what seeds to sow BRIZA MEDIA Planting ‘GOLDEN BEE’ I love quaking grasses and this selection has a golden tint to the planner seedheads as they age. SLP†. Height (H) 60cm. Sow (S) Best The best seeds to sown in situ in spring. Period of interest (P) sow for 2015 May – September. Winter is the perfect time for studying seed catalogues and planning what to grow. Leading designer Sarah Price gives us a sneak peek of her list WORDS SARAH PRICE PERSICARIA ORIENTALIS Definitely a plant for the back of the border, this tall, multi-branched annual has dramatic, long, deep pink, drooping plumes. Popular in the Victorian era. HA. H 1.8m. S Best sown fresh in autumn. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: JASON INGRAM X2; STEFFEN HAUSER / GARDEN WORLD IMAGES; NICHOLAS APPLEBY / GARDEN WORLD IMAGES / GARDEN WORLD APPLEBY NICHOLAS IMAGES; / GARDEN WORLD HAUSER X2; STEFFEN INGRAM JASON TOP: FROM CLOCKWISE Can also be sown in early spring. his year my cash-strapped local authority P Late summer to autumn. Twas flooded with unlikely letters of love and appreciation after it set verges and roundabouts alive with a blaze of LATHYRUS annual colour instead of the usual regimented bedding. VERNUS ‘FILIGREE’ It’s proof that broadcasting a packet, or in this case Low-growing, bucketfuls, of mixed seed can have mood-enhancing bushy, hardy effects. It’s not all about live-fast-die-young annuals. perennial sweet pea, Many of my favourite plants are hardy biennials, which invaluable for its take two years to flower, set seed and die, while others are early, purple-blue hardy herbaceous perennials that will live for years. blooms. Will Growing from seed means you can choose from a far disappear by wider selection of rare and hard-to-find species than those midsummer so grown by commercial nurseries. It’s also a lot cheaper, best partnered which means you can grow more plants of the same with late perennials. variety. This is one of the secrets of a successful planting HP. H 40cm. design and repetition within your planting palette will S Winter – conjure more coherent and striking garden pictures. early spring. It’s not just about the seeds you sow yourself. Growing DIDISCUS COERULEUS P March – April. plants that flower and readily set seed allows your garden With beautiful, diaphanous umbels and to take on a life of its own. In his inspiring book A seedheads, the blue lace flower needs careful Garden from a Hundred Packets of Seed the poet James positioning for it to be fully appreciated. Fenton observes that ‘it’s when this begins to happen that HA. H 60cm. S March – April under cover. a garden begins to be a garden. Your job as the gardener Plant out after last frosts. P 14 weeks from is to set the ball rolling’. I couldn’t agree more. sowing, late July to first frosts. Turn over for more of Sarah’s recommendations on seeds to sow. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †HA – hardy annual; 74 TA – tender annual; HB – hardy biennial; SLP – short-lived perennial; HP – hardy perennial. 75 what seeds to sow DIANTHUS CARTHUSIANORUM COBAEA ORLAYA Intense cerise flowers are held high on leafless SCANDENS GRANDIFLORA stems above neat grassy foliage making this Elegant purple-green Exquisite, lace-like plant invaluable for intermingling. I grow tendrils and exotic umbels look ethereal among low grasses, such as Melica ciliata, and cup-and-saucer buds threaded through a sun-loving scree plants. Easy from seed, it and inky blooms. froth of Gypsophila often flowers in the first year. H P. H 40cm. Plant among sweet ‘Rosenschleier’. S Spring – early winter. P June – late summer. peas or perennial Extend the season by climbers. May over- growing plants from winter in sheltered both autumn and position and will spring sowings. HA. flower through the H 45-60cm. S March LUNARIA REDIVIVA year if grown in a – April undercover Delicately scented perennial with simple, pale- greenhouse. TA. and/or late August – lavender flowers and fresh-green, heart-shaped H 6m. S January – September. P June – leaves. Papery, elliptical seedheads. Happy to March undercover, September. weave itself among other plants. AGM*. HP. plant out after last H 60-90cm. S Autumn and overwinter in situ. frost. P Midsummer P Late spring – early summer. to first frosts. HELIANTHUS ANNUUS ‘VELVET QUEEN’ A multi-branched sunflower bearing many dark-centred, crimson blooms. Lovely to NIGELLA PAPILLOSA ‘AFRICAN BRIDE’ cut and to partner at the back of a border Striking, large, white blooms with with the late-flowering annual Persicaria pronounced purple-black stamens, followed orientalis. HA. H 1.8m. S Early spring to early by unusual black spider-like seedpods. summer in situ. P July – September. HA. H 45-60cm. S Sow March/September under cover or April/August in situ. P July – September. SMYRNIUM DIPSACUS PERFOLIATUM