Seeds of Hardy Flowers 
Perennials, Including Those Which are Biennials (Lasting but Two Years) 
How to Grow Them 
The hardy plants (perennials) will bloom the second year from seed and are permanent thereafter. 
They grow larger and stronger, and produce more flowers each year. Most of them are so hardy that they 
do not even require protection during winter. We find among them some of our most beautiful' cut-flowers 
and a great many of the old-fashioned sorts dear to us from memory of grandmother's garden. A liardy 
border, properly planned and planted, is a continual source of joy throughout the season; from earUest 
spring to late autumn days it will be resplendent with color and will yield an abundance of flowers for indoor 
decoration. Once established, such borders need no other attention than to be kept free from weeds and 
to be given an occasional top-dressing with fertihzer for nourishment. Everybody wants perennials and 
wants them in a generous measure. If you delay and finally buy plants, the cost is very high. An attractive 
perennial border may require several hundred dollars' worth of plants when exactly the same results can 
be secured with ten to fifteen dollars' worth of seeds, and, aside from the money saved, you have the fascina- 
tion of growing yom- own plants and nursing them from the beginning and you will love them all the' more. 
When to Sow 
Many of the hardy flowers will bloom the first year from seed if sown in the hotbed in Februai-y or March 
Outdoors they may be sown any time from May 1 to August— the earlier the better, for the plants will theii 
become stronger and better established before winter. A coldframe is an ideal place in which to sow Per- 
ennials, but, if you have none, prepare a seed-bed of finely sifted light soil, made rich by addino- and mixina: 
with it thoroughly well-rotted barnyard manure, sheep manure, or humus. Sow the seed in shallow tlrills 
or squares of suitable size, partitioned oif with laths; cover 3^ inch or more, accorcUng to the size of the seed— 
the very fine ones should only be pressed into the soil; press down with a flat board; water gently but tlior- 
oughly through a fine rose and do not allow the soil to become dry while the seed is in the j^rocess of gormi- 
nation, for as soon as the seed has sprouted and until it becomes a plant with roots, its life depends enthelv 
on soil-moisture. It is fatal to aflow the soil to become dry for even five minutes during tliis nt-riod 'ukI 
nearly aU failures m growing perennials are attributalilc to this neglect. Seed-beds must therefore be 
shaded from the sun m summer and carefully watched and watered untU the plants have made from four 
to five leaves. While most of the hardy flowers germinate in from eight to fourteen cUiys, there are some 
which take a month or more before they come up, so do not become impatient. If seedlings come ud too 
thick, pull out some and transplant elsewhere in boxes or other seed-beds, and when plants are finally laree 
enough they will be ready for setting out in their permanent places. This, however, should not be done 
later than October 1, m order to allow sufficient time for them to take a firm hold in the soil before frost 
Cover oyer winter with leaves or salt hay, applied after the ground is frozen (about, the middle of Deeemlier)' 
loo early covering sometimes causes heating and consequent decay of plants, and it also encoui-io-es fit^ld- 
mice who seek this protection for their winter quarters and often do harm to the plants. Exnlicit^-ultui-d 
directions wiU be lound on each packet of our seeds -^pnt-ii uiunai 
24 WEST 59th STREET, NEW YORK 
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