Chapter III

Flowers that Must be Renewed Every Year—(Annuals)

And 'tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes.

Wordsworth.

If you want flowers that grow quickly, plant annuals! Some will bloom within six weeks, so if you can help out meantime with some transplanted roots and bulbs, you will have flowers from the first of the season.

"Plant thickly," says one writer. "It is easier and more profitable to grow flowers than weeds."

The following annuals can be sown outdoors late in April, as far North as New York, in ordinary seasons,—only remember that those marked with a * do not like to be transplanted:—

Alyssum

Aster

Candytuft

Chrysanthemum (Annual)

Coreopsis (Annual)

Cosmos

Godetia

Larkspur (Annual)

Marigold

Nicotiana

Pansy

Petunia

Phlox Drummondi

Pink, Chinese

Salvia

Stock, Ten Weeks'

Zinnia

* California Poppy

* Cornflower

* Mignonette

* Morning glory

* Nasturtium

* Portulaca

* Sweet Sultan

OUTDOOR PLANTING

Have the soil in your flower bed made fine and light with sand and fertilizer, and entirely free from sticks and stones. If it should happen to be already too sandy, add black loam or leaf mold. (Either father or brother will probably have time to help you get this right.)

Plant your seeds evenly, and rather sparingly if you do not want to pull up a lot later on account of being crowded. And you can plant either in lines or scatter in patches in bed or border, as you prefer, only be sure that the seed is covered about four times its own depth. A few things, like poppies and portulaca, have such tiny seeds that it is best to mix them with half a teaspoonful of fine soil, and scatter it where you wish, afterwards pressing down firmly with a small board.

TRANSPLANTING—ANNUALS

When your plants have developed a few leaves, and are big enough to handle, prepare to transplant them. This exercise does them good, and while a few resent it, the rest will grow better and be stronger. Choose morning or evening for the work, although it can be done at any time on a cloudy day. (One of my friends loves to do her transplanting in the rain!) Be sure that the ground is thoroughly damp, even if you have to sprinkle it well beforehand.

PUDDLING

Lift each seedling with a spoon, so as to keep a ball of the moist earth around the roots, set it in a hole made where you want your flower to grow, and then fill up this hole with water before you begin to put in the rest of the soil. This is called puddling, and will enable you to do your transplanting with the least possible disturbance to the roots. Next add all the soil necessary to fill up the hole, and press firmly around the plant. Then cover with an old can or berry box, or even a cone of newspaper held in place with stones, until the seedling has had time to get used to its new surroundings. And remember that this "puddling," followed by protection from the sun, will enable you to transplant almost anything you wish, successfully.

SWEET PEAS

Sweet peas require peculiar treatment for an annual. As early as the ground can be worked,—about the middle of March around New York,—get some one to dig you a trench (and it is best to have it run north and south), about fifteen inches deep. Have put in this trench a layer of well-rotted manure, then a layer of soil, a sprinkling of wood ashes, and then another layer of soil, filling the trench until it is left only six or eight inches deep. Soak your seeds over night in warm water to make them start more quickly, and then plant them two inches apart, in a double row. Cover with only a few inches of soil until they sprout, and then gradually fill up the trench as the vines grow. Train them on brush or chicken wire, and keep them well watered in order to get the best results.

The latest method I have had recommended for growing sweet peas,—but which I have not tried,—is to have the soil just as carefully prepared, but then to rake it smooth, make a straight drill only half an inch deep, and plant 3 seeds every 6 inches in the row. If all three grow, pull up the two weakest, leaving only the best plant every 16 inches apart. This way,—with plenty of water and cultivation, is said to produce the very finest kind of flowers. You might try a few on the side.

During the hot weather put grass clippings around the roots to help keep them moist and protected from the hot sun. Cut the flowers every day in order to prolong their blooming.

A word about names, though, before we go a step farther. I intended at first to give you only the common names, despite the protests of a very good friend,—an English botanist. To clinch her argument one day, she exclaimed with considerable heat, "Why, what they call 'baby's breath' here on Long Island might be 'infant's sneeze' up in Connecticut! But if you tell the children it's real name is GYPSOPHILA, they'll never be mistaken."

And later, when I found that foxglove (originally Folk's glove, alluding to the "little folk," or fairies) has been known also—according to Holland—as Thimbles, Fairy Cap, Fairy Fingers, Fairy Thimbles, Fairy Bells, Dog's Fingers, Finger Flowers, Lady's Glove, Lady Fingers, Lady's Thimble, Pop Dock, Flap Dock, Flop Dock, Lion's Mouth, Rabbit's Flower, Cottages, Throatwort, and Scotch Mercury, I concluded I would better urge you to remember its Latin name, DIGITALIS, by which the plant is known the world over.

The botanical terms will easily stick in your mind, too, because they are unusual. Then people who are familiar with flowers will know exactly what you are talking about, and you yourself will always have a certain pride in the scientific knowledge that enables you to call things by their right name.

