January 12, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
each in length, should be employed. The top ends 
must be sawn to fit tightly together, and common 
sense will point out how to saw and join them. The 
bottoms of the planks should also be sawn obliquely 
across, so as to lie flat on the soil and walk. The 
planks should be 6 in. broad. 
When to sow Annuals.— K., Stourbridge: Hardy 
annuals, such as Sweet Peas, Clarkias, Nemophilas, 
East Lothian Stocks, Mignonette, Marigolds, 
Whitlavias, Wallflowers, Virginian Stock, &c., may 
Good Annuals for Exhibition. -K., Stourbridge : 
Some of the best varieties of annuals for exhibition 
are: Alonsoa, Calliopsis, Centaurea, Clatkia, 
Coreopsis, Cosmos, Gaillardia, Godetia, Gypsophila, 
Linaria, Lupin (annual), Mimulus, some of the 
Poppies, Petunias, Phlox Drummcndii, Salpiglossis, 
Salvia Schizanthus, Sweet Peas, Tagetes (French 
Marigolds), Verbena, and Zinnia. There are others 
that might be included, but these are all of the larger 
growing kinds, and therefore more imposing and 
handsome. The Sweet Sultans have lately been 
313 
staking and disbuddihg in the more advanced stages, 
that the best flowers can be obtained. 
DELPHINIUM CARTERS’ BLUE 
BUTTERFLY. 
When this annual Larkspur made its appearance at 
the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
on the 17th July, last year, it caused quite a sensa¬ 
tion amongst lovers of plants that may be made to do 
service either in the conservatory or greenhouse, or 
Delphinium Carters' Blue Butterfly. 
be sown in September. Half hardy annuals are 
those that are not sufficiently hardy to stand the 
British winters, but succeed well during spring, 
summer, and part of autumn. Most of the finer 
annuals come under the latter class. These are 
sown sometimes iu the open borders during the early 
days of May, or in boxes and pans indoors about the 
end of March so as to be fit for planting out when 
the warmer weather comes along. You will find a 
list of annuals in the reply to your next question. 
considerably improved, and they too might be in¬ 
cluded. The best half dozen of these annuals would 
be Salpiglossis, Sweet Peas, Zinnias, Gaillardias, 
Calliopsis, and French Marigolds. Then if a dozen 
were wanted for exhibition we would add Schizan¬ 
thus, Clarkias, Sweet Sultans, Alonsoa, Cenlaureas, 
and Godetias. Many gardeners treat annuals as 
though they were not worthy of notice; but it is 
only by preparing the soil well, sowing thinly and at 
the proper time, and thinning, watering, and even 
in the opea air. The special feature of the plant 
were its dwarf and branching, bushy habit, and 
large and handsome, brilliant blue flowers, which 
have been compared to a combination of those of 
Gentiana acaulis and Salvia patens. The bushy 
habit is a feature which distinguishes this Lark¬ 
spur from the ordinary single and double forms 
which have been cultivated in gardens for so many 
years. Very likely we shall have rose, pink, purple, 
and white varieties of this strain in the near future, 
