Carol grows star plants from seed

Sowing your own perennials from seed gives you a huge variety of long-lasting plants for just pennies, says Carol Klein

You’ ve probably noticed, I love plants, and perennials above all others. It’s because of their enormous diversity and the way in which they change throughout the seasons, from their appearance in the early months of the year through to their eventual demise in late autumn or early winter. Demise, though, is the wrong word. Hibernation is more like it. Most of the perennials we grow are herbaceous, meaning they die down during the winter and come up again next spring. It’s a winning policy evolved to cope with our temperate climate and cold winters. Many perennials are long lived and many get bigger and better each year. There are hellebores in my garden that are more than 30 years old, astrantias we’ve known for a quarter of a century and hostas that can only be described as venerable. Each plant develops its own character and becomes an individual. Growing plants from seed is a gradual process and one that requires patience, though none of it is especially difficult. In their first year there are few species that will make substantial plants and, like any youngster, they will need care and nurture until they can stand on their own two feet – or grow strongly on their own roots. From infancy to adolescence, perennial plants should be kept in pots but never neglected – constant potting on is vital to ensure they’re never pot bound. While plants are young, and the weather is cold, they will need protection to prevent their roots freezing. A cold frame will do or you can reuse a polystyrene or waxed cardboard box (such as those supermarkets use for fruit) with extra insulation, all topped off with a clear plastic lid, placed next to a wall or in a sheltered spot. Most perennials don’t need extra heat; these are hardy plants and excess heat will persuade them to start growing before the daylight hours are long enough, resulting in spindly growth. Most perennials grow from seed, as it’s the way these plants perpetuate themselves. And when we sow for our garden, we’re fol lowing an ancient tradition. From the first time humankind realised that we could emulate nature and grow our own plants from seed, around 10,000BC, it’s b e en a n impo r t an t activity. It would have had huge importance for survival – as it still does in Africa and Asia where plants are the main source of food. In Western Europe and the USA, a greater proportion of our diet is animal based, but most of that livestock is fed on plants. For us, growing from seed is a pleasurable activity and though many of us still grow food crops, it’s no longer a matter of life or

Many perennials are long lived and many get bigger and better each year