With the turn of the year the gardener’s ‘sap’ rises. Though it’s too cold yet to be sowing most seeds, I warm myself with dreams of hot summer days to come with colourful border displays.

(Above photo – a cheerful patch of mixed hardy annuals grown from seed sown in situ in April. Something to light up odd corners, empty spaces and border edges)

Flowers from Seed

With the prospect of a new gardening year there is always something new to look forward to. The chance to try again those plants that failed last year. Experiment with something new, search the catalogues, study last year’s photos and plan improvements. Mistakes are never final. You can always try again.

Annual Flowers

Garden design can be expensive. Each year at Chelsea big companies spend vast sums building their show gardens. If you go to the garden centre for established plants in pots, at £8 a time, you won’t get many for your money. But a £2.70 packet of mixed annuals will give you 4000 seeds -enough plants to fill the garden.
No need to go to great expense. Annuals are cheap and quick to flower. They flower all summer till the frosts and provide a lot of bright colours in a small space. I mainly use the Hardy Plant Society seed scheme (20 packets for free). Also Chiltern Seeds and my own saved seed from the garden last year.

Biennials

These are the essentials for the post-bulb season in the cottage garden, before the annuals and the first herbaceous perennials get going. May/ June is a good time to sow them. Gardeners always need to be looking ahead. They’re a sadly neglected range of plants in modern gardens. I wouldn’t be without scented wallflowers, sweet william, foxgloves, honesty, forget-me-nots and sweet rocket.

Last year’s early sweet peas sown in October 2022. Over-wintered in root trainers before being planted in large tubs in late Feb- March, they were in flower in late May/June.
January is the time to sow the mid season sweet peas. A lovely essential cut-and-come-again scented flower for bunches in the house and to give away.

The Seed Catalogues

These offer a bewildering choice of beauties. Possibilities waiting in packets of dry seeds. Dormant summer dreams overflowing with vibrant colour. With so many choices we must be selective.
Self-seeders are welcome here, plants usually grow best where they, not the gardener, decide! But take care, they can take over unless thinned out.

The space where the tulips and wallflowers were, is taken over with mid summer flowers. Self -sown chicory (always welcome ) and a couple of pots of helenium to add midsummer orange colour.

Dead-heading will be necessary to prolong the display, but apart from that, little else. Such a border is a delight from June onwards.

Autumn Glow

The season ends with a flourish as the display changes to a glow of hot colour. Dahlias, zinnias, rudbeckias, nicotiana, cosmos, calendulas and nasturtiums respond to the heat of late summer. Also with added help from Salvia Amistad, a must-have tender perennial plant. The late performance can last until the first frosts.

We dream of a ‘Persian carpet’ of annuals – a medley of grace and colour. But don’t rush with seed sowing. Except for some perennials that need a cold period to start off germination, most other seeds are best sown in the warmer weeks to come.

Happy seed-sowing! Growing flowers from seed is for everyone.