FULLONUM Acid-green, frothy Statuesque teasel foliage that appears DELPHINIUM REQUIENII with a candelabra of to float effortlessly An autumn annual or biennial with purple, thistle-like above other plants. understated, orchid-like flowers flowers. Dramatic Leaves die down arranged on spires. The shiny, winter silhouette. by midsummer. evergreen, deeply lobed leaves are The seedheads Three years to not attractive to slugs. Requires are a magnet for flower from seed, sun. Self-sown seedlings can be goldfinches. Self- once established can transplanted without difficulty. sowing biennial. become persistent. HB. H 75cm. S Sparingly in HB. H Stems to 2m. HP. H 90cm. S Fresh spring, keep warm (15-21ºC) until S March – October. seed in situ May. germination. P June – July. P June – August. P March – April. CLOCKWIDE FROM TOP LEFT: JASON INGRAM; PERNILLA BERGDAHL – SIMON IRVINE LÄCKÖ SLOTT / LÄCKÖ SLOTT – SIMON IRVINE PERNILLA BERGDAHL INGRAM; JASON LEFT: TOP FROM CLOCKWIDE / X2; LIZ EVERY INGRAM JASON IMAGES; / GARDEN WORLD LIZ EVERY INGRAM; JASON GAP PHOTOS; / GAP PHOTOS RUBER SABINA / GAP PHOTOS; DRAKE CAROLE IMAGES; GARDEN WORLD 76 77 what seeds to sow ERIGERON NICOTIANA MUTABLIS ANNUUS Clouds of dainty flowers that open white Clouds of white before gradually aging to deep pink. Easy daisies over a long annual or short-lived perennial that will season provide a overwinter in a frost-free spot and flower beautiful foil to CICHORIUM continuously from early spring. vibrant colours. INTYBUS HA/SLP. H 1.2m. S March – April Usually self sows The wild form of undercover. P July – November so pot some up and the vegetable chicory. from spring sowing. re-position where Bright blue flowers you want them to will be covered grow in early spring. with pollinators all SLP. H 1.5m. summer. Flowers S Spring. P Summer close by midday. – autumn. HP. H Up to 1.5m. S Late spring – early HORDEUM summer. P June – JUBATUM September. Provides successions of silver-pink, barley-tail blooms. OENOTHERA ODORATA ‘SULPHUREA’ I grow it in clumps Large creamy-yellow flowers held or weave it through on upright, burgundy stems fade to low-growing thymes, a beautiful apricot. Sweetly scented Dianthus and especially in the evening. Dry sunny Origanum. Flowers conditions, short-lived but will reseed. in first year and often SLP. H 70cm. S February – May. reseeds in sunny P July – October. open spot. SLP. H 50cm. S February – April. P June and through the summer. ECHIUM DAUCUS CAROTA VULGARE STIPA BARBATA ‘BLACK KNIGHT’ In summer, its long- Can be a challenge Beautiful variation of flowering blooms are to germinate but purple mauve tones covered in honey is so beautiful that as the flowers open bees, hoverflies and it’s worth the trial. and then age. Tall butterflies, and it Like most stipas this and stately, this provides valuable requires sun and fast-growing biennial structure after good drainage so will usually flower in flowering. HB. make sure to sow the first year. HB. H 60cm. S Autumn in gritty compost. H 1.2m. S February – or early spring (under HP. H 90cm. March under cover or cover) to flower that S Autumn and direct in March – April year. April (in situ) for overwinter outdoors, and / or August – following year. germination in September. P June – September. spring. P June – July. P June – August. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TOMMY TONSBERG / GAP PHOTOS; MARTIN HUGHES-JONES / THE GARDEN COLLECTION; / THE GARDEN COLLECTION; HUGHES-JONES MARTIN / GAP PHOTOS; TONSBERG TOMMY LEFT: TOP FROM CLOCKWISE / GAP PHOTOS EDWARDS HEATHER JULIE PIGULA / ALAMY; JILL WILLIS / ALAMY; BUCKLEY; X2; JONATHAN INGRAM JASON 78 what seeds to sow LUNARIA ANNUA ‘CORFU BLUE’ ALTHAEA CANNABINA Clouds of flowers bloom intermittently How to get the best from your seeds Pink, mallow-like flowers with purple- throughout the year on purple-flushed stems red stamens delicately suspended on tall, and seedpods. Easy and self-sows. SLP. Advice on sowing seed ‘Meadow Pastels’, in June so they’ll be in leafless stems. Best grown through shrubs H 90cm. S Late spring or early summer to Seed packets should contain specific bloom the following year before the in ordinary soil in sun. HP. H 2.4m. bloom the following summer. P Summer. advice on optimum timing, light and season’s annuals are in flower. S Spring or summer, plant out temperature conditions for germination. Be bold. One of my most exciting September. P August – October. Use a good, peat-free, seed compost. garden moments early last summer was Moisten the compost before sowing by seeing a huge swathe of Linaria purpurea standing the pots or seed trays in water dotted through parsley that had gone to and then draining. Cover seeds with the flower – a froth of acidic green umbels same depth of compost as the size of threaded with slender purple spires.