CULTURE 
One of the important problems in the 
garden is that of maintaining a continu- 
ous 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 suc- 
cession of bloom during the summer. 
Culture | 
These flowers need a long season and 
must be started indoors if a full bloom- 
ing period is to be had, If early bloom is 
not important, they will bloom later in 
the summer when sown directly in the 
garden. Some gardeners sow both ways 
to obtain a succession of flowers, 
Cuiture 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 indoors in seed beds or flats. 
Some flower seedlings are rather deli- 
cate. Extra care in preparing the seed 
bed will pay dividends in better plants. 
Prepare soil with a liberal amount of 
mixed fertilizer and organic matter and 
dig it in. 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 Ill 
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 an- 
nuals that can withstand very cool weath- 
er, They are often sown late in fall so 
they can start growing the first warm 
days of spring. If not sown in the 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 Cul- 
ture 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, Prepare 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 seed- 
lings 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 moss. This prevents packing of the 
soil over the seeds. Always water with 
a fine spray. 
As soon as the second leaves form, 
seedlings may be transplanted into their 
permanent position. Or, if more conven- 
ient, they may be left in the seed bed 
until the following spring. Under this 
culture, only a few species will bloom 
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 Aug- 
ust to take advantage of the cooler nights 
for the seed will not grow when the soil 
temperature is above 77 degrees. 
31 
Culture VIl 
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 as 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 gar- 
den, 
ff 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 moss or vermicu- 
lite. 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 continuing 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 win- 
ter 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 con- 
stant, moderate moisture, partial shade 
and a humus-rich soil, Pinching off old 
flowers will prolong the flowering season. 
