FOR THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



39 



Flower Seeds and their Management. 



OT LOWERS are indispensable for beautify in? our gar- 

 pf ileus and homes, and exert in a quiet manner a refin- 

 $j ing and joyous influence. Yet it is often the case that 

 too little pains are taken to have them. The soil of 

 the flower-beets and borders should he made friable ; fail- 

 ure 10 do this is what renders it so difficult for .small flower- 

 seed to survive germination, and delicate transplanted an- 

 nuals to make a start. The flower-borders or beds require 

 hu annual supply of prepared compost, made of manure, 

 sods, leaves, etc., which should be put in a heap, and 

 turned over two or three times during the season to hasten 

 decay and thoroughly mix the ingredients. Before using, 

 riddle through a coarse sieve. The hot-bed, etc., as de- 

 scribed under the head of "The Vegetable Garden," will 

 serve for the purpose of the Flower Garden. 



ANNUALS. 



Annuals are plants that arrive at perfection, bloom, 

 produce seed, and die the first season. Hardy Annuals 

 can he sown in the borders from April to June. Half- 

 Hardy and Tender Annuals can be sown in March 

 and April in shallow boxes, etc., and placed on a hot-bed ; 

 when the plants are large enough, transplant in a cool 

 frame near the glass to harden. In May, when the weather 

 has become favorable, transplant in the borders; the seed 

 may be sown in the open ground in May and June. 



Many annuals are very desirable for the greenhouse for 

 winter-blooming, and must be sown in July or August. 

 Of these the most important are Browallia, Candytuft, 

 German Stocks, Lobelia, Mignonette, Schizauthus, Sweet 

 Alyssum, and Dwarf Nasturtiums. Many varieties, as 

 well as the above, may be sown in the fall ami winter for 

 blooming early in the spring, such as Acrocliniuin, Agera- 

 tum, Antirrhinum, Geranium, Dianthus, Liimm, Mimulns, 

 Mvosotis, Pansy, Petunias, Phlox Drummondi, Salpiglos- 

 sis, Salvia, Verbena, Vinca, and others which will be found 

 in our full and complete list of the best leading varieties. 



BIENNIALS. 



Biennials are those that last two seasons; some of the 

 varieties bloom the first year, and remain over winter, 

 flowering again the second year and then die; a slight 

 protection of leaves or coarse manure will be found bene- 

 ficial. 



For summer and autumn flowering the seed should be 

 sown in March and April, and treated the same as half- 

 hardy annuals. Hardy kinds can be sown from April to 

 September in the open border, and transplanted where 

 they are intended to bloom ihe following year. 



The following are among the most desirable: Cam- 

 panula, Foxglove, Hollyhock, Larkspur, Pinks, Sweet 

 William, Wallflower, et 



PERENN3ALS. 



Perennials do not flower until the second year, and 

 the hardy varieties remain in the ground from year to 

 year, and improve by age, forming large clumps or bushes, 

 which are completely covered with their attractive flow- 

 ers. They should be planted in the borders or beds where 

 they are intended to remain permanently. 



The seed may be sown early in the spring with Annuals, 

 or later in the summer in a cool and partially shaded 

 situation, and when large enough transplant where de- 

 sired. 



Directions for Sowing and Management of Flower 

 Seeds. 

 Provided the soil is in a proper state, flower seeds may 

 be sown in the open border in the months of April anil 

 May; the best criterion is the state of the soil. The seed? 

 should be sown as soon as the soil becomes dry and easily 

 crumbled, after the spring frosts have disappeared. Care 

 should be taken not to sow in a crowded border, as light 

 and air are indispensable. They may also be sown in pre- 

 pared beds of light, rich soil, and transplanted into the 

 garden. The former is the more simple method, but not 

 always satisfactory, as, during the interval between the 

 -sowing of the seed and the period of blooming, the ground 



occupied is not attractive. The most satisfactory way is 

 to sow all fine seeds under glass in a greenhouse, hot-bed, 

 or in the house, exposed to a southern aspect, as the 

 changes of climate, heavy rains, and drying winds, with a 

 hot sun, render the surface of the soil unfit for the germ- 

 ination of small seeds. As to the depth to which seeds 

 should be covered, the best general rule is to cover fine 

 and light seeds very lightly, just enough to protect them 

 from the sun ; and in extremely dry weather a sprinkling 

 of damp moss is very useful. Willi very fine seeds it is 

 best to sow on the surface, and press them slightly into the 

 soil. We are convinced that one of the most frequent 

 causes of failure is in sowing the seeds too deep, and seeds- 

 men are unjustly censured, when the fault lies altogether 

 in the bad management of the cultivator. 