You will see, if you study the lists given, what a simple matter it is to plan for a garden, big or little, and with reasonable care you will be rewarded with flowers throughout the season. The following list will give you more explicit information about the ones people like best:—

FLOWERS THAT MUST BE RENEWED EVERY YEAR

A GUIDE TO THE COMMON ANNUALS

Note.—The time that they will bloom and the quality of your flowers will depend on the time you sow your seed, on your soil, your location, and your care. The dates given apply to the locality around New York, and will be earlier if you are South, and later if North, of this section. Both the height and the flowering time of the same plants vary with the different varieties, so find out the particular kind you get. The richer the soil, the finer the flowers, as a rule, and therefore fertilizer of some kind should be applied at least once a season, about the time the buds are forming.

NameColorHeightSow IndoorsSow OutdoorsGood forPlaceBlooming Season

Ageratum (Ageratum conyzoides)Blue White8 in.MarchMayEdgingSunJune to frost

Alyssum, SweetWhite4 to 8 in.MarchApril to Sept.EdgingSunJune to frost

Antirrhinum, see Snapdragon

Aster, China (Callistephus hortensis)White Pink Violet18 to 24 in.MarchApril, MayBedSunAug. to Sept.

Baby's Breath (Gypsophila)White1 to 2 ft. AprilBorderSunMay (sow again)

Bachelor's Buttons, see Cornflower

Balsam (Impatiens balsamina)White Red Yellow1 to 2 ft.March AprilMayBorder BedSunJuly to Oct.

California Poppy (Eschscholtzia Californica)Yellow White Orange12 in. April (sow in succession)EdgingSunJune to frost

Candytuft (Iberis)White Pink Red6 to 8 in. April, and every two weeks afterEdgingSunJune to frost

Castor-oil Bean (Ricinus) 3 to 8 ft. AprilTropical effectsSunUntil frost

China Aster, see Aster

[A]Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)Yellow1 to 3 ft. AprilBorder BedSunJune to Oct.

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)Blue1 to 2 ft. AprilBorder BedSunJune to frost

CosmosWhite Pink Crimson4 to 8 ft.MarchAprilBack of borderSunJuly to frost

Cypress Vine (Ipomœa quamoclit)Red White10 to 20 ft.AprilMayScreenSunJune, July

Eschscholtzia, see California Poppy

[B]Forget-me-not (Myosotis)Blue6 to 18 in. April to JulyBedHalf ShadeApril to fall

Floss Flower, see Ageratum

Gilliflower, see Ten Weeks' Stock

GodetiaWhite Red1 to 2 ft.MarchMayBorder BedShade or sunJuly to Oct.

Gypsophila, see Baby's Breath

Hyacinth Bean (Dolichos)Purple White10 to 20 ft. MayScreenSunJuly to frost

Lady's Slipper, see Balsam

Larkspur, Annual (Delphinium)White Pink Blue1 to 3 ft. AprilBorder BedSunJuly to frost

Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)Blue6 to 12 in.MarchMayEdgingSunJune to Nov.

Lupin (Lupinus)Most shades2 ft.Successive sowingFrom May onBorder BedPartial shadeFrom June on

Marigold, African (Tagetes erecta)Yellow2 ft.MarchMayBorder BedSunAug. to frost

Mignonette (Reseda odorata)White Red Yellow1 ft. April and JulyBorder BedSunJune to Oct.

Morning-glory (Convolvulus)White Pink Purple10 to 20 ft. AprilVineSunJuly to frost

Myosotis, see Forget-me-not

Nasturtium (Tropæolum)Yellow to reds1 to 10 ft. April MayClimber DwarfSunJuly to frost

Nicotiana, seeTobacco Plant

[A]Pansy (Viola tricolor)No red6 to 12 in.Feb.April MayBedHalf shadeMay to Oct.

Petunia (Petunia hybrida)White to Magenta1 to 2 ft. On surface in MayBorder BedSunJune to frost

Phlox, Annual(Phlox Drummondi)White Pink Red1 ft.MarchMayBorder BedSunJune to frost

[B]Pink, Chinese (Dianthus Chinensis)White Pink Rose1 ft.Feb.March AprilBorder BedSunAll summer

Poppy, Shirley (Papaver rhæas)White Pink Red1 to 2 ft. March, April Later for successionBedSunJune to Oct.

Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora)No blue6 to 9 in. May 1stCarpetingIn dry, sunny positionAll summer

Rose Moss, see Portulaca

Sage, Blue or Scarlet, see Salvia

[A]SalviaWhite Blue Scarlet3 ft.MarchMayBorder BedSunJuly to frost

Scarlet Runner BeanRed12 ft. AprilClimberSunJuly to frost

[A]Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)No blue1 to 3 ft.MarchMayBorder BedSunJuly to frost

Stock, Ten Weeks' (Matthiola incana)White Pink Purple1 to 2 ft.MarchMayBorder BedSunJuly to frost

Sunflower (Helianthus annus)Yellow3 to 12 ft. AprilBack of bedSunJuly to frost

Sun Plant, see Portulaca

Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)All Colors3 to 6 ft. MarchBack of border vinesSunJuly to Oct.

[B]Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)White Pink Red12 to 18 in. AprilBorder BedSunJuly to Oct.

Tobacco Plant (Nicotiana)White Pink Red Purple2 to 5 ft. MayBorderSunJuly to Oct.

VerbenaNo Blue1 ft.MarchMayBorder BedSunJune to Oct.

Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)Yellow to reds1 to 2 ft.MarchMayBorder BedSunJune to Oct.

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