FLOWER SEED DEPARTMENT 
A FEW CULTURAL SUGGESTIONS 
HE use and growth of flowers, especially, mark? 
the progress of individuals and nations, the great¬ 
est nations of the earth being those with whom 
the love of floriculture most prevails. To the lover 
of flowers, what can be more interesting than to 
sow the seed, water and otherwise care for the 
growth and development of the plant, and at last 
enjoy the expansion of the flowers? What does the 
sense of proprietorship of the purchaser of flowers compare to 
that of the grower of them? The latter feels that they are verily 
his own, the results of his fostering care. Among the flowers which 
may be grown with a minimum amount of care and expense are 
those varieties which reproduce themselves from seeds. They 
are classed as Annuals, Biennials and Perennials, and these are 
subdivided into Hardy, Half-hardy and Tender varieties of each 
class. 
Hardy Annuals are those plants which may be sown in the 
open air. They grow, flower, produce seed and then die. 
Half-Hardy Annuals are those varieties which require an even 
temperature of at least 60 degrees to germinate the seed, and will 
not stand frost; consequently they must not be sown in the 
open ground during the fall or winter months, and not in the 
spring till April. A good rule for those to follow who wish to 
sow this class is to wait for the proper weather and season in which 
to sow corn, melon or pumpkin seeds. 
Tender Annuals are those that require greenhouse protection, 
as Calceolaria, etc.; the seeds are usually very-fine, and it requires 
skill and care to raise them. 
Hardy Biennials are those that flower in the second year from 
sowing the seed and then die. 
Hardy Perennials are among the finest of our border plants. 
They do not usually flower till the second year after sowing, but 
may be relied upon to produce larger clumps of flowers year by 
year for many years. 
Half-Hardy Perennials are those which require some pro 
tection during the coldest weather, as they will not stand frost. 
Tender Perennials are those species that require greenhouse 
or other protection during the greater part of the year, as they 
are, generally speaking, natives of tropical countries. 
The best time to sow Hardy Annuals is in the fall months, as 
they will make much stronger plants and flower much more 
abundantly when wintered over. They may be sown in any 
finely-prepared shady border, and transplanted when large 
enough, to where they are to flower. Do not cover the seeds 
too deep. A good rule is to cover each seed its own depth with 
soil, at the same time taking care to water carefully. Never water 
so much that the soil gets “soggy,”,i. c., saturated; nor ever let 
the top get dry. Most varieties will germinate within ten days. 
They may also be sown at any time during the spring months 
for summer blooming, care being taken to shade the young plants 
after transplanting, in hot weather. 
Half-hardy Annuals may be sown in April out-of-doors, or in 
boxes, in March or earlier. If in boxes they should be covered 
or removed under cover during the night-time and during heavy 
rains. Those who have hotbeds may sow the seed in February 
and grow the plants in 3-inch pots for planting outdoors in April, 
thus gaining two months on those who have not this advantage. 
(See instructions for making hotbeds in calendar of operations). 
If sown in boxes, the boxes should have an inch of rough soil or 
gravel at the bottom for drainage; the remainder of the box should 
be filled within an inch of the top with sifted, light, rich soil, 
firmly pressed, and the seed should be sown, covered its own 
depth with soil, again pressed and watered. When the young 
plants are large enough to be handled, prick out into other 
boxes, planting them about 1 inch apart, and, when weather per¬ 
mits, they should afterwards be planted in the open ground in 
the place where they are to flower. 
Tender Annuals should be sown in pots as follows: Take a 
5 or 6-inch flower pot, put an inch of drainage in the bottom, then 
2 inches of finely-sifted soil, firmly pressed, with a sprinkling of 
sand on top. Then sow the seed, and do not cover, but press 
into the soil. Water with a very fine sprinkler, and cover the top 
of the pot with a sheet of glass. Remove the glass for an hour 
daily to dry up the damp. When seedlings appear, gradually 
harden them off to the air. As soon as they can be handled, 
prick out into 2-inch pots, and shift again when necessary. 
Hardy Biennials and Perennials should be sown in September. 
Many varieties, if sown then, will flower to the next year. If 
sown in spring they will not flower till a year later. They may 
be sown in a shady border, and, when large enough, transplanted 
to where they are to remain. 
Half-hardy and Tender Perennials should be sown in boxes, 
and treated as recommended for Half-hardy Annuals till plants ap¬ 
pear, when they should be pricked into 2-inch pots, and shifted 
afterwards when necessary. 
We have arranged our list of flower seeds according to the vari¬ 
ous classes: Annuals, including separate lists of Everlasting 
Flowers and Ornamental Gourds; Climbers, Annual and Peren¬ 
nial; Biennials and Perennials; Ornamental Grasses, Annual and 
Perennial. 
ABBREVIATIONS. Hh means Half-hardy, Annual or 
Perennial; T means Tender, Annual or Perennial. When no ab¬ 
breviation is used, the variety will prove hardy in this climate. 
The letter B affixed to a variety means that it is useful for bou¬ 
quets and cut-flowers. 
