What Flower seeds are you sowing now

[Ladygardener]

Well done wendya, making cuttings is a great way to increase your stock. I took 3 cuttings from a new trailing fuschia I bought and gave to a neighbour. They're sitting in a jam jar of water on the kitchen windowledge and when I checked today, all 3 have taken. The variety is Red Spider. I'm very pleased.

[wendya]

Excellent I have sown more seeds toad flax, cosmos and corn flower, direct today in downstairs planters hopefully will take better now warmish, but my valeriums are stopping some getting light now and seem to have a snail problem on valerums eaten with tiny holes all over leaves, so removed snails, then they wont get my seedlings.

Is it normal for Penstamens to get full of black fly on the tips ?

[wendya]

Talking about seeds can anyone help me i would like to take a seed off a helebore that i have my eye on, now what do i do, how do i know the seed is ready, then what do i do? we have so many beautiful ones in the graveyard and sure no one would mind if i tried to take a seed or 2 for next year.

[Tig]

The seedpods on the hellebores should start to change from green to brown wendya and at that point they should be ready. The seeds should be shiny and black. The advice is to sow them as soon as possible as they don't germinate as well from stored seed. It can be a long wait for them to germinate so patience is needed. I find mine often need a spell of cold weather before they decide to come up. No special protection required, I just leave them in a shady place outside and keep moist, but not soaking.

[wendya]

Can i just ask are the seeds in the brown pod? and its just the seeds i need to sow then not the brown pod? Tig

[wendya]

Don't answer that one, of course i don't plant the pod, i have now planted some helebore :0 hopefully they will come up next spring

[Tig]

They might make an appearance by September if you are lucky! Just don't forget to keep the compost moist!

[wendya]

my goodness me really i didn't think they would show until next year, would be great if they came up September, I will keep moist, thank you for the tip.

[Barbara]

I've just done 2 trays of wallflowers, they are on the shed roof out of the way.

[Ladygardener]

I sowed some Brussel Sprouts a while ago and they're up, yesterday I sowed purple and green Basil and some Broccoli, it's late but it's a late variety and I think it'll be fine. They can go into the bed with the early potatoes after I've lifted them, all being well.

[Rosefriend]

Just about finished all the planting - I have some Primrose seeds to do - would it be better to wait until later on to sow inside overwinter or do they need being cold to germinate. When is the best time??

Rf

[Jilly]

I sowed some Apricot Beauty Foxgloves,  wallflowers & Hellebores yesterday and just by way of an experiment a tray full of Cleome. I read in one of the posh gardening mags that at Glyndebourne (which is quite close to me) they sow Cleome in June to plant out in August. Seeing as thanks to the S&S I've only got one decent plant left from my early sowings & they're home saved seeds, so it only cost me a tray full of compost I thought I'd give it a go.

[Ladygardener]

May 26, 2014 8:02:31 GMT Rosefriend said:

Just about finished all the planting - I have some Primrose seeds to do - would it be better to wait until later on to sow inside overwinter or do they need being cold to germinate. When is the best time??

Rf

I have read that the best time to sow them is July to August or in a cold frame in October. People debate about cold to germinate but a lot of the sites I looked at said they can be sown now. Rosefriend so anytime soon would do. Are they saved seeds? in which case I remember Carol Klein saying they should be sown fresh.

Fingers crossed your Cleome come on for you Jilly, I've never had any luck at all with them.

I'd sown some basil, purple and green types and also some beetroot the other week and they're all up.

[Rosefriend]

Jun 3, 2014 6:44:52 GMT Ladygardener said:

May 26, 2014 8:02:31 GMT Rosefriend said:

Just about finished all the planting - I have some Primrose seeds to do - would it be better to wait until later on to sow inside overwinter or do they need being cold to germinate. When is the best time??

Rf

I have read that the best time to sow them is July to August or in a cold frame in October. People debate about cold to germinate but a lot of the sites I looked at said they can be sown now. Rosefriend so anytime soon would do. Are they saved seeds? in which case I remember Carol Klein saying they should be sown fresh.

Fingers crossed your Cleome come on for you Jilly, I've never had any luck at all with them.

I'd sown some basil, purple and green types and also some beetroot the other week and they're all up.

