ANNUALS, 



SUOWISG 



now THEY CAN BE MADE TO EXRICH THE GARDEN WITH FLORA! BEAUTY 

 FROM APRIL TO XOYEHBER. 



That a rich and varied floral display may be maintained with annuals, from April to November, 

 is, year after year, demonstrated at the various seed farms in this country and on the Continent, and 

 though '■ bedding plants," such aS^eratiiuras, Verbenas, Calceolarias, &c., have to a considerable 

 extent driven these gay and elegant flowers from the position they once occupied, we have no 

 hesitation in affirming that, with good cuhivacion, very many annuals could be made to vie in 

 duration with the present occupants of the parterre, and in most instances surpuss them for elegance 

 of growth, richness of colour, and profusion of bloom. A judicious selection of varieties is, of course, 

 necessary. 



For the encouragement of those who may not have the accommodation necessary for raising 

 "Verbenas, Geraniums, &c., as well as for those' who either may desire to add to the variety and eft'ect 

 of their flower beds and borders, or who really give a preference to annuals, on account of the rich- 

 ness and variety of their colours, elegance of form, and easiness of culture, we offer the following hints ; — 



Preparatio.v of the GiiouNi) FOR Ansq.vls. — Dig or trench the land to a depth of eighteen 

 inches at least ; for slender growing kinds, in warm dry localities, the soil can hardly be made too 

 rich, add therefore a liberal allowance of rich well-decayed manure, and well intermi.x. it as the work 

 proceeds, but in cold and wet situations a dressing of leaf-soil will be more suitable, especially for 

 strontr-growing varieties, the same care being necessary to grow these to perfection as is required for 

 " bedding plants." Annuals, like all quick-growing plants, require a deep soil, and an open situa- 

 tion, being unable to bear checks in their growth ; the ground should therefore be well prepared, 

 which time and trouble will be amply repaid by the increaseil duration and beauty of the flowers. 



Time and Man.vbr of Sowing Annuals. — The proper time for sowing hardy Annuals de- 

 pends entirely upon the period at which they arc wanted in l)loi)in. For a spring display, sow early 

 in September, (a fortnight earlier or later accord. n- to soil and locality), in beds four feet wide, with 

 an alley one foot wide between the beds, in rows nine inches apart, and if the weather is dry well water 

 the drills before sowing, and cover the seed very lijiiitly with flue soil ; before winter, the plants, if too 

 thick, must be slightly thinned out, and early in March carefully lifted in patches containing three or 

 four plants, and planted where they are intended to bloom, regulating the distance between the patches 

 by the known habit of the plants ; but as this sowing is expected to proiluce an early and etfective 

 display, rather than to continue lonu' in hcmry. ihey may be planted rather thickly. To furnish a 

 succession, a piece of ground propor; n m I t . t!i.> ([iiantity of plants re(iuired, should be set apart in 

 an o])en situation, and la'd out in he ls loiii- fee- 'a i.l ■, witli alleys of eighteen inches between ; the soil 

 should be prepared with a dressing ot decayed leaves, and if still', some shar|) sand should be added ; 

 manure had better be avoided, except in light soil, where a moderate dressing of thoroughly decayed 

 manure would be most suitable. ()n this ground successive sowings of the best kinds should be 

 made at short intervals, keeping the ground always occupied, and a good stock of plants ready 

 for transplanting when they are requiieJ, and thus a supply will always be at hand for removal 

 into the beds or borders, to fill up vacancies occasioned by bulbs or autumn-sown annuals, &c., for 

 many of the spring-sown annuals, if properly attended to, will continue in beauty throughout the 

 season, or as long as almost any other plants. Those intended for the principal summer display 

 should be sown liom March to ^i ly, citli r where intended to bloom, or in the reserved ground ; by 

 adopting the system ot raising the plants in the reserve beds and transplanting, the beds and borders 

 of the flower garden can be kept tilled with jilauis in full beauty. 



llalf-hardy Annuals are less liable to stifler from drought than the hardy varieties ; they do not 

 arrive at maturity so quickly, therefore with these, successive sowings cannot be practised with any 

 advantage. Sow early in May where intended to bloom, or early in Aprd, either on a hotbed or on 

 nicely prepared soil in a frame, or under a hand-glass, and transplant when sufficiently strong and 

 the weather favourable, to the spot where they are to bloom. 



Transplanting and after Manaohment of Annuals. — The plants should be carefully 

 taken up, so as not to injure the roots, retaining as much soil about them as possible, and avoid 

 exposing the roots to the air longer than necessary. If the ground is dry at the lime of trans- 

 planting, the bed in which the plants are growing should have a good soaking of water at least 

 twenty-four hours before taking up the plants ; they must also be liberally watered as soon as planted, 

 and in dry hot weather this must be repeated as often as necessary to keep the ground in a moist 

 state, and the jilants shonhl be moistened overhead cv/ry evening until they get established. Those 

 transplanted early in spring, however, will seldom reipiire water, but it it is necessary it should 

 be given iu the morning. In transidanting for summer blooming, the plants must be allowed sulli- 

 cient space to develope their natural size ; if closely planted they will be prevented throwing out side 

 branches, which furnish a succession of bloom. Some plants will require four or six inches, others 

 three or four times that distance from plant to plant ; this must be regulated by the habit of the i)lant 

 and to lome extent by the nature of the soil and locality; but it is better in all cases to have 

 the plants too far ai)art than too close. In dry weather watering will be indispensable, to keep the 

 plants, whether of liardy or half-hardy iinniials, in vigour and secure a continuous bloom ; when 

 necessary to water in summer the soil slioiibl be thoroughly saturated, and as soon as the surface is 

 dry it should be slightly stirred between the plants. Oa asiunul wati'i imji o/'weak yuano water will 

 heighten the colour of the Jiowcrs, and increiise the viyour of the plants. 



