NORVELL GILLESPIE’S GUIDE to Quick Color in the Garden 
Special Tips of How to Plant Seeds Indoors and Get the Jump on the Season 
First let’s look over the flowers 
that practically bounce into bloom 
for spring and early summer; then 
let’s discuss how to use them to really 
perk up your garden scene. 
BROADCAST THESE SEEDS OUT- 
DOORS WHEN THE FIRST 
LEAVES APPEAR ON TREES 
Sweet Alyssum 
California Poppy 
Gypsophila (Baby’s Breath) 
Phacelia (California Blue Bells) 
Virginia Stock 
START THESE SEEDS INDOORS 
FOR EARLIEST BLOOMS 
*Calendula, Pot Marigold 
Candytuft 
Cynoglossum, Chinese Forget-me-not 
Petunias 
Dianthus Gaiety (Pinks) 
Dimorphotheca (African Daisy) 
*Godetia (Farewell-to-Spring ) 
Red Linum (Flowering Flax) 
Annual Phlox 
All these are get-up-and-go flowers 
that will give you quick color. All 
are easy to grow from seed—every- 
thing suggested here is easy to grow— 
after all, gardening should be fun! 
If spring comes late and summer 
early in your locality, stay away from 
the flowers marked (*). They don’t 
care for heat. 
Let’s start with the bulb bed, usu- 
ally your first crop of color in spring: 
Don’t whack off those stems and 
leaves after the bulbs have finished 
blooming—their energy is needed to 
build strength in the bulb for its next 
flower. Let this foliage dry back 
naturally. 
Instead, sow seeds of Nemophila 
(Baby Blue Eyes), Virginian Stock, 
and Sweet Alyssum Royal Carpet for 
a ground cover over this old foliage 
while it dries. 
It’s smart to sow seeds when the 
bulbs are just beginning to flower, so 
the little plants will be husky when 
you withdraw the water to let the 
bulbs ripen. Fill a quart mason jar 
with seeds mixed with fine dry sand. 
The sand ‘dilutes’ the seeds so that 
seedlings do not come up too thickly. 
This little tip saves both seeds and 
time. Rake seeds lightly into culti- 
vated soil. 
Best of all is the top 1953 All- 
America winner. Royal Carpet Sweet 
Alyssum because it’s the deepest pur- 
ple, most solid bloom on the flattest 
plant you’ve ever seeen. It makes 
first flower when only 2 inches high— 
never gets taller but spreads to 10-12 
inches to make a vibrant purple sea. 
Unlike the others, it will go on and 
bloom all through the summer if 
lightly sheared of seed pods. 
‘Start thinning them. 
If your favorite colors are blue and 
orange, try African Daisies and Cyno- 
glossum (Chinese Forget-Me-Not), to- 
gether. Among your perennials is a 
good place for this combination. The 
African Daisies, which are low (12”) 
should be toward the front, where 
you'd like an edging plant during sum- 
mer. Cynoglossum is taller (16”-18”), 
a brilliant blue which will make a 
wonderful spring show and then give 
way gracefully to the perennials due 
to bloom a little later. 
Any nook or cranny between your 
shrubs and bushy plants that has full 
sun will take this combination: Grand- 
mother’s favorite Candytufts in mixed 
colors of crimson, pink, lilac and 
white with Alyssum Royal Carpet in 
front of them. The colors go beauti- 
fully together. Later on you can re- 
place the Candytuft with yellow Zin- 
nias or cerise Petunias, such as the 
new Lipstick, which has such a pretty 
golden throat. 
Petunias aren’t really “quick” color, 
but they’re so useful and dependable 
in the garden early or late that they 
belong in this list of favorites. Most 
of us don’t have the glass and heat 
needed to grow pot petunias like the 
florist, but you can still beat the seas- 
on by starting your Petunias indoors. 
These are the points to remember: 
1. Use a compact variety. Read the 
subtitle on the packet—Petunias 
come in all sizes and heighs. 
2. Prepare good starting soil. 
. Water carefully. 
4. Increase light, lower temperature 
each day. 
. Give your plants room; feed them 
lightly. 
Now for the details: There are 
two general types of Petunias—hbea- 
ding and “fancy.” Not too many bed- 
ding Petunias are compact but the 
1953 introduction Lipstick is excellent 
because it makes a unifarm ball of 
cerise bloom about 12”-14” high when 
full grown. 
Plant Comanche, the second 1953 
All American winner, a fine red. 
As soon as your seedlings sprout, 
First to 14” 
apart, then after two weeks, to 14%* 
apart. If you try to save all of them 
they will crowd together and make 
spindly growth. Seed is cheap, and 
a packet goes a long way. When your 
seedlings have three pairs of true 
leaves, add a very little liquid fish fer- 
tilizer with a 10-5-5 formula to the 
water. It’s a safe, non-burning or- 
ganic “booster” if you follow the direc- 
tions on the container. Order Ortho- 
gro, pint $1.25; 4 oz. 55e., postpaid. 
Petunias and most other plants can 
be transplanted out to their perma- 
nent locations when they are 2” to 3” 
high. Cool temperatures, plenty of 
light and not too much water encour- 
age the plant to make strong branch- 
es right near the ground. This makes 
a compact plant. 
w 
On 
All flower seeds can be started in- 
doors this way except those men- 
tioned above which can be broadcast, 
and the real heat-lovers which suffer 
a severe shock when transplanted. 
Zinnias top this group, along with 
Amaranthus, Cleome, Cosmos, Sun- 
flower, Morning Glory, Four O’Clocks, 
Tithonia and most vines. 
Pest troubles can be licked with 
an all-purpose Lindane spray or dust, 
used regularly. One of the new dusts 
containing metaldehyde will eliminate 
slugs, snails and cutworms. Order 
Snarol, 1 lb. 55c., postpaid. Healthy 
plants deserve thoughtful protection, 
so you'll reap armfulls of bright color 
that guick-growing, inexpensive an- 
nuals provide. Now for a Garden 
Guide extra “dividend”: 
SPECIAL USES OF FLOWERS 
Plant these for heavenly fragrance: 
Alyssum Royal Carpet 
Candytuft Umbrellata 
Carnations (easy from seed) 
Heliotrope 
Mignonette 
Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco) 
Use the new Sensation type 
Stocks 
Sweet Peas 
Sweet Sultan 
Sweet William 
Wallflower 
Got a damp spot? These don’t 
mind slightly wet feet: 
Amaranthus (Joseph’s Coat) 
Calendula (Pacific Beauty best) 
Linum Red (Flowering Flax) 
Marigolds 
Marvel of Peru (Four o’clocks) 
Mignonette 
Nigella 
Castor Beans 
Plumed Cockscomb Golden Fleece 
Regular Cockscomb 
These do well in hanging baskets: 
Ageratum (Blue Perfection) 
Lantana 
Lobelia (Sapphire) 
Tall Nasturtium 
Balcony Petunias 
Portulaca (Moss Rose) 
Verbena 
For semi-shady spots (remember no 
annuals like more than one-half 
shade): 
Anchusa Blue Bird 
Aquilegia (Columbines) 
Bachelor’s Button 
Canterbury Bells 
Linaria Northern Lights 
Pansy 
Sweet William 
Forget-Me-Nots 