The period of sowing has also much to do with the suc- 

 cess or failure ; as a rule, we find the winter months, even 

 with all the appliances a skillful gardener can give, the 

 most unsatisfactory ; instances of which have come under 

 our observation during our long experience in floriculture, 

 especially with certain kinds of seeds. Being desirous of 

 raising a stock of plants of Wigandi a during the winter for 

 our spring sales, we made repeated sowings, but failed in 

 every instance ; the same seed sown in mid-summer pro- 

 duced a plentiful crop of plants. Apple Geranium -seed 

 sown in the fall furnished but a few plants, while seeds 

 that dropped from the seed plants in June lay until the 

 next summer on the benches before they germinated, sub- 

 jected to the heat and watering necessary to the plants 

 that were placed thereon. Other gardeners have related 

 the same experience, where they found plants growing 

 beautifully on the compost heap, from seed thrown otrt 

 of the seed-pans after waiting patiently several months. 



For sowing seeds, shallow boxes 2 to 3 inches deep, with 

 open seams at the bottom, so that the water can drain 

 through quickly, are best; the best soil is a mixture of 

 equal parts of sand, leaf-mould, and light, rich garden 

 loam, which should be thoroughly mixed and passed 

 through a coarse sieve; then fill your pots, pans, or boxes 

 within half an inch of the rim ; press the soil firmly and 

 evenly. If the soil is dry it is best to water freely a day 

 or two before sowing the seed, to enable the surplus water 

 to drain off. After they are sown cover slightly with fine 

 soil, carefully water with a fine rose or spray dampener, 

 to settle the soil. When they are designed to be grown in 

 the house, the temperature should be as near b'O degrees as 

 possible ; place them in a light window facing south or east. 



The importance of uniform attention to watering may be 

 best learned by experience and observation, but the inex- 

 perienced cultivator may be reminded that to omit a sin- 

 gle watering and allow the young plant-germs from seed 

 to remain in a parched state, or a too frequent indiscrim- 

 inate watering, usually leads to the eventual loss of the 

 whole. As soon as the plants appear, they will require 

 careful attention, as the least over-watering may cause 

 them to " damp off," and suddenly destroy till your hopes. 

 They should now have as much sun as possible, and when 

 the weather is pleasant, some air may be admitted. As 

 soon as the plants are large enough to handle, prick them 

 into other boxes or pots, placing them about 1 inch apart 

 each way; they must be shaded for a few days from the 

 sun, until they are established. When large enough they 

 can he planted separately into small pots, and kept until 

 the proper season for planting in the garden. 



Nature bountifully provides for the reproduction of 

 plants; the difficulty of multiplying by one method is 

 counteracted by the ease with which it may he done in an- 

 other way. When plants are difficult, to grow from cut- 

 tings, we generally find that they seed freely, thus giving 

 ample means for increase. For instance, the much ad- 

 mired Centaureas, of the "Dusty Miller class," or white 

 silver-leaved plants, so extensively used for edgings, mass- 

 ing or baskets, which are difficult to grow from cuttings, 

 are readily raised from seed ; there are numerous varieties 

 having the same nature, which all Florists and Amateurs 

 soon discover by experience. 



Climbers, for gardeu decorations, should be sown in 

 February and March, the earlier the better, as the display 

 for the after season will be in proportion to their early 

 vigor; they are Cobaaa, Kccremoearpus, Lophospernium, 

 Maurandia, Thunbergia, Tropaeolum, etc. 



