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Show Grow Perennial Flowers From Seed j I 1 -n , f j .- ' . V "- i , ; Photo Courtesy Ferry-Morw Seed Oo. You can save considerable garden money and add new zest to your gardening by growing your own perennial flowers from seed. The best quality seeds cost only a few cents a packet and with simple care will produce scores of plants to bring color end beauty to the garden for years to come. Most perennials grown from seed bloom the second year after sowing. Some perennial seeds are very small. Mix them with sand so that they will not be sown too quickly in the row and merely press them into the soil instead of covering them. Larger seeds need a shallow covering of soil Firm the soil down on them so that they will make immediate im-mediate contact with the moisture and plant food. Keep the soil moist but not wet until the seeds sprout. Some gardeners spread damp burlap over the surface to furnish needed moisture, removing it at the first sign of sprouting. Here are a number of perennials that beginners can start from seed with almost sure success: Columbine, Colum-bine, gaillardia, coreopsis, hollyhock, painted daisy, sweet william, hardy pinks, hardy alyssum, and the violas. Perennial seeds usually take somewhat some-what longer to germinate than those of annual flowers. Don't be discouraged discour-aged if the tiny sprouts do not show themselves for two or three weeks after the seed is sown. Seed should be started at about the same time as that of the annuals, an-nuals, such as zinnias and marigolds. mari-golds. The secret of success is to get the seedlings to transplanting size early enough so that when set in their permanent places in garden or border, they will get a good root-hold root-hold before cold weather comes on. A specially prepared seed bed or seed box is best for starting perennial peren-nial seeds. A seed bed can be easily prepared by knocking the bottom out of a good-sized shallow wooden box and sinking the sides into the ground. The top should be about two or three inches above the surface. sur-face. Use finely prepared, crumbly garden loam containing plenty of humus. It is important to locate the seed bed where it will be sheltered from strong winds and from sunlight during the hottest part of the day. A seed box or flat may also be used, with holes bored in the bottom for drainage. This has the advantage of being movable to sheltered locations loca-tions when necessary. |