Thanks Ladygardener - will get things going this week...will add some wallflowers as well..

RF

[Auricula]

Trying cerinthe........yet again

[Jilly]

I know Auricula, they're one of those things that once you've got them they're quite happy to self seed, but it's getting them going them in the first place  .

Not sure if it was the wine, but I came out in sympathy with you on Sunday, I found some old Russian Giant Sunflower seeds & sowed them, no idea what so ever where they're going to go if the grow 

[Auricula]

Good oh, nice to have friends backing you up

[Ladygardener]

I went ahead and sowed the last of my Foxglove Candy Mountain this evening.

[Chuckles]

I sowed a selection of seeds a few weeks ago now and have had some success, some of the seeds were quite old so I wasn't holding up much hope. I've got a few that have sprouted Wallflowers from LG that I sowed direct back end failed but some in trays have germinated Some Lupins two types, Hollyhocks the dark almost black and Verbascum which if I recall are white are looking good. But there are still some trays that are doing nothing yet, Foxgloves, Love in a Mist and a few others whos names won't come to mind

[Chuckles]

May 26, 2014 8:02:31 GMT Rosefriend said:

Just about finished all the planting - I have some Primrose seeds to do - would it be better to wait until later on to sow inside overwinter or do they need being cold to germinate. When is the best time??

Rf

I think primroses need sowing fresh from the pod Rosefriend and if they don't show then give them some cold, think they need to be in the shade too.  I had a tray of candelabra which I sowed last year they wintered outside in the shade and have shown there faces this spring, trouble is what I've got growing aren't primroses, by the look of them they are that tiny creeping plant that has a small purple snap dragon like flowers, I'm sure someone will know what I mean, it gets everywhere but its very pretty. The seeds obviously got blown in at some point

[Chuckles]

Jun 3, 2014 13:31:44 GMT Auricula said:

Trying cerinthe........yet again

I love Cerinthe and have one plant growing from some old saved seed, if I wasn't such a tight bugga I'd buy more seed, maybe next year I will but I'm keeping this plant in the GH and hope to collect the seed for next year. 

[Ladygardener]

Yesterday I sowed some Honesty and some Purple Sprouting Broccoli. suki knocked over a whole seed tray full of beetroot the other day so I need to resow them as well.

[Barbara]

Has anyone ever sowed foxgloves in a pot and then planted them out please ? I want to plant them where the montbretia will be getting the heave ho from, but not ready to do it until after it's flowered as there are too many plants around it that would get disturbed, I normally sow them where I want them to flower.

[Ladygardener]

Jun 11, 2014 11:04:17 GMT Barbara said:

Has anyone ever sowed foxgloves in a pot and then planted them out please ? I want to plant them where the montbretia will be getting the heave ho from, but not ready to do it until after it's flowered as there are too many plants around it that would get disturbed, I normally sow them where I want them to flower.

Yes Barbara thats how I do them every year. They transplant very well so don't worry. I sowed some Candy Mountain the other day.

[Jilly]

I have much more success doing Foxgloves that way too Barbara, you can get them to a decent size before they go out.

[Barbara]

Thanks Jilly and LG.

[Auricula]

I always do mine like that too Barbara, am sowing some today as a matter of fact At least that way, they start where you want them, eventhough who knows where they'll pop up in future years

[Jilly]

Better late than never but I sowed my sweet peas today, just got a new cover for the growhouse, so they can be undisturbed now. With the weather being so mild I'm quite glad I didn't do them earlier or the would be up & getting leggy by now. Did my favourite Erewhon & Cuprini (thanks to Ladygardener, for the seeds) & some mixed ones. Also did a couple of trays of Ammi majus & Poppy Swansdown (thanks to theinsidegardener)

[theinsidegardener]

Good luck with the swansdown (and all the others!) Jilly,. I onyl sowed my sweetpea the other day too, I sowed lots this year, not sure where I am going to put them if they all germinate!!

[Spruance]

I've been toying with the idea of reverting to an autumn sowing of sweet peas. Just lately I have opted for a February sowing and last year's plants were still covered in flowers to the end of September although it is nice to have early flowers too. I don't suppose there is a deadline for sowing under glass so I may opt for a split sowing as I have some seeds that really need to be sown now.