Blue Book of Gardening, 1929

This is a 1929 mail-order seed and nursery catalog from Winsel-Gibbs Seed Company in Los Angeles, California. The publication functions as both a merchandise listing and a horticultural guide. Featured are Spencer Sweet Pea varieties (Fair Maid, Aviator, Blue Bird, and others) priced at 25 cents per packet, offered with an annual subscription to a full gardening instruction program. The bulk of the catalog comprises a month-by-month gardening calendar for Southern California, detailing what to plant when—from January fruit trees and vegetable seedlings through December harvesting guidance. Instructions cover deciduous ornamentals, citrus cultivation, vegetable crops (potatoes, tomatoes, beans, squash), and ornamental flowers (asters, dahlias, chrysanthemums). The calendar provides practical techniques for soil preparation, seed depth planting, pest control using tobacco dust and whale oil soap, and seasonal care routines. References note sections on fish and pets elsewhere in the full catalog.