HOW TO GROW all flowers listed in this catalog 



Behind the listing of every flower, you will find a number from I to VIII. These numbers refer 

 to one of the following cultures, which give directions for growing every flower we list. 



While growing flowers from seed is 

 sometimes more difficult than vege- 

 tables, largely because we have so 

 many different flowers, each with its 

 special needs, the following eight dif- 

 ferent methods should cover the indi- 

 vidual needs of any flower listed. In 

 general, the same fundamentals apply 

 as in growing vegetables: loose, well- 

 drained soil to which has been added 

 plenty of organic matter, fed by apply- 

 ing from 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. of a good mixed 

 fertilizer to every 100 square feet. How- 

 ever, when starting seedlings in flats or 

 pots indoors, do not add fertilizer to the 

 starting soil, since the seed contains all 

 the food the young plant will require 

 until it begins to form true leaves. Do 

 add fertilizer to the soil in which plants 

 are to flower. 



One of the important problems in the 

 home garden is to keep up a continued 

 show of bloom. This calls for using 

 several different types of annuals, such 

 as those which must be planted very 

 early (see Culture IV) and those which 

 bloom later (Cultures I and II). If some 

 of the cool-weather annuals in group IV 

 are seeded in midsummer and kept 

 well watered, they will grow slowly 

 until the cooler days of fall start them 

 into more active growth. These will 

 produce late flowers. Also, quick-grow- 

 ing annuals from Culture II can be 

 seeded at intervals for succession 

 bloom during the summer. 

 One important factor in lengthening the 

 flowering season of all' annuals is to 

 cut off all flowers as soon as they fade. 

 Annuals complete their life cycle when 

 seed is formed, and usually stop flower- 

 ing as soon as this happens. By pre- 

 venting seeding through the removal of 

 faded flowers, the plant is kept grow- 

 ing and blooming. 



Culture I 



These flowers need a long season and 

 so must be started indoors if a full 

 blooming period is to be had. If early 

 bloom is not important, they will bloom 

 later in the summer when sown di- 

 rectly in the open garden. Some gar- 

 deners sow both ways so as to be sure 

 to have continuous bloom. 

 For directions on starting seedlings in 

 flats, see page 14 in vegetable section. 

 Remember that flower seedlings are 

 frequently more delicate than those of 

 vegetables, so extra care in watering 

 should be used. Never let the flats 

 dry out. Shading the soil with a pane 

 of glass covered with newspaper is im- 

 portant in the case of fine seed such as 

 petunia, since these are easily injured 

 by hot sunshine. 



When seedlings show their second pair 

 of true leaves, transplant 2V 2 " x 2 1/2" 

 to give the individual plants a chance 

 to develop. Expose gradually to out- 

 door conditions and plant outside when 

 danger from frost is past. When sown 

 outdoors without transplanting, follow 

 instructions under Culture II. 



Culture II 



These are the quicker growing annuals, 

 which can be sown directly in the 

 garden and will bloom in time to make 

 a good display for most of the summer. 

 If they come up too thickly, the extra 

 plants can be transplanted to another 



location. If particularly early flowers of 

 these are wanted, they can be started 

 as directed under I. 



Because flower seedlings are rather 

 delicate, extra care in preparing the 

 seed bed will pay dividends in better 

 plants. Spread about 2V2 lbs. of good 

 general mixed fertilizer over every 100 

 sq. ft. Next, apply all the organic mat- 

 ter such as peat or compost that you 

 can spare, and dig in the fertilizer and 

 organic matter. Rake surface to a fairly 

 smooth seed bed and sow seeds at 

 depths recommended in catalog list- 

 ings. Water thoroughly with a fine 

 spray and keep moist until seedlings 

 form their first true leaves. When sec- 

 ond true leaves have formed, any 

 plants not needed in that particular lo- 

 cation can be transplanted elsewhere. 



Culture III 



These flowers do not transplant well, 

 and should be planted out-of-doors 

 where they are to bloom. Seed as soon 

 as danger from heavy frosts is over. 

 Otherwise, culture is same as II. When 

 seedlings are large enough to select the 

 best ones, thin out. All of these can be 

 handled as pot-grown seedlings as de- 

 scribed under VII if early bloom is 

 wanted. Do not try to handle as seed- 

 ling transplants. When setting out from 

 pots, disturb roots as little as possible. 



