SOW HARDY PERENNIALS
Boost stocks of your favourite herbaceous flowers easily and affordably – some will even flower this summer!
Some hardy perennials will flower in their first year if they’re sown early enough. Sowing early allows them to put on sufficient growth in spring and early summer so they can flower by July or August. This is an affordable way to grow new plants. Perennials to sow now include achillea, agastache, Bellis perennis, catanache, gaura, Iceland poppies (Papaver nudicaule), scabious ‘Beaujolais Bonnets’ and Verbena bonariensis.
How to sow them
✿ Fill seed trays with compost Use a seed compost or a 50:50 mix of multipurpose compost and perlite to just below the rim of the tray. Firm down so there are no air pockets.
✿ Sow seeds thinly Sow thinly onto the surface of the compost. Some seeds should be sprinkled with compost to exclude light, whereas tiny seeds such as Iceland poppies need light to germinate so are best left uncovered. Check packet instructions.
✿ Water lightly Use a watering can with a fine rose attachment, or place trays in a sink with some water in the bottom for about five minutes or so, and allow the moisture to be absorbed from below. When the surface starts to glisten, remove trays and leave to drain.
✿ Cover trays Place a propagator lid or clear plastic bag over the tray to retain moisture while the seeds germinate. Remove it when you see signs of life.
✿ Keep warm and light Place trays on a warm, bright windowsill or inside a heated propagator.