| Show jn n Your Own SS 3 m START BIENNIALS S NOW NOWA iOWA A biennial flower is one which germinates this year ear makes a leaf growth and lives until next year ear when It produces flowers goes to tos s seed eed d and di dies s. s Its life span span Is two years ears cars whereas that of 01 an annual is isone isone one ne year ear only and that of or a a. perennial perennial peren- peren nial ial many years Some of the finest garden flowers are re included d in th tha biennials the Canterbury bell and the foxglove c probably being the best bet known Some flowers which are often otten classed ed as JS perennials should r really ally be treated as biennials since Ince their first blooming bloom ing period is their best and the flowers flowers flowers flow flow- ers the following season are arc so poor that we ue often say the plant has bloomed i itself ell to death The Siberian wallflower comes under this cate cate- gory The Canterbury bell a true biennial biennial biennial bien bien- nial is a universal favorite and to many people it isn't a garden without without without with with- out them Yet unless seeds are arc sown this year and year and this is a good time to start them there them there will be none of the charming blue pink white or purple bells to grace the bor borders J. J rs next summer It is not known to every e amateur gardener that this is one plant that will thrive in partial shade in m fact the dainty colors of th this s member of the campanula family r remain ma n more I secure in part shade than thc they dowhen dowhen do dowhen when they thay are exposed to the pitiless rays ras of our Utah sun Seeds are arc best sown In a special seed cd bed now where the plants will have space to develop The next spring they ma may be moved to the places where th they are needed d to Buy the seeds in separate colors rather than in mixtures You probably know without my telling you that there thore ar are ar single double and cup and saucer types The foxglove is one of the choIcest choicest choicest est of all plants and it is a pity that we do not pay more attention to it and grow it more often This also aIo thrives best in shade and as a tall taU spire like subject for planting among ferns in a cool shadowed spot it is really par excellence Sow sc seeds ds now for flowers next June The common foxglove digitalis is lovely enough but the Engl English sh hybrids called giant Shirleys Shirleys Shir- Shir leys are finer in in color and taller inhabit in habit These will reach a height of six or seven feet and the long flowering flowering flow flow- ering ring stem will be thickly hung with drooping bells in white while pink deeprOSe deep deeprose rose or rosy red all spotted with darker larker tones of crimson or maroon If you are arc addicted to covering your our plants with manure or leaves or r other litter Jitter In the winter a vice which I discarded long ago you must remember that this practice is not at atall nIl ill to the foxgloves foxglove's liking Its rosette of 01 leaves prefers lr freedom dom at any by cost Ver Very often failure with young oung foxglove plants may be traced to 0 this very habit of 01 mis mistaken ken kind kind- ness less The wallflower is another biennial which has points to recommend It itLo i to Lo everyone yet et f few fw w western gardeners garden V ers grow it Its sweet fragrance alone should earn it a corner in your 1 garden while its demure flowers In r reddish brown chocolate and yellow have a quiet charm harm all aU their own I cant can't telling you the old fable rable about th this dainty plant It is said that a young oung man from one Scottish Scot Scot- tish clan elan loved a girl from an enemy clan and proposed to elope with her She was to climb down a ladder made of or ropes iron from her chamber to be carried ot off on his fiery steed But al alas 1 she fell was killed and in pity for lor her the wall ever afterward blossomed from every cranny with wallflowers R Remember m that seeds of oC these and other biennials should be sown now for lor finest flowers next year tar j S |
