Of all the fragrant annuals, the petunia is the best known and the most profuse flowering.
At the time we buy plants in the spring, the moon vine is a poor-appearing plant; otherwise more persons would buy them. How delicately fragrant they are, how fragile! Have you sown seeds of them? They are hard and need to be soaked in water overnight. Another lovely evening annual is the Flowering Tobacco. It is best planted among other rather tall flowers, which give it a background. In recent years charming deep rose and crimson sorts have been produced. They are generally cataloged as Nicotiana sanderae hybrids.
After a refreshing shower in the late afternoon, how pleasant is our walk along the garden paths, following the evening meal; doubly so if we have planted the Sweet-briar Rose, the Eglantine of the British. This simple old rose, brought to America by the Pilgrims, has delightful apple-scented leaves. Many other roses have larger flowers and are more beautiful in color, but then, they do not have the fragrant leaves.
The North
Tropical Fish. Tropical fish, such as the guppies and swordtails, may be put in the lily pool to control mosquitoes, in place of goldfish. More than likely if they are in pairs, they will breed profusely, producing a quantity of young, which, by the way, are born alive rather than hatched from an egg deposited on plants or on the pool bottom, as is done by most other fish.
The West Coast
Roses should have a rest period from early July to late August. Cultivate well at the beginning of the period, then do not give them any water until the end.
The lovely Montbretias, coming into bloom now, thrive on about the same cultural treatment as gladiolus.
Water chrysanthemums about once a week and thoroughly cultivate as soon after as the ground can be worked. The same applies to gladiolus and dahlia.
Mountain Trips. In upland and mountain trips, note the lovely native shrubbery. Many of these species can be obtained from nurseries in suitable planting sizes.
Lilies require an abundance of water when they are in bloom, but of course, the water should be kept off the blossoms.
Snapdragons. Many western gardeners sow snapdragons in July, believing that they are much freer from rust throughout the rest of the year.
Sow Seeds. This is a good month for sowing seeds of seaholly (Eryngium amethystinum) in seed boxes, and gold-encup (Hunnemannia) in beds where the bloom is wanted.
The South
Rule 1: Water, cultivate, mulch.
Oriental Poppies can be moved this month. If they are not dug too deeply the rest of the roots which remain in the soil will grow into new plants.
Peonies are becoming more popular each year with those living as far north as Tennessee. This is the month to order some of the varieties your garden lacks.
Winter bouquets should be considered now, for many of the everlastings are at their best. They need to be cut while they are in the bud stage and hung upside down to dry.
Many of the annuals are suffering a little from the heat. Cut them back, rather severely and they will recuperate by preventing seeding.
Many perennials may be sown this month. Start cuttings of many such plants as coleus, Hibiscus, jasmine, and begonias.
Give azaleas an application of cottonseed meal. Pinching out tips of new twigs on azaleas between now and August 15 will give increased bloom next winter.
Leafrollers. Florida gardeners note: If leafrollers make your cannas unsightly, use a pyrethrum spray to control them.
“Gophers” If Florida gardeners are bothered with “gophers,” which are really land turtles, soak a wad of cotton in carbon bisulphide, stuff it into the holes they have made, and cover the entrance to the holes at once.
Roses. Florida nurserymen can supply some rose varieties out of boxes or ball and burlapped if needed for summer-planting work.
Fill up the gap in your flower border with Plumbago or carnations now.
In Georgia, if your lawn gets so weedy as to appear hopeless, plow it up this month, then replant to Bermuda Grass whenever conditions are right, sometime between now and winter.
Poinsettias. Cut them back now.