HOW 10 
GROW 
all flowers 
listed in this 
Garden Annual 
The numbers, I to VIII, found with every 
flower listing refer to the following cul- 
ture notes which give directions for grow- 
ing all of the flowers we list. 
In general, these elements are necessary 
for best results with all flowers: Loose, 
well-drained soil, a plentiful supply of 
organic matter, a good supply of plant 
food from a good mixed fertilizer, adequate 
water to keep soil moist and care to 
remove weeds and check pests. 
One of the important problems in the 
garden is that of maintaing a continuous 
show of bloom. This calls for the use 
of several different types of annuals, such 
as those that must be planted early to 
grow in cool weather (Culture IV) and 
those which bloom later in summer heat 
(Culture I and II). .If some of the cool- 
weather annuals from Group IV are sown 
in mid-summer and kept well watered, 
they will grow slowly until the cooler 
days of fall start them into more active 
growth. These will produce late flowers. 
Quick-growing annuals from Group II may 
also be sown at intervals for a succession 
of bloom during the summer. 
‘}One way to lengthen the blooming 
period of annuals is to cut off all flowers 
as soon as they fade. Annuals complete 
their life span when seed is formed and 
frequently stop flowering as soon as the 
seed ripens. By preventing the seed 
from forming through removal of all old 
flowers, the plants are kept growing and 
blooming. 
Culture I 
These flowers need a long season and 
must be started indoors if a full blooming 
period is to had. If early bloom is not 
important, they will bloom later in the 
summer when sown directly in the gar- 
den. Some gardeners sow both ways to 
obtain a succession of flowers, 
When starting seedlings ‘indoors, select a 
place with plenty of light. North or 
shaded windows may be too dark for best 
results. Cold frames are generally very 
good. The seed is planted in small boxes 
(or flats) that have good drainage and 
will fit the space you are going to use. 
Fill them with a mixture of 1/3 good soil, 
1/3 sand and 1/3 humus such as peat. 
Press the soil down firmly and make 
small rows with the edge of a ruler or 
lath and slowly shake the seed from the 
packet into the rows. Sift a light cover- 
ing of the soil mixture over the seed and 
moisten with a fine spray. Keep soil moist 
until the seeds have sprouted. Very fine 
seed such as that of petunias should be 
dusted carefully onto a smooth soil sur- 
face and covered with a pane of glass. 
Shade it with newspaper until the seeds 
sprout. These are best watered by setting 
the flat in a pan of water until the soil 
has become thoroughly dampened all the 
way through. When the seedlings have 
formed the second true leaves, transplant 
them into other flats so the plants are 
about 2% inches apart. This will give 
them room to grow to good size before 
being set out. Expose gradually to out- 
side conditions and plant outside after the 
weather is warm and settled. When sown 
directly outdoors, follow directions under 
Culture II, 
Culture Il 
These are the quicker-growing annuals 
that can be sown directly in the garden 
and will bloom in time to make a good 
display for most of the summer. If wanted 
especially early, they should be started 
as directed under Culture I, 
Some flower seedlings are rather delicate. 
Extra care in preparing the seed bed will 
pay dividends in better plants. Prepare 
soil with a liberal amount of mixed ferti- 
lizer and organic matter and Gig’ it=sint 
Rake the surface until it is smooth and 
pulverized. Sow the seed at a depth 
equal to three times the diameter of the 
seed. Fine seed can be spread on the 
surface and pressed in without covering. 
Keep soil moist by light spraying until 
the seedlings have formed the first true 
leaves. When they are large enough to 
handle, they may be transplanted to other 
parts of the garden. 
Culture Il 
These flowers do not transplant well. They 
should be planted where they are to 
bloom. 
Sow as soon as the weather begins to 
warm in the spring. Otherwise the culture 
is the same as II. Sow seed thinly or 
remove the smaller plants after they are 
up. These can be handled as pot-grown 
plants as in Culture VII, 
Culture IV 
These flowers. are unusually hardy 
annuals that can withstand very cool 
weather. They are often sown late in fall 
so they can start growing the first warm 
days of spring. If not sown in fall, they 
should be planted as early in the spring 
as possible. Fall sowing gets the seeding 
job out of the way before the spring rush. 
Culture V 
These flowers, while garden subjects, are 
also useful for winter-flowering house 
plants. For garden use, handle as in 
Culture II. For winter flowering indoors, 
plant fairly late in the season and trans- 
plant into small pots as soon as they are 
large enough. Keep moving them to 
larger pots as roots fill the soil until they 
are finally in six-inch pots. Annuals in 
pots should have at least six hours of 
direct sunlight daily if they are to flower. 
Culture VI 
Perennials can be seeded at almost any 
time of the year. Best periods are early 
in the spring or in early summer when 
the rush of spring work is over. A cold 
frame or sheltered bed which can be 
shaded from the direct sun is best. Pre- 
pare soil thoroughly with plenty of 
organic matter. A loose, friable soil will 
produce a thick mat of roots so that the 
seedlings will transplant more _ easily. 
Perennial seedlings are rather weak 
growers needing extra care. In covering 
the drills in which the seeds are sown, 
use either pure, clean sand or a mixture 
of half sand and half peat. This prevents 
packing of the soil over the seeds. Always 
water with a fine spray. 
As soon as the second leaves form, seed- 
lings may be transplanted into their 
permanent position. Or, if more con- 
venient, they may be left in the seed bed 
until the following spring. Under this 

only a few species will bloom 
culture, 
the first year and they will not produce 
normal flowers until the following year. 
Planting earlier does increase the chances 
for flowers the first year. But, if it is 
more convenient, Culture I may be used. 
Delphinium seed is often started in August 
to take advantage of the cooler nights 
for the seed will not grow when the soil 
temperature is above 77 degrees. 
Culture VII 
These varieties need a longer growing 
season than can be given them outdoors. 
And because they do not transplant well, 
they must be started in pots and set out 
without disturbing the roots. Otherwise 
Culture is the same I. The use of plant 
bands allows you to set the seedlings out 
without disturbing the roots. The bands 
soon rot away and the seedlings will 
grow as though started in the garden. 
If clay pots are used, the excessive dry- 
ing can be avoided by placing the pots 
in a flat and filling the space between 
them with damp peat or vermiculite. Be 
sure to keep this material moist or it will 
draw moisture from the pots. 
Culture VIII ; 
These flowers are biennials. They make a 
leafy growth the first year but do not 
flower. The leafy growth of the first year 
forms food for blooming the following year. 
The flowers appear the second year and 
then the plant dies. 
This means that a continuous show from 
biennials must be provided by starting 
new. plants every year to replace those 
that are flowering. Biennials are handled 
in the same way as perennials except 
that they are started early in the spring 
to allow the plant to store as much food 
as possible for the next year’s bloom. 
Many gardeners start biennials in the 
vegetable garden or special starting bed 
and then transplant the ones needed to 
the flower garden the following spring. 
During winter, biennials should be given 
the same treatment as perennials. 
Pansies are tender perennials that are 
treated as annuals or biennials. When 
grown as annuals, they should be started 
indoors about six weeks before time for 
planting out in early spring. When grown 
as biennials, the seed is started in late 
summer and the plants carried over winter 
in protected spots where extremes of 
temperature and moisture are avoided. 
Mulching or the use of frames may be 
necessary in your. particular garden. 
Pansies do best under conditions of 
constant, moderate moisture, partial shade 
and a humus-rich soil. Pinching off old 
flowers will prolong the flowering season. 
33 
