Easy Flowers from seed

[Babru]

My 2018 Cosmos sowed itself around and I had free seedlings last year. Maybe because we had such a decent summer in 2018.

I like nickdub's suggestion of sowing mixed annuals into plugs. I don't tend to use mixes because it's so hard to know what is a weed seedling when they start to come up. I've some areas of 'wasteland' where bamboo used to grow, that will eventually become beds. This could be a good way of temporarily beautifying them.

[Mamzie]

Here too - My cosmos has made its self at home under some fruit trees after being sown for planters in 2018. And Alysum has settled in well spreading to many other parts x

[Aberdeenplotter]

Dwarf lupins, annual chrysanths, dwarf dahlias, allysum, lobelia, anthirhinums. I sometimes buy some plug plants of geranium (zonal pelargoniums to add to the mix . Whoops almost forgot the dwarf asters

[Babru]

Just been on the Premier Seeds site. Mistake..... I've added portulaca and night scented stocks to my list, plus some white limnanthes (poached egg plant). Last year I had a plague of greenfly all summer, so I hope to encourage even more hover flies in to deal with them, but I'm not that keen on the yellow ones.

I've already sown snapdragons, swan river daisies, pelargoniums, verbena and white nemesia. Plan to pot on some of these today as the rain, wind and sleet have finally stopped, though back with a vengeance tomorrow according to the forecast.

[chillithyme]

California poppy and the toothache/ electric daisy flowers do nicely
Cornflower, cosmos and sunflowers are nice too, I like when they self seed and pop up somewhere unexpected

[Babru]

Pricking out my snapdragons today...they are tooo tiny and fragile. Think I'll buy mine in future. Big sausage fingers killed more than I salvaged .

[Scarlet]

Pricking out my snapdragons today...they are tooo tiny and fragile. Think I'll buy mine in future. Big sausage fingers killed more than I salvaged .

I sow in single modules.....I'm a bit of a nerd and pick each seed up with tweezers

[Babru]

I sow in single modules.....I'm a bit of a nerd and pick each seed up with tweezers

Came down this morning and the discarded snapdragons were sitting waiting to be taken outside. Not so fragile after all! Quite a few still perky, so of course I had to rescue another half a dozen .

And I'm with you Scarlet, but the seed was like dust, which was half the problem, they all came up in a clump.

[Scarlet]

They are like dust but I have magnifying visors for Jewellery making and I use those- also handy for splinters

[nickdub]

Came down this morning and the discarded snapdragons were sitting waiting to be taken outside. Not so fragile after all! Quite a few still perky, so of course I had to rescue another half a dozen .

And I'm with you Scarlet, but the seed was like dust, which was half the problem, they all came up in a clump.

One tip with tiny seed is to mix it with dry sand before sowing :-)

[Babru]

Thanks nickdub. The seedlings were so tiny I decided to buy plants in future - but actually the ten wee seedlings look happy as Larry now they are pricked out. If course, snapdragons are as tough as old boots in the garden, so I shouldn't be surprised.

[Vegi potager]

I have my list on the flower seed sowing thread... the aim to get in more insects and make my garden more of a garden than an allotment. some research in companion planting also means that I may be putting:

Alyssium with my peas,
Tagetes with my asparagus after I stop harvesting
Marigolds with my aubergines and potatoes
Zinnias with my courgettes and chard
dwarf nasturtiums and basil with my tomatoes

I will be sowing some of my list this weekend as I have seeds for the following...

Sweet Alyssum
Queen Anne's Lace
Cornflower
Cosmos
Yellow Chamomile
Poached Egg Plant
Monarda didyma
Penstemon
Zinnia
Chamomile
Marigold
Phacelia tanacetifolia
borrage
centranthus
calendula
dianthus
foxglove
nigella
nasturtium
rudbekia
sun flowers
verbena

[Vegi potager]

Well the nasturtium seeds have been poked in here and there around the garden to have at least one in each bed climbing a frame.