

ASTER, Single 

CARNATION, Chabaud’s 
GODETIA, Single 

NEMOPHILA 


IPOMOEA Scarlett O’Hara 
GARDEN GUIDE POSTS 
This is a flower-gardening year 
Just like soldiers joyfully changing from dull olive drab 
to “civvies,’ our gardens are changing their dress this 
year, too. 
It is only natural for the home gardener’s thoughts to 
swing back to beauty, now that Peace is here. 
So this is a flower year, and our gardens, from coast to 
coast, will wave their banners of colorful bloom as 
never before! 

How? Where? When? Why? 
Much of the material in the other 
“Guide Post” sections of this 
book applies to flower culture as 
well as to vegetables. On this page 
and the next we are supplement- 
ing this material with specific data 
on flower growing only. 
The most dependable 
annuals 
As every experienced gardener 
knows, some annual flowers succeed 
under exactly the same growing 
conditions which let other flowers 
fail. There is quite a list of an- 
nuals which are highly dependable. 
Given proper soil and care, these 
“old reliables’” are practically sure 
to produce good results: 
Balsam Marigold 
Calendula Nasturtium 
California Poppy Petunia 
Calliopsis Phlox 
Cornflower Pinks 
Cosmos Portulaca 
Flowering Salvia 
tobacco Scabiosa 
Four O’clock Shirley Poppy 
Gaillardia Snow-on- 
Globe amaranth the-mountain 
Hollyhock Sweet alyssum 
Larkspur Zinnia 
Love-in-a-mist 
Flowers for shady 
locations 
Most annuals need plenty of sun- 
light, but there are a few which do 
fairly well in the shade, or with 
partial sun. The following are worth 
a trial in shady spots: 
Cornflower Candytuft 
Nasturtium Larkspur 
Pansy Lupine 
Nicotiana Godetia 
Vinca Lobelia 
Coreopsis Bleeding Heart 
Cleome 
In the vine group, those which often 
prosper in fairly shady places are 
Cardinal Climber, Cup-and-Saucer 
Vine, and Morning Glory. 
Flowers for hot, 
dry locations 
In spots where the sun beats down 
mercilessly all day long, many 
flowers can not prosper. But some 
of the annuals can do well, even in 
these difficult locations. Here’s a 
good list: 
Sweet Alyssum Petunia 
Ageratum Phlox, Annual 
Swan River Daisy Poppy, California 
Bachelor Button Portulaca 
Cosmos Scabiosa 
Dianthus Zinnia 
Dimorphotheca Four O’Clock 
Gaillardia Salvia 
Marigold 
Perennials for hot locations are less 
plentiful, but you can usually do 
well with Babysbreath, Perennial 
Asters, Sedum Acre, Statice, and 
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia). 
Flowers for poor soil 
Of course, the right answer to poor 
soil conditions is “Improve the soil!” 
But if you can’t or don’t want to do 
this, you can usually get fairly good 
results in poor soil with these: 
Amaranthus Marigold 
Balsam Nasturtium 
California Poppy Petunia 
Calliopsis Portulaca 
Gaillardia Sweet Sultan 
These need successive 
sowings 
Some of the annuals which come 
into bloom quickly keep blooming 
for only a little while. If you want 
them in bloom through the season,,. 
make several successive sowings at 
two to four week intervals. Flowers 
in this class include: 
Calliopsis Larkspur 
Candytuft ‘Love-in-a-mist 
Cornflower Mignonette 
Forget-me-not Poppy 
Gypsophila 
For late gardens > 
Even in mid-summer, there’s still 
time to start some of the annuals 
from seed and have lots of bloom 
before the season is over. The soil 
must be well prepared and ferti- 
lized. The proper flowers for such 
late planting are: 
Babysbreath Love-in-a-mist 
Calendula Portulaca 
Cornflower Shirley Poppy 
Cosmos 
Petunias and snapdragon seedlings 
may be started late, too. 
