SOW HARDY ANNUALS
These colourful but robust plants are hardy enough to survive winter outdoors – here’s how to start them off
Some annuals, such asAmmi majus and A. visnaga, calendula, cornflowers, larkspur and nigella, can be sown from late August to mid-September and are hardy enough to overwinter. By spring they’ll have developed a root system and be ready to romp away as the weather warms up. The extra growth time means they make more substantial plants with sturdier stems so tend to f lower for longer than spring-sown annuals. What’s more, they’ll start to flower in late spring, which can help plug the gap between fading spring bulbs and emerging summer perennials.
Sow them outside...
1. Prepare soil. Weed it and dig in well-rotted compost, but not manure or fertiliser, which creates too rich a soil that encourages leafy spring growth, rather than flowers. Rake to create a fine, crumbly surface, then firm with the base of your rake. 2. Make neat drills. You can scatter them over the soil or sow in neat drills, which helps you differentiate between seeds and weeds as they germinate (making weeding easier). Make shallow drills 15-45cm (6-18in) apart, depending on the eventual spread of the plants. 3. Sow thinly and water in. Cover with a little soil and water gently with a fine watering can rose or hose spray. Label and keep watered in dry spells.
Sow under cover...
You can also grow hardy annuals on a cool window sill or in a coldframe or cold greenhouse – a good idea if you have heavy, waterlogged soil. 1. Fill module trays with compost. Sow a couple of seeds per module, sprinkle with compost and water. 2. Thin out. Once they’ve germinated, thin seedlings to one per module cell. 3. Keep compost just moist. Don’t overwater in winter to avoid problems with rot and fungal disease.