190 
ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE 
the care of flowers. Therefore, we should try to plant 
flowers which will produce beautiful blossoms without 
much attention. We like to have flowers blooming all 
the time. Our varieties should include early flowering 
types as well as continuous bloomers. 
Annuals.—Many of our plants live only during one 
season. They grow from seed, bloom, produce more 
seed and die with the coming winter or during the dry 
season. These are known as annuals. The petunia, 
Fig. 137.—A successful appearance. 
scarlet sage, nasturtium, cosmos, zinnia, larkspur, sweet 
pea, sunflower, morning-glory and verbena are the most 
common annual flowers. The seed is usually planted 
in germinating boxes, early in the spring. Small seeds, 
such as the petunia and scarlet sage, should not be 
covered deeply with soil. (Figure 139.) A wet cloth 
will serve as a covering until they have germinated. 
Sweet pea seeds may be planted in the trenches at any 
time when the soil may be worked during the winter. 
They are more satisfactory if they are ready to bloom 
during the cool months of spring. Morning-glory seeds 
