IV 
SUMMER 
87 
not for preparation. The seeds must have 
been planted in the early spring or the previous 
autumn, and in late spring the young plants 
must have taken their stands in good time to 
pay their tribute of beauty as summer passes 
by. But summer brings some duties too. Any 
of the showy half-hardy plants like geraniums 
are now better in the open than nursed up in¬ 
doors, and as soon as all fear of frost is over 
they should go out into the garden. Be sure 
that no seedlings are left overcrowding each 
other through any neglect in the spring. The 
climbers will grow tall, and must be given 
supports where it is necessary, and flowers with 
long stems will want sticks too, such as some of 
the lilies or the big sunflowers. Then a careful 
watch must be kept on the blooms as they 
wither, as you should remember the object of 
the showy flowers is not solely to look beautiful 
for our benefit, but to produce seed. If once 
they are left to come to seed, the plant will get 
exhausted, and, having fulfilled its mission, no 
new blooms will succeed the fading ones. If 
the flowering season is to be prolonged, pick 
off all the heads before the seeds are ripe, 
especially the pods on the sweet-peas. A few 
selected seed-pods can be kept for future use 
towards the end of the summer, giving them 
time to ripen before the frosts arrive. Great 
