Sow let the adventure
Now’s the time to discover what will succ-seed in your garden this spring
AS THE early January wind howls outside and the rain beats against the windows, it’s the perfect time for some armchair gardening. I’ve always loved browsing through printed catalogues or online lists and discovering what new seeds are available for springtime sowing.
Sowing from seed is an adventure – taking a chance with strike rates and watching your plant develop from tiny beginnings.
It’s an economical way of adding to your existing plant stock and also a great way to try out the very latest strains of your favourite flowers.
Chiltern Seeds has a comprehensive selection of both fruit and veg – and every year it presents new and different cultivars for the curious gardener to try.
A new marigold called Tagetes ‘Strawberry Blonde’ caught my eye.
These gorgeous new blooms have double flowers in a palette of peachy apricot tones – some even verging on pink, which is quite unusual.
Marigolds are a good choice for beginner gardeners or as a project for children because they are easy and so quick to germinate, with first buds appearing only a few weeks after sowing.
So if you’ve a bare patch that needs some colour, grab a packet of these (chilternseeds.co.uk).
If you are addicted to seeking out the quirky and unusual, seedaholic. com is a great site to browse, with lots of fascinating information on each plant.
While many gardeners will be familiar with the rich red plumes of Amaranthus caudatus, also known as Love Lies Bleeding, ‘Hot Biscuits’ is a new variety with wonderful copperybronze panicles which emerge in early summer and last to midautumn.
It is easily grown, even in poor soil, and makes an excellent cut flower. The species was used as a food in ancient times as the seed is nutritious and was ground for flour or used as a porridge.
The ever popular cosmos is one of the best annuals for filling borders and containers with non-stop cheerful blooms.
The classic pink or white flowers have been adapted by breeders, and Thompson and Morgan has a delightful new variety called ‘Apricot Lemonade.’
The pretty blooms open in a shade of soft apricot with a pale lavender underside before fading to a pale creamy yellow. The mauve-pink ring around the centre of each flower adds a lovely extra detail.
If you love Angel’s Fishing Rods (Dierama) but find them too large for your plot, here’s a lovely dwarf variety called ‘Ripe Cherries.’ Available from plant-world-seeds.com, their arching stems carry pretty bell flowers in a variety of colours ranging from red through to pale purple – because they have been bred from alpine Dieramas they remain small, around 45 to 60 cm in height.
A cheerful new zinnia at sarahraven.com will bring joy –‘Queeny Lime Orange’ is a mix of soft lime and gentle orange peach flowers and, crucially, has been found to perform well in our damper grey climate.
Sow them indoors in modules for