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The Annual Garden (Th to th except)

10th to 15th, except with heliotrope, which is very tender and cannot go out until the last week in May. When a plant is moved the roots that serve to anchor it to the soil in which it grows are dislodged, and the plant is placed in fresh earth in which it must form new anchors or roots. It is by means of these anchoring roots that the plant, through its root hairs, absorbs the moisture from the soil; therefore, until it forms these roots in its new quarters it is unable to give itself water and we must make up for that loss by supplying it with all it needs. After the plants stand upright and growth begins we may know that they have become established and are able once again to take care of themselves, except when the earth is dry from lack of rain. Young plants suffer sooner from dry weather than the old established ones do, because they have smaller root systems and have to depend for their sustenance upon the soil moisture contained in the immediate 3 or 4 inches. Large deep-rooted plants strike deeply into the earth and have a larger reservoir to drink from. The more deep-rooted and ramifying a root system a plant has the less it will suffer from drought. So that the seedlings, whether in the open, frame, or greenhouse, must be kept moist by sprinkling their tops with water during the day. Shading is given to check the transpiration of water from the [15] leaves and soil. The sun, being stronger than the plant, draws out the water from the leaves very fast and soon will dry them out at such a rate as to cause the plants to droop badly, making it just so much more difficult for them to become established. When the seedlings are planted in the garden watering must be thoroughly attended to very early in the morning, to strengthen them before the heat of the day, and again in the afternoon.

Let us now consider the actual process of transplanting. First of all lift the seedling carefully from the seed bed, breaking as few roots as possible. Next, prepare a hole with a dibble or plant label large enough for the roots to lie in their natural position; avoid cramping or twisting, but make it sufficiently roomy for the seedling to be perfectly comfortable and happy in its new home. When this is done firm the soil around the roots and plant so that the center or heart of the seedling is on a line with the surface of the soil. The heart is the place from which new growth comes and it must be fully exposed to the air and sunshine. In transplanting seedlings fresh from the seed bed in the open, it is a help to have a can of water ready in which to carry the plants and keep them wet and fresh while planting. Larger plants are given a good start by what is known as "puddling"; this simply means [16] to pour a little water in the bottom of the holes before inserting the plants. Pot-grown plants transplant very much better than others do, as their root systems remain practically unbroken while they are being transferred from the pot to the ground. Water the plants an hour or so before planting so that the roots will come out nicely protected with a ball of moist earth. Paper pots can be purchased very reasonably and are excellent for tender seedlings started in the greenhouse, as, for example, snapdragons, heliotrope, lupins, annuals that are difficult to transplant. In this case pot and plant are planted together; the paper pot will rot by the time the roots ramify through the soil, and thus planting is done without any shock at all. Transplanting of seedlings that are not pot grown gives them a setback of 10 days or 2 weeks.

There are certain annuals that transplant so poorly that it is advisable to sow the seed where the bloom is desired; these are poppies, gypsophila, bachelor's buttons, nasturtiums, larkspur and sweet peas. The larkspur and sweet peas can be moved provided they are pot grown, but finer results can be obtained by seeding directly in the garden.

When the plants start growing they must be kept at work steadily. In raising annuals it is necessary to keep in mind the fact that frost means death, and be- [17] fore they leave us forever we want them to give us all the beauty they are capable of. This can only be secured by continuous growth and good health, for "time is fleeting" and there is no time to waste on illness in the annual garden. Therefore, resolve never to let the plants suffer from lack of care. Cultivation, watering when necessary, spraying and feeding, are all very necessary to keep the plants growing and healthy. A stunted growth resulting from a baked, dry soil that is neither cultivated nor watered will check the growth and make the plant a suitable subject for disease. Annuals with a very few exceptions love the sunshine, they soon become spindly and weak in shady places. The soil will be benefited by an application of thoroughly well-rotted cow manure, incorporated into the soil to the depth of the spade, before the planting begins. In planting be very careful not to allow any manure to come into direct contact with the roots. Later in the season, at intervals of about a month, a little pulverized sheep manure may be used to advantage and worked lightly into the soil, at the time of cultivation. The advisability of this monthly feeding will depend entirely upon the natural richness of the soil, the condition of the plants and the season. It is very possible to become too ambitious about fertilizing, which results in luxuriant leaf growth and few flowers. Then, too, [18] if the season is very damp and warm the annuals will grow apace without extra help. In fact, fertilizing in very wet seasons will only add to the tendency of "running to leaf," as excessive moisture will also cause this to happen. Therefore, while a little fertilizing throughout the season is usually most advantageous, it must be done with forethought and judgment. When the plants come into bloom, remove the flowers as soon as they fade. This is most important, as it is only in this way that continuous bloom is maintained, for annuals are so anxious to produce seed that the majority of them will continue blooming until they succeed in this work. The production of seed is the hardest work a plant has to do in its life. Therefore, do not allow its vitality to be expended in this way, but rather save its strength for the formation of flower buds.