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Show TO HAVE POSIES ' ; ADORN'TfOOME Variety in Garden Annuals Will Assure Choice Elossoms Throughout Season. MANY WILL SEED THEMSELVES When Once Established Numerous Splendid Flowers Will Grow Year After Year Endless Combinations Combi-nations Are Possible. Sufficient variety in planting the garden annuals will assure cut flowers flow-ers all summer, suggests the United States Department of Agriculture. There are so many different garden flowers that are easy to raise, that almost al-most endless combinations may be selected. se-lected. One would surely want an abundance abun-dance of blue cornflowers, sometimes called "bachelor's buttons," "ragged sailor," "ragged robin," or a variety of oilier names. When placed in water wa-ter after cutting, the flowers increase in size. The seeds of these annuals should be sown in the fall or in the spring from the time the ground is fit to work until the last of May in the North and the last of June in the South. They may be started earlier, under glass. The young plants should be thinned to 4 to 6 Inches apart. They thrive well on all moderately rich garden soils. When once established estab-lished they will usually reseed themselves them-selves year after year. -Scablosa, often called mourning bride, pin-cushion flower, and sweet scabious, is an easily grown old-fashioned half-hardy annual that is very attractive and satisfactory both for cutting and for borders and beds. The flowers, which vary from white through rose, crimson and blue to almost al-most black, are borne on long stems ni.O keep a long time either on the plant or when cut. The seed should be sown In the open ground after danger dan-ger from hard frost Is past and the ' plants will bloom in about 12 weeks. There are also hardy perennial kinds. The Popular Zinnia. The home garden is not .complete without zinnias, sometimes called "youth-and-old-age.". They ai easily grown from seed sown in the open ground. When sown as soon as the ground is fit to work, the plants will bloom abundantly and continuously through the entire season. Of late great improvements have been .wrought both In the color and form of the flower. Their colors are white,' yellow, orange, pink, rose and scarlet. lining the month of August zinnias i'ie at their best. To secure large flowers and a profusion pro-fusion of bloom the plants must be i . en ample room for full develop-lii.'iit develop-lii.'iit as well as an abundant supply of food. Strong rich soils suit them. If the seeds are sown In a dwelling house or in a hotbed and the young p'aiits are pricked out once or twice before being placed In their permanent perma-nent situations more satisfactory results re-sults will be secured than from outdoor-sown seeds, unless equal care In thinning oi transplanting la given. The plants can be used for groups, beds, border:", garden lines and summer sum-mer hedges. Their average height Is 2'2 feet, running from 2 to 3 feet. There are two forms of "baby's breath" of whlrh Ihe perennial Is sometimes considered bent, but the m-nnnl m-nnnl type may bo iir.rd with good ef-f.-( for co ul It.lr.f with ot)"r cu' flowers. It is sown in the open ground as soon as freezing weather is past. For Fall Blossoms. The China aster is certainly one of the most satisfactory of the annual flowering plants. Its habit of growth adapts the China aster to close planting plant-ing for cut bloom, for window boxes and also for bedding. It should not be confused with "the attractive native, hardy perennial asters. Plants from seed sown In the open ground in May and supplied sufficient moisture bloom abundantly in September Septem-ber and October, when the flowers are seen at their best. For July and August Au-gust blooms, the seeds should be sown In March or April. When frosts occur during this season the planting will need to be done in a coldframe, a spent hotbed or in pots or boxes in a living room. Cover the seed about half an Inch deep with rich light soil, and when the plants have three or four leaves transfer them to thumb pots or to other boxes, setting the plants about two inches apart. After all danger of frost is past transplant the plants so treated tri their permanent home, where they should stand about eighteen inches apart each way in well-prepared beds. Fresh manure or manure used In ton large quantities sometimes proves injurious in-jurious to them. Only thoroughly composted com-posted manure mixed with the soil la safe for these plants. Small quantities quanti-ties of air-slaked lime or of fresh wood ashes stirred into the surface of the beds are beneficial. When given plenty of water and rich, fine soil China asters can be grown into beautiful beau-tiful pot plants. . In the gaillardlas, or blanket flowers, flow-ers, are found both annual and perennial peren-nial plants of easiest culture, offering a wide selection of varieties and a profusion of bloom over a long period. The blooming period begins early and lit Petunia Window Box. continues late In the autumn. These are plants well adapted to mixed borders bor-ders and are very satisfactory as cut flowers. The stems are of goxl length, carrying the orange and crimson lowers low-ers well, while the cut flowers keep fresh for a long time when placed in water. The perennial types nre often preferred,. Plants Need Sun and Air. The annual galllanlias are all propa gated readily from seeds sown wliert! they are to grow soon after freezing weather is past, although they can be started under glass and he transplant', ed to their permanent location as soon as killing frosts have passed. In either case, the blooming plants should not stand closer together than 10 to VI Inches. They grow and bloom best when fully exposed to sun and air and when planted on a fertile bill light and well-drained soil. Anionj various pleasing flowers n may choose from stock, calendula candytuft, alyssuin, phlox drum mondll, petunias, ageratum, verbena dahilas and gladiolus. Each gnrdene will have personal preferences en to satisfy with the long nit'-to: nit'-to: cutting when in bloom. |