Do You Know What An Annual Is? An an- 
nual plant is one which completes its entire 
life cycle from seed germination, through the 
blooming and seed ripening periods to a 
natural death within one season. Many an- 
nuals will bloom from seed sown in the open 
ground after the weather has settled. Some 
require early starting in the house or cold 
frame in order to reach maturity. 
Do You Know How Hardy Biennials Differ? 
Hardy biennials require more than one sea- 
son to reach maturity. They usually bloom 
during their second year and then die. Sow 
the seed out-of-doors at any time after the 
weather has settled, until August. Seedlings 
from late sown seed should have coldframe 
protection during the winter. 
Do You Know That Hardy Perennials Live 
for Years? They usually do not bloom until 
the season following the one in which the 
seed is sown but, unlike biennials, they do 
not die after blooming. Their foliage will die 
back to the ground every year but growth 
will start from the same root in the Spring 
and will bloom each season for a long time. 
The seed may be sown from April until 
August. Early sowing is advisable for the 
plants will be larger and better able to with- 
stand their first Winter. In some instances the 
plants from early sowings will flower the 
first season, but in any case they will be 
stronger and will bloom much better the sec- 
ond year. Small plants from late sowings 
should have protection their first Winter. 
Do You Know How To Prepare Your Gar- 
den? Most soils will respond to proper con- 
ditioning. Deep and thorough digging with 
a generous quantity of well rotted manure, 
Hyper-Humus or leaf mold worked into the 
soil will usually give the desired result. On 
heavy soil it is advisable to work in coarse 
sand or Krilium. Good drainage is important. 
Excessively moist soils are cold, and young 
plants will suffer during early spring. Many 
plants cannot survive the winter if the soil 
is poorly drained and wet. Test your soil 
and if necessary correct acidity with lime. 
See Soil Testing Kits on page 57. If sowing 
directly in the garden where the plants are 
to grow and bloom—the soil should be dug 
to te full depth of a spade, finely pulverized 
and raked smooth and level. 
. colors 
DIANTHUS DOUBLE GEISHA GIRL 
A Breck Exclusive of Real Merit 
1668 Breck’s Famous Geisha Girl—single variety— 
has been a national favorite for the past 25 years. § 
During all those years painstaking and rigid selection 
. has been going on and now we're proud to offer the 
New Double Geisha Girl. This new beauty has all 
the charm and daintiness of its single parent. The 
color range is large and varied—clear sparkling 
with exquisite enamel-like brilliance—the 
double blooms intensify the jewel tones. The plants 
have a neat compactness about them—a_ character- 
istic which when combined with the grace and 
daintiness of the flowers suggests the charm of an 
Oriental Geisha Girl! 
Do You Know How to Sow Seeds in Pans 
or Flats? Mica-Gro—because it is completely 
sterile, and because it has excellent moisture 
retaining facilities is generally conceded to 
be the best material in which to start seeds. 
Professional growers have found that spread- 
ing about % inch of Mica-Gro on top of the 
soil is the most satisfactory method. In this 
way—seeds are sown in the sterile Mica-Gro 
—and when they begin to grow the roots can 
penetrate into the soil for nourishment. Fine 
seed should merely be pressed into the Mica- 
Gro and larger seed can be covered lightly 
before pressing into the Mica-Gro. They must’ 
be kept well watered (this is important). 
Transplant the seedlings when they have four 
or more true leaves, (the first two tiny leaves 
are called seed leaves and don’t count at 
transplanting time.) Seedlings should be 
transplanted individually in pots or plant 
bands until it is time to set them out in the 
garden. 
QUICK GUIDE TO 
BETTER GARDENING 
Following each flower seed head- 
ing we have indicated with 
letters the class in which that 
variety belongs. 
A—Annual 
B—Biennial 
P—Perennial 
Our ear is constantly to the ground! 
If you've found a happy combina- 
tion of plants that pleases you and 
your friends we’d like to hear about 
it. Perhaps you've found a new use 
for an old timer that others might 
enjoy. We welcome your comments 
and suggestions. 
DON'T MISS THE FREE OFFER 
Be sure you read page 4 and get your 
Trial Packet. We believe that your test- 
ing of these new varieties is of extreme 
importance to us. We, therefore, wel- 
come your comments and advice. Be 
sure you remind us when ordering. 
(Illustrated on front cover.) 
Pkt. 35c., 3 pkts. 85c. 
START SEEDS THE WAY 
PROFESSIONALS DO— 
IN MICA-GRO 
Breck's Mica-Gro -(Ver- 
miculite) is ideal for 
starting seeds and root- 
ing cuttings. Mica-Gro 
can be used in place 
of soil or sand or it 
can be used with sand 
in equal parts. Mica- 
Gro absorbs and holds 
water like a sponge, is 
completely free from 
all bacteria, fungi and 
insects. Mica-Gro's rec- 
ord for preventing 
damping-off of seed- 
lings is sensational. 
You'll find Mica-Gro invaluable as a storage 
medium for summer bulbs too. 
B280C Pkg.—over 2 peck (sh. wt. 3 lbs.) 50c. 
Not prepaid except locally (terms on page 45). 
B2795X 2 cu. ft. size (Shipped via Express 
Collect.) $1.85 
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS 
GARDEN BOOK—FOR THE PALE 
GREEN THUMB 
Prize-winning blooms! Succulent fruits! 
Green velvety lawns! All this—and more— 
can be yours by following the short cuts in. 
the new Better Homes and Gardens Book. 
Complete, comprehensive coverage — 520 
pages ... over 1,000 pictures, many in full 
color . . . tell and show you, step-by-step, 
how to do anything and everything pertain- 
ing to gardens—as the experts do it! Tab 
indexed for easy reference—ring bound. 
FH302 Better Homes and Gardens Garden 
Book. Will help you win prizes. $3.95 
SPECI A | With any order for Seeds . 
a and Bulbs amounting to 
$10.00 or more you may secure this grand 
garden book for an additional $3.00. 
Order by No. FH306. Better Homes and 
Gardens Garden Book special. 
