The World's Finest Seeds For Your 



Flower Garden 



There are two big classes of flowers: Annuals, which bloom the 

 same season seeds are planted and Biennials and Perennials, which 

 for the most part do not bloom until the following year after sow- 

 ing seeds (Biennials bloom the second season and then die; 

 Perennials continue to bloom each year for an indefinite period). 



Perennials, as a whole, have a longer blooming period but there 

 are so many places where the annuals fit in and fill out that their 



ANNUALS 



1 — Bloom in a short time from sowing. 



2 — Annuals must be planted yearly. 



3 — Period of bloom possible from annuals 

 is roughly five months. 



4 — Most varieties of annuals bloom over a 

 period of from 6 to 8 weeks. 



5 — -Annuals give their best display from 

 July lnh until frost. 



6 — Annual seeds are usually low priced 

 but must be bought yearly. 



7 — Annuals are very free blooming, and 

 when picked usually send out new flow- 

 ering spikes. 



8 — Many annuals are quite fragrant. 



9 — The range of colors is very large, even 

 in the same species. 



10 — For giving quick effect, annuals are 



unsurpassed. 



\ I 



importance in the general garden scheme cannot be overlooked. 

 Therefore the well-balanced garden will have a border of peren- 

 nials, possibly interspersed with annuals to fill out during the 

 summer months, one or more beds of annuals for mass effect and 

 in a less conspicuous place a bed of annual flowers for cutting 

 purposes. We give below a comparison of annuals and perennials 

 which will aid you in making your selection. 



PERENNIALS 



1 — Bloom second year from sowing. 



2 — Perennials come up each year. 



3— Period of bloom possible from peren- 

 enials, including bulbous plants, is nine 

 months. 



A — The blooming period of most of the 

 individual perennials is short, usually 

 2 to 3 weeks. 



5 — May and June see the perennials at their 

 best with another display in late fall, 

 even after frost. 



6 — Perennial seeds are- more expensive than 

 the annuals, but need only be bought 

 once. 



7 — Perennials are not so free blooming as 

 annuals and with few exceptions, do 

 not send out another crop when picked. 



8 — Few of the popular perennials are frag- 

 rant. 



9 — The range of colors is limited, espe- 

 cially in the same species. 



10 — Perennials will not give a quick effect, 

 but are of a permanent nature. 



TIME TO SOW. Sow hardy annuals outdoors as soon as the ground 

 can be worked. The tender annua's can be started indoors in March or 

 April or outdoors after danger from frost is past. Biennials and Perennials, 

 which do not bloom the first season, are generally sown in a seed bed in 

 June, July or August, and transplanted in late summer to the place where 

 they are to bloom the following season. Perennials which bloom the first 

 season should- be sown in a box indoors in February or March, and trans- 

 planted to the garden late in May. 



SOIL AND PREPARATION. Flowers can be successfully grown in 

 practically all soils. Some good fertilizer, such as Florida Humus, Pulver- 

 ized Sheep Manure, or Bone Meal, should be dug in and thoroughly mixed 

 with the soil when it is prepared for planting. The surface should be made 

 as fine and level as possible. 



PLANTING. The first thing to remember in planting flower seeds is 

 not to plant them too deeply. The very fine seeds such as Petunia, Snap- 

 dragon, etc., should be scattered on the surface and pressed into the soil 

 with a flat board. Sow larger seeds in shallow drills. 



TRANSPLANTING AND THINNING OUT. With but a few excep- 

 tions, notably Poppies, young flower plants may readily be transplanted, 

 so that they may be started in a hotbed or cold frame, or even in boxes in 

 a sunny window, for later transplanting to the place where plants are to 

 bloom. 



As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, they should be 

 transplanted or thinned out to prevent overcrowding. Set plants slightly 

 deeper than they were before lifting and be sure to firm the soil around the 

 roots. A good rule for spacing plants in the garden is to set them apart 

 half their full grown height. 



Explanation of Symbols 



Immediately following the names of the different flowers will be found 

 the letters AH, PH, etc. These are to be interpreted as follows: 



AH — (Annual hardy). Sow seed outdoors as soon as ground can be 



worked. 



AHH — (Annual half hardy). Sow early indoors or outdoors after May 

 first. 



BH — (Biennial hardy). Requires very little winter protection. 

 BHH — (Biennial half hardy). Best to winter in a cold frame. 

 BT — (Biennial tender). For greenhouse use. 

 PH — (Perennial hardy). Requires very little winter protection. 

 PHH — (Perennial half hardy). Best to winter in a cold frame. 

 PT — (Perennial tender). For greenhouse use. 



Flower Seeds, for convenience in ordering, are grouped into two 

 sections — Annuals and tender Biennials and tender Perennials, on 

 pages 22 to 43, inclusive, and the hardy Biennials and Perennials on 

 pages 44 to 51, inclusive. 



[22] 



