Propagation

Surface sow Myosotis species and cultivars in mid to late spring, on to moist, well-drained, peat-free seed compost and then either put the tray in a dark place or cover it lightly with compost. Darkness is required for germination, which takes from less than a week to a month at 20°C. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out, then transplant to their final position at 25cm apart. Seeds can also be sown directly where they’re to flower once the danger of frost has passed. Rake the ground into a fine tilth, then sow in straight drills, so it is easier to identify and remove weed seedlings. The straight lines disappear as the plants grow. Forget-me-nots self-seed prolifically and can rapidly become a nuisance, so cut back after flowering.

Myosotidium hortensia needs gritty, moist, free-draining soil in a sheltered frost-free position. It prefers mild climates and, in colder climates, to be under glass. It also flourishes in pots of John Innes No.2 or a similar loam-based compost. Propagate by sowing fresh seed in autumn, as soon as it is ripe, or by dividing plants in spring. Keep the compost moist and feed monthly with a seaweed-based liquid fertiliser, and mulch with seaweed where possible. Anchusa can be propagated by seed, but if you want to be sure to maintain the intense blue flowers of named cultivars, you will need to take softwood or root cuttings from mid-autumn into winter. Anchusa are tap-rooted so will need a deep planting hole and shouldn’t be moved during the growing season or you risk damaging the tap root, which rules out propagation by division during active growth. Omphalodes can be seed-sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or you can propagate by division or by cuttings in early spring. Brunnera can also be propagated by division or root cuttings in early spring or by root cuttings in winter. Lithodora diffusa should be propagated by taking semi-ripe cuttings from July until September.