Culture IV 



These flowers are all unusually hardy 

 annuals that can withstand heavy 

 frosts. In fact, they are often sown in 

 fall, just before the soil freezes for the 

 winter, in which case they won't germi- 

 nate until spring. Fall sowing gets the 

 seeding job out of the way in spring 

 when time is precious. 

 If not fall-sown, they should be seeded 

 as early in spring as the soil can be 

 worked. Most of them make their 

 growth early and do very little during 

 the heat of summer. Often, by cutting 

 off the faded flowers and feeding the 

 plants lightly, they can be revived so 

 as to bloom in fall. 



Culture V 



These flowers, while garden subjects, 

 are also useful as winter flowering 

 house plants. For garden use, handle 

 according to II. For winter flowering 

 inside, plant fairly late in the season, 

 as old plants will not bloom well. As 

 soon as seedlings have made their sec- 

 ond pair of leaves, plant in 2 1/2 ' ' pots 

 (no larger) and keep shifting to larger 

 pots, never more than two sizes larger 

 with each shift, until they are in 6" 

 pots. Annuals in pots should have five 

 to six hours of direct sunshine if they 

 are to flower indoors. 



Culture VI 



Perennials can be seeded at almost any 

 time during the year except for a short 

 season in fall, when the young seed- 

 lings would not be mature enough 

 when frost comes to survive. They can 

 be seeded in cold frames before the 

 ground thaws in spring and will grow 

 when warmer weather comes. Most 

 experienced gardeners, however, prefer 

 to sow them in late spring after the 

 heavy rush of work is over. A cold 



frame or sheltered bed which can be 

 shaded from the direct sun is best. Pre- 

 pare soil thoroughly with plenty of or- 

 ganic matter, peat or vermiculite. A 

 loose, friable soil will produce a thick 

 mat of roots so that the seedlings will 

 transplant easier. Perennial seedlings 

 are particularly weak growers and so 

 need extra care. In covering the drills 

 in which the seeds are sown, use either 

 pure clean sand or a mixture of half 

 sand and half peat, to prevent packing 

 of the soil over the seeds. Always 

 water with a fine spray. 

 As soon as the second leaves form, 

 seedlings can be transplanted into their 

 permanent position. Or if more con- 

 venient, they can be left in the seedbed 

 until the following spring. Under this 

 culture, only a few species will bloom 

 the first year, and even those that do 

 bloom will not throw typical flowers 

 until the second year. Planting earlier 

 does not increase the chances for first- 

 year blooms, but ii for any reason it is 

 more convenient to start perennials 

 earlier in the season. Culture I may be 

 used. Delphinium seed is often started 

 in late August to take advantage of 

 cooler night temperatures, as this seed 

 will not germinate when soil readings 

 go above 77 degrees. 



Culture VII 



These annuals need a longer growing 

 season than can be given them out- 

 doors, but because they do not trans- 

 plant readily, they must be started in 

 pots and set out into permanent posi- 

 tion without disturbing the roots. Other- 

 wise culture is the same as I. The use 

 of plant bands (boxes made of veneer 

 or waterproof paper) which are filled 

 with soil in which seeds are planted in 

 the same way as in pots, allows you to 

 set out these delicate seedlings without 

 disturbing the roots. The band will 

 soon rot and the seedlings will grow as 

 though started in the garden without 

 transplanting. 



One difficulty experienced by the home 

 gardener without a greenhouse is that 

 clay pots dry out too rapidly. This can 

 be overcome by filling an ordinary 

 seed flat with moist peat moss or ver- 

 miculite and plunging the pots into this. 

 Be sure to keep the peat moist, since it 

 will rob the soil in the pots of moisture 

 if not enough water is applied. 



Culture VIII . 



These flowers are biennials: that is, 

 they make leafy growth the first year, 

 but don't flower. The leafy growth of 

 the first year stores food for blooming 

 the following year. The flower spike 

 or stem appears the second year, after 

 which the plant dies. 

 This means that if a continuous show 

 of bloom is wanted from biennials, a 

 new planting must be made each year 

 to replace those that bloom that year. 

 Biennials are handled in the same way 

 as perennials, except that to allow the 

 plant to store enough food for the next 

 year's bloom, the seed should be sown 

 as early in spring as the soil can be 

 worked. See page 31 for special in- 

 structions for handling Pansies, bi- 

 ennials that are handled in a special 

 way. 



