Green Fingers: Sowing flower seeds for seasonal colour
There are a number of ways to have a long succession of flowers and by starting soon you can achieve this within a short time.
There is a simple, economic and relatively easy way to have an abundance flowers in your garden and that is to sow your own.
There are a number of ways to have a long succession of flowers and by starting soon you can achieve this within a short time.
There are certain flowers that we suggest for beginners and school projects as they are almost foolproof and can be sown directly outside where they are to flower.
It is a simple matter of raking a flat area and covering with a thin 1.25cm (.5”) layer of compost into which the seeds can be scattered lightly and then raked over to cover the seeds.
There are many flower varieties to choose from and they include Calendula (old fashioned marigold), Candytuft, Cornflower, Larkspur, Nigella (love in a mist), Poppy (Shirley type), wildflowers and Night Scented Stock.
Other flowers that can be sown directly but need to be planted on their own are Sunflowers, Sweet Pea (grown on supports like netting or trellis) and Nasturtium (which is vigorous and needs space to spread).
There are many summer flowers that need to be sown in trays or modules indoors and then planted out when large enough to handle. I am not sure this is worth the extra effort when a small number of plants are required, when it is simpler to buy a number of different bedding plant packs.
The exception might be in growing some flowers that are not normally available and that would include plants that are biennial and perennial, which means sowing and planting this year for the plants to flower from next year onwards.
These flowers were popular many years ago and have gone out of favour as the current trend is to have plants ready to flower immediately. I feel these plants have much to offer and the flowers are quite different to warrant considering growing some. They include Canterbury Bells (cup and saucer shaped flowers in blue, white and pink), Forget-Me-Not (mass of blue flowers), Stock (Brompton type with fragrant flowers), Sweet Williams (the traditional fragrant 60cm or 2’ tall type) and Wallflowers (fragrant and multi-coloured). Many of these plants can sow themselves and therefore live for years in the same spot, so choose a position where they will not be disturbed. They are all great food plants for insects and particularly our beneficial pollinating bees.
While there are many flowering perennials that can be grown from seed, few seed companies offer them for sale as the demand is small and declining. These are sown in the same ways as the biennials but these live longer and include Aquilegia or Columbine, Foxglove (multi-colour mix), Lupin and Hollyhock (this can get a rust fungus particularly in confined areas but worth a try). There are others such as Aubretia, Arabis, Everlasting Sweet Pea (not fragrant) and Delphinium.
Nature puts manners on erratic and out of season growing aspirations but veteran growers will not be affected as they have patience and go by the traditional growing seasons.
The back of seed packs will give you some guide-lines on when to sow and plant out, but also advice can come from garden club members or garden centre staff.
In general April and May are two prime months to sow and plant many flowers and vegetables but do remember the season is short enough around here so get moving soon on what you wish to grow this summer.
If you have any queries or comments you are welcome to share them with me on 051-384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmail.com and if of general interest I will include it in a future newsletter.
