Feb.j THE FLOWER GARDEN. 851 



ration of hoeing and raking the borders. When the plants 

 have come up an inch or two, they will require to be thinned, 

 particularly the larger growing kinds, to admit of their attain- 

 ing a good size. 



Where the soil is strong and wet, the patches may be formed 

 for the reception of tlie seeds by placing iii each a spadeful or 

 two of fine light sandy mould into which the seeds may be 

 sown. 



SOWING PERENNIAL FLOWER SEEDS. 



Seeds of hardy perennial flowers may now be sown on a 

 moderate slight hot-bed, in rich light mould, as already di- 

 rected for annuals. When the plants appear above ground, 

 give air daily and freely, to prevent them being drawn up weak, 

 also let them be moderately thinned out, so that they may 

 attain some strength by the time that the weather will admit 

 of their being pricked out into nursery-beds. 



SOWING BIENNIAL FLOWER SEEDS. 



Seeds of hardy biennial flowers, may also now be sown 

 either on a slight hot-bed or on a warm border, in light rich 

 soil. The directions already given for perennials are also ap- 

 plicable to these. 



PLANTING HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 



Herbaceous plants of all sorts may now be planted, if the 

 weather be mild. In planting such, much judgment is ne- 

 cessary, to dispose of the whole so as to produce an agreeable 

 effect when in flower, as well as to arrange them, by which 

 there will be an uninterrupted succession of flower during the 

 season. 



florists' FLOWERS. 



The fine auriculas in pots should be gone over ; all decayed 

 leaves removed, and the surfaces of the pots gently loosened 

 up, and a little fresh mould applied all over the surface and 

 round the stems. This will support them, and enable them to 



