CHOICE HARDY ANNUALS. 
T HE craze for “bedding plants” has nearly driven 
from our gardens our old favorites, the hardy an¬ 
nuals, which is to be regretted. We put in a plea for their 
restoration in our last number. We now give the follow¬ 
ing list of a few of the most desirable, and would urge 
their cultivation in preference to more costly and less de¬ 
sirable plants. 
Acroclinium. —These “everlastings” are capital border 
plants. The flowers are extremely useful for winter bou¬ 
quets, and should be cut just before expanding. Tie them 
together carefully in small bunches, and hang up in the 
seed-room or some other dry place. It is a good plan to 
sow a patch in the reserve ground for cutting purposes. 
The two most useful are A. album , with white flowers, 
and A. roseum , pink. 
Calandrinia. —Very beautiful dwarf-growing plants. 
They need not be restricted to the border, but should be 
seen on the rockery, and in the small beds in the gardens 
of amateurs, which are generally spoiled through the want 
of a little touching up in the way of a bright edging. 
They flower splendidly in spring if the seed is sown in 
August, but when wanted for the embellishment of the 
garden in summer, sow in May. C. grandiflora, some¬ 
times known as discolor, is the most suitable for small 
beds, edgings and the rockery. It grows from nine to 
twelve inches in height, and in summer is smothered with 
rosy pink flowers. Two other useful kinds, dwarf in 
habit, are C. speciosa and C. speciosa alba. The former 
has purplish flowers and the latter white. It may be 
useful to mention that they thrive best in a warm, dry 
position. 
Calendula. —The famous old Cape marigolds need no 
praise, for the showy flowers tell their own tale. It is 
scarcely necessary to dwell at any length upon their mer¬ 
its, because they are known and appreciated by every one 
who takes interest in floriculture. C. officinalis still sways 
his sceptre as king of the group, but C. meteor is a worthy 
kind, with brilliant orange flowers. C. superba has flow¬ 
ers of the same color as the last-mentioned, but of a 
deeper shade, and C. pluvialis large white blooms. They 
are not very fastidious, growing in semi-wild places and 
shrubberies. But of course they attain a higher degree of 
perfection when sown in open beds. Their floriferous 
character, combined with a neat habit of growth, adapts 
them for massing. When this is done they make a strik¬ 
ing display. 
Calliopsis .—Strong-growing annuals most useful for 
wide borders. They are very floriferous, and continue a 
long time in bloom. Sow the seed in May. The most 
suitable are C. bicolor grandiflora and C. atro-tsanguinea , 
and they should be sown in patches. The former has yel¬ 
low flowers with a crimson centre, and the latter maroon. 
For bedding purposes, C. ?iana, crimson yellow, and C. 
nigra nana are the best. This selection will suffice for a 
small garden, but those who require more may choose C. 
coronatum, excellent for the border, with flowers remark¬ 
able for their rich colors; C. Drummondi, splendid for 
beds, and C. Engelma 7 ii, a real gem, graceful and effec¬ 
tive. 
Callirhoe .—Very attractive annuals making a blaze of 
color when sown in patches. The best time to sow the 
seed is in May, and thin the seedlings out to about four 
or six inches apart, when they make their appearance. 
The two most valuable are C. pedata, purplish crimson 
flowers, and C. nana, with blooms of a very similar shade 
to the latter. 
Candytuft .—Who does not know the candytufts, which 
have held the sway longer than almost any annuals under 
the sun ? It is almost superfluous to speak about them, 
because they are as well known as the old geranium on 
the window sill. Do not sow the seed thickly, and so 
spoil the effect, but sow thinly, and have the plants about 
four inches apart. The most showy are the white, rose 
and carmine varieties. 
Chrysanthemums. —The annual varieties are extremely 
useful, and should be represented in every garden. The 
most suitable place for them is the border, but they can 
have a place in beds. These chrysanthemums thrive best 
on rather poor soils, and the seed should be sown during 
this month, thinning the plants out to about six inches 
apart, but the distance will depend to a great extent upon 
the character of the soil whether rich or poor. They as¬ 
sociate well with the majority of herbaceous plants, and 
should have a position in the second row of the border. 
There are several good varieties, but those that have the 
strongest claims upon the cultivator are Burridgeanum, 
crimson, with white centre ; Atrococcinemn, dazzling scar¬ 
let ; Dunnetti, white, with double flowers of large size ; 
The Sultan, maroon, and Lord Beaconsfield, also maroon 
edged with a golden yellow color. 
Clarkia .-—Make a point of having some of these an¬ 
nuals, for they are pretty, floriferous, and characterized 
by a fine habit of growth. Those who appreciate double 
flowers may choose Purple King and Salmon Queen, two 
excellent varieties of recent introduction. C. elegans and 
its innumerable varieties offer the cultivator all the colors 
of the rainbow, and the seed can be readily procured at a 
cheap rate. The Tom Thumb varieties must not be left 
out, and the varieties of C. integripetala are also attrac¬ 
tive. The best time to sow is in May, and thin out to 
about nine inches apart. 
Convolvulus. —These are perhaps the most popular of 
all hardy annuals. The bold highly-finished flowers, 
made bright by colors of great brilliancy and richness, are 
seen to great advantage in almost any position in the 
garden, showing up especially well in the second row of 
the border. They are not very hardy, so it is advisable to 
wait until June for sowing the seed. Thin out about four 
inches apart when sown in beds. There are many fine 
varieties, but the forms of C. major and C. tricolor will 
be found most useful. It will always pay to raise plants 
of major convolvulus under glass for planting out. 
