Helpful Hints 
ALYSSUM. The favorite border plant. Easy 
to grow. Sow where plants are wanted for beds, 
edgings or borders. Cover %4 inch. Thin to 5 
to 6 inches. 
ASTER. Not necessary to start the plants 
inside. Sow outdoors from real early spring to 
well into May. Sow in beds or rows. Cover 
one-fourth inch. Thin or transplant to rows 16 
to 20 inches apart, 6 to 10 inches in row. 
The improved wilt resistant strains over- 
come most Aster troubles, except the “yellows”, 
which is caused by tiny hoppers that carry 
disease from one plant to another. Growing 
under cloth prevents yellows. Asters thrive 
best in a little shade. Hast side of a building 
seems to suit them fine. 
BABY’S BREATH. (Gypsophila). The an- 
nual (often called Angel’s Breath), white or 
rose, comes quickly from seed sown in garden, 
blooming in a few months. Good idea to make 
Several sowings so as to uSe all Summer and 
fall with bouquets of other flowers. 
The perennial is white. It blooms second 
year from seed. A root will last for years, 
forming a large clump in time. Double best 
for drying. Sow very thin and cover lightly. 
Thin to a few inches apart. As the roots in- 
crease in size, thin still more. If want all 
double, pull out the singles. Roots easily 
transplanted also. (Double never comes all 
double from seed.) 
BACHELOR’S BUTTON. They grow like 
weeds, yet the improved sorts are delightful 
for garden display or as cut flowers. Florists 
use lots of the double sorts for bouquets and 
designs. Plant the double varieties. Nothing 
much to it—just sow the seed as you would 
aster seed and thin to 6 or 8 inches. 
BALSAM. (Touch-Me-Not.) Children’s de- 
light. Sow May, % in. deep. Thin to 8 inches. 
CALENDULA (Scotch Marigold). Another 
“easy-to-grow” flower. Sow early, medium or 
late in spring. Handle about same as asters. 
Stands lots of frosts, ice and snow. “It’s a 
glutton for punishment. 
CALIFORNIA POPPY (Eschscholtzia). Not 
easy to transplant, though can be done when 
lants real small. Better sow where wanted. 
ery hardy. Cover lightly, hardly one-fourth 
inch. Thin to 5 or 6 inches each way. 
CALLIOPSIS. May be sown quite early out- 
doors. Cover % inch. Thin to 10 inches. 
CLARKIA. Lovely carnation-like flowers, re- 
sembling the flowering almond. Charming in 
garden, and exquisite for indoor bouquets. 
Buds will open after cutting. Partial shade 
best. Thin to 5 to 7 inches. 
COLUMBINES. Bloom second year from 
seed. Like loamy soil, and partial shade best. 
Slow to germinate, especially the Rocky Moun- 
tain strain. Germinate best if sown very early 
spring, or just before ground freezes in fall. 
Thin to 6 to 8 inches. 
COSMOS. Being tall, it should be grown as 
a background, or in center of bed. The early 
large-flowered kind is good. The newer “Sen- 
sation” strain still better. Sow April and 
May. Cover % inch. Thin to 10 inches. 
DELPHINIUM. Often exasperatingly slow 
to germinate. Hard to start in hot weather. 
Loves cooler weather. Follow suggestions 
given for Columbines. Cover seed about half 
inch. Avoid letting water stand on crowns of 
plants. Do not sprinkle plants late in day or 
evenings. Fine sulphur dust checks mildew. 
FOUR O’CLOCK. Sow from middle of April 
to last of June. Cover one inch. Thin to 8 
or 10 inches. Try this for a hedge if need 
something of the sort in a hurry. 
GODETIA. Thrives best in cool moist soil, 
and some shade. Nice for cutting. Buds open 
along stem much like the Gladiolus. Thin to 
7 or 8 inches. 
GOURDS. Plant when and as you plant cu- 
cumbers and melons. Tender. Wait till danger 
from frosts over. When matured and dry, give 
an even coat of shellac or varnish, if wish to 
keep as is for pets. 
ICELAND POPPY. Sow where wanted, as 
hard to transplant, except when plants very 
small. Take plenty soil with roots if move 
them. Early spring or very late fall best time 
to sow, though with care can be started any 
time in summer. Danger of sun killing just 
as come up. Prevent loss by using temporary 
light cloth shade over bed or row till plants 
get a “toe holt.’’ Cover seed lightly. Thin to 
4 to 6 inches. 
LARKSPUR. Still another that is a bit slow 
to come up, and likes early cool spring weather 
best, for germinating. Cover little less than 
half inch. Thin to 8 or 10 inches. 
MARIGOLD. These old favorites of grand- 
mother’s garden are still going strong, increas- 
ing in popularity with the improvement of the 
strains of both the tall and dwarf types. Tall 
sorts should be given plenty of room, because 
they branch freely. Should have at least a 
foot of space to the plant. More, still better. 
Dwarf plants should be thinned or transplanted 
to about 6 inches apart. Sow seed any time 
in spring after soil is warm. Cover one-third 
inch. ; 
MEXICAN FIRE BUSH (Kochi). A few 
plants well placed, or a hedge of them, are 
effective. Turns red in fall. Grows like a 
weed. Give each plant 18 to 24 inches at final 
thinning. Warning. In a few sections, this 
gets out of bounds and becomes a pest. 
MORNING GLORY. The old common kinds 
easy to germinate. But some of the new Mam- 
moth kinds rather stubborn. Soaking seed in 
lukewarm water 12 to 24 hours helps. Another 
way is to chip off a little of the shell or rub 
seed on sand paper or cement wall to grind off 
a spot in shell. The main idea is to let mois- 
ture in, and yet not damage the “meat” espe- 
cially the ends. Sow after ground warms up. 
NASTURTIUM. So easy to grow that not 
much need be said. The new double sorts now 
used almost exclusively. Double kinds not like 
a rose, but often semi-doubfe. 
PETUNIA. Seed so fine that you are likely 
to sow too thick. Also, to cover too deep. 
Barely cover seed by sifting soil or sand over 
the seed. Press down with board after sowing. 
Cover with thin cloth till plants just peep 
through. Be careful. Watch daily. Bloom soon 
from seed sown outdoors. Give each plant 6 
to 8 inches. 
PHLOX DRUMMONDI. Annual, not the 
perennial that grows from root divisions. May 
be sown early in spring. Seed slow to germ- 
inate. Have patience, and don’t neglect. See 
that they have moisture daily. Sow thinly in 
rows one foot apart. Cover one-fourth inch. 
Thin to 4 inches. 
PORTULACCA. Don’t sow till weather 
plenty warm, as likes HOT weather. Low 
growing and lovely for certain locations. 
SALPIGLOSSIS (Velvet Trumpet). Will be 
grown much more extensively when more 
people learn to know it. Good idea to start 
indoors or in hotbeds, then transplant. But 
may be sown in the open when ground is warm. 
Cover one-fourth inch or less. A little slow to 
come up. Thin to 6 or 8 inches. 
SNAPDRAGON. The improved Rust-Resist- 
ant strains make this always popular flower 
even more desirable. Seed germinates easier, 
plants more vigorous and have cleaner foliage, 
flowers large and lovely. Blooms first year 
from seed, and with a little protection usually 
lives over winter outdoors, blooming early the 
next year. 
SSS 
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