CHAPTER VII 



Annuals and Biennials 



Care in Purchasing Seed — Sowing — Transplanting — Time to Sow 

 Out-of-Doors — Preparation of Soil — Keeping Seed Pods Removed 

 — Vines — Combinations of Annuals — Everlasting Flowers — 

 Annuals Useful for Cut Flowers — Lesser Known Annuals — 

 Annuals for Edging Beds of Other Plants — FoUage Annuals — 

 Biennials — Germination Table 



A NNUALS are plants the seed of which must be sown each year. 

 Some plants, although they live more than one year, are not ^t 

 their best after the first year and should be considered as annuals. 

 The Pansy is such a plant; it is perennial, but is best when sown each 

 year. Annuals are not permanent, it is true, but they fill a great need 

 for profusion of bloom for garden effect. In few ways can a few cents 

 be spent so profitably as in the purchase of a package of seeds of an- 

 nuals. They bloom so quickly and make such excellent fillers for the 

 bare spots between our shrubs and other perennial plants that they are 

 truly indispensable. For cut flowers they are unexcelled; sorts may be 

 easily chosen with long, strong stems and excellent keeping qualities, 

 together with the daintest or gayest colors. They commend them- 

 selves to planting near rented houses where investments for plants 

 would otherwise be somewhat wasted. 



For pot culture upon porches and areas where little space is avail- 

 able the annual fits in nicely. In window boxes the dwarf, compact 

 plants are just as useful as the tall climbers. The annual vines are 

 unrivaled in their ability quickly to cover unsightly buildings or rough 

 ground, as well as serving for shade upon rustic arbors and porches. 



Care in Purchasing Seed 



The buying of flower seeds is an investment to be undertaken 

 with unusual discretion. Seeds should be bought only from reliable 

 dealers who handle, in the right way, seeds procured from the best 

 plants, and those bearing the finest flowers. The matter of getting 

 good seed must depend entirely upon our confidence in the dealer. 

 The wise gardener avoids wasting his ground space by sowing seeds 

 which have lain about grocery stores for any length of time. 



Sowing 



Many annuals, such as Petunia, Phlox, Verbena, ornamental To- 

 bacco, China Asters, Snapdragon, Cosmos, Sweet Alyssum, Pansy, 

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