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.
| Name | Color | Height | Sow Indoors | Sow Outdoors | Good for | Place | Blooming Season |
| Ageratum (Ageratum conyzoides) | Blue White | 8 in. | March | May | Edging | Sun | June to frost |
| Alyssum, Sweet | White | 4 to 8 in. | March | April to Sept. | Edging | Sun | June to frost |
| Antirrhinum, see Snapdragon | |||||||
| Aster, China (Callistephus hortensis) | White Pink Violet | 18 to 24 in. | March | April, May | Bed | Sun | Aug. to Sept. |
| Baby's Breath (Gypsophila) | White | 1 to 2 ft. | April | Border | Sun | May (sow again) | |
| Bachelor's Buttons, see Cornflower | |||||||
| Balsam (Impatiens balsamina) | White Red Yellow | 1 to 2 ft. | March April | May | Border Bed | Sun | July to Oct. |
| California Poppy (Eschscholtzia Californica) | Yellow White Orange | 12 in. | April (sow in succession) | Edging | Sun | June to frost | |
| Candytuft (Iberis) | White Pink Red | 6 to 8 in. | April, and every two weeks after | Edging | Sun | June to frost | |
| Castor-oil Bean (Ricinus) | 3 to 8 ft. | April | Tropical effects | Sun | Until frost | ||
| China Aster, see Aster | |||||||
| [A]Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) | Yellow | 1 to 3 ft. | April | Border Bed | Sun | June to Oct. | |
| Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) | Blue | 1 to 2 ft. | April | Border Bed | Sun | June to frost | |
| Cosmos | White Pink Crimson | 4 to 8 ft. | March | April | Back of border | Sun | July to frost |
| Cypress Vine (Ipomœa quamoclit) | Red White | 10 to 20 ft. | April | May | Screen | Sun | June, July |
| Eschscholtzia, see California Poppy | |||||||
| [B]Forget-me-not (Myosotis) | Blue | 6 to 18 in. | April to July | Bed | Half Shade | April to fall | |
| Floss Flower, see Ageratum | |||||||
| Gilliflower, see Ten Weeks' Stock | |||||||
| Godetia | White Red | 1 to 2 ft. | March | May | Border Bed | Shade or sun | July to Oct. |
| Gypsophila, see Baby's Breath | |||||||
| Hyacinth Bean (Dolichos) | Purple White | 10 to 20 ft. | May | Screen | Sun | July to frost | |
| Lady's Slipper, see Balsam | |||||||
| Larkspur, Annual (Delphinium) | White Pink Blue | 1 to 3 ft. | April | Border Bed | Sun | July to frost | |
| Lobelia (Lobelia erinus) | Blue | 6 to 12 in. | March | May | Edging | Sun | June to Nov. |
| Lupin (Lupinus) | Most shades | 2 ft. | Successive sowing | From May on | Border Bed | Partial shade | From June on |
| Marigold, African (Tagetes erecta) | Yellow | 2 ft. | March | May | Border Bed | Sun | Aug. to frost |
| Mignonette (Reseda odorata) | White Red Yellow | 1 ft. | April and July | Border Bed | Sun | June to Oct. | |
| Morning-glory (Convolvulus) | White Pink Purple | 10 to 20 ft. | April | Vine | Sun | July to frost | |
| Myosotis, see Forget-me-not | |||||||
| Nasturtium (Tropæolum) | Yellow to reds | 1 to 10 ft. | April May | Climber Dwarf | Sun | July to frost | |
| Nicotiana, see | Tobacco Plant | ||||||
| [A]Pansy (Viola tricolor) | No red | 6 to 12 in. | Feb. | April May | Bed | Half shade | May to Oct. |
| Petunia (Petunia hybrida) | White to Magenta | 1 to 2 ft. | On surface in May | Border Bed | Sun | June to frost | |
| Phlox, Annual(Phlox Drummondi) | White Pink Red | 1 ft. | March | May | Border Bed | Sun | June to frost |
| [B]Pink, Chinese (Dianthus Chinensis) | White Pink Rose | 1 ft. | Feb. | March April | Border Bed | Sun | All summer |
| Poppy, Shirley (Papaver rhæas) | White Pink Red | 1 to 2 ft. | March, April Later for succession | Bed | Sun | June to Oct. | |
| Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora) | No blue | 6 to 9 in. | May 1st | Carpeting | In dry, sunny position | All summer | |
| Rose Moss, see Portulaca | |||||||
| Sage, Blue or Scarlet, see Salvia | |||||||
| [A]Salvia | White Blue Scarlet | 3 ft. | March | May | Border Bed | Sun | July to frost |
| Scarlet Runner Bean | Red | 12 ft. | April | Climber | Sun | July to frost | |
| [A]Snapdragon (Antirrhinum) | No blue | 1 to 3 ft. | March | May | Border Bed | Sun | July to frost |
| Stock, Ten Weeks' (Matthiola incana) | White Pink Purple | 1 to 2 ft. | March | May | Border Bed | Sun | July to frost |
| Sunflower (Helianthus annus) | Yellow | 3 to 12 ft. | April | Back of bed | Sun | July to frost | |
| Sun Plant, see Portulaca | |||||||
| Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) | All Colors | 3 to 6 ft. | March | Back of border vines | Sun | July to Oct. | |
| [B]Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) | White Pink Red | 12 to 18 in. | April | Border Bed | Sun | July to Oct. | |
| Tobacco Plant (Nicotiana) | White Pink Red Purple | 2 to 5 ft. | May | Border | Sun | July to Oct. | |
| Verbena | No Blue | 1 ft. | March | May | Border Bed | Sun | June to Oct. |
| Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) | Yellow to reds | 1 to 2 ft. | March | May | Border Bed | Sun | June to Oct. |