholzia 



1 

 4 



6 



12 



July to frost 



Spreading 



2 diameter 



Yellow, white, and 

 several shades 

 of red 



Ribbon beds or broadcast 



Marigold 



1 

 2 



According to 

 var. 4-18 



6-36 



July to frost 



Upright 



1^-4; flowers 



Good assortment 

 in yellow 



Dwarf for borders; tall for 

 beds 



Petunia 



1 cover 

 i barely 



12 



IO-l8 



Aug. to frost 



Creeping 



2-3 diameter 



White, blue, 

 striped 



Informal beds 



Phlox (Drummond) 



1 

 4 



Grow in solid 

 row 



4-12 



End of June 

 to end of 

 August 



Spreading 



2" flowers on 

 3" umbels 



Complete collec- 

 tion 



Ribbon beds and borders 



Portulaca 



1 

 4 



6 



6 



Aug. to frost 



Creeping 



1-15; flowers 



Good assortment 



Rock gardens and beds 



Verbena 



1 

 4 



10-12 



8-10 



Aug. to frost 



Creeping 



3; umbels 



Complete collec- 

 tion 

 All colors 



Informal beds 



Zinnia 



1 

 2 



According to 



4-36 



Aug. to frost 



Upright 



1 5-3 ; flowers 



Dwarf for borders; tall for 







var. 4-24 













beds 



