Two Splendid Borders of Hardy Perennials. 
FLOWER SEEDS 
PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS for CULTURE. TREATMENT, ETC. 
ANNUALS 
Strictly speaking, "annuals" are plants which live but for one season. For general purposes, however 
many other plants usually grown from seeds sown each year are placed under the same heading, being classed 
as hardy, half-hardy and tender annuals. While annuals are valuable to all who have outside planting to do 
to the a,mateur gardener they are absolutely indispensable. Being almost endless in variety, moderate in price! 
and easily grown from seeds, they will, if a judicious selection is made, give a gorgeous display of flowers in the 
garden, from early summer till late in the fall. 
The usual season for sowing Annuals is from 1st of March to the first week of June. On account of the 
shortness of the season, it is advisable to sow a good many varieties as early in the season as possible, including 
Pansies, Phlox Drummondi, Verbenas, Petunias, Stocks, Dianthus, and others of a comparatively slow growing 
character. Failing a greenhouse for this purpose, there is nothing to beat a good hot-bed: or, if it is out of 
the question, very good success can be had by sowing them in the house, in boxes filled with light sandy soil 
giving all the Ught and air possible until such time as, they can be placed out in the open air. 
4^'?°^', ^^'^ °f light soil will do for sowing annuals, and, as the majority of them germinate freely 
the seed should not be sown too thick. Neither should the plants in the beds or boxes be allowed to get over- 
crowded; It IS better to pull some of them out and throw them away, unless all are required, in which case thev 
may be transplanted into other beds or boxes. As to the right depth to sow, the sower must be guided by the 
size of the seed. The smaller the seeds the less covering they will require. AU plants raised under any form of 
shelter must be thoroughly hardened, by being exposed to the sun and aii- for at least several days before thev are 
transferred to the open ground. j ■= 
The proper time for planting varies with the season, but they should never be put out too early There 
IS a popular notion, amounting almost to a superstition with some people, that if summer flowering plants are 
not set out by May 24, it is useless to plant them at all. There never was a greater fallacy. Most of the 
failures in tender crops might be traced to too early sowing or planting. In nine seasons out of every ten plants 
set out the first week m June will give far better results than those planted a week or ten days earlier. ' 
If annuals are to be sown in the open ground, no time should be lost in getting in the seeds once the soil 
is warm enough to receive them. Among the varieties which do best sown this way are Sweet Peas Portulaca 
tall and dwarf Nasturtiums, Convolvulus, Alyssum, Candytuft, Mignonette, and any other which' from their 
nature are difficult to transplant successfully. These should all be sown in the places where they are to remain 
to flower, thinning the plants to the required distance apart as soon as they are large enough to handle. 
Annuals as a class delight in an open, well enriched soil. Still no one need be deterred from attemptine 
their cultivation because he fancies his soil will fail to meet their exact requirements. Many varieties will grow 
and flower under the most adverse conditions, and many a plot of ground, both in town and country which up 
to the present has grown httle else but weeds, might be made beautiful with this class of plants for a trifline 
amount of labour and expense. ■ 
BIENNIALS AND PERENNIALS 
may be sown at the same time as Annuals of the same degree of hardiness and treated similarly, except such of 
the hardy kinds as do not bloom the first year. These last may be thinned out or removed from the seed beds 
as soon as they are well rooted and planted either in different parts of the garden, or into a nursery bed in rows 
a foot or more apart. Some Biennials and Perennials may be sown in July and August or as soon as the seeds 
are npe. If the plants get strong enough before the setting in of winter, most of them will flower the next summer 
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