Most folk sow their sweet peas in March and April but it’s also possible to sow them from late October onwards. The advantage being that the sweet pea roots have another six months of wriggling about before the spring, which results in bigger plants with more flowers. At the Higgledy Garden I like to make both an autumn and a spring sowing. The spring sown flowers will flower later in the season.
Mice go utterly nuts for sweet pea seeds. Make sure the pesky critters can’t get to your pots as they will scoff the lot in one sitting. I don’t have a greenhouse or indeed a coldframe (as my garden is on a boat) so I germinate (and overwinter) my sweet peas in a clear plastic storage box with a lid. This keeps all the pests out and also keeps the frost out too.
…talking of frost. While sweet peas don’t seem to be too bothered by a light frost, a heavy frost can kill them off. So keep your seedlings in a sheltered place like a greenhouse, coldframe or indeed a storage box. (I use 64L boxes from The Really Useful Company. Rymans usually have them on sale.)
Sow your sweet pea seeds in deep pots, especially if you are sowing in autumn. The pots I use in autumn are about 13cm deep and 10 cm across. I use Melcourt peatfree ‘Sylva Mix’ compost. In the spring I use 3 inch square pots. (Check me mixing my metric and imperial…I know….what a crazy dude!)
The reason we have the first knuckle on our forefinger is because it is the right depth to sow your sweet peas….about 1cm.
Some folk like to germinate their sweet peas on damp kitchen paper. I’ve never tried it but it sounds like fun…and kiddywinks might enjoy it too.
It’s important that sweet pea seedlings get plenty of light. If they don’t they will get leggy and they will become weak. This will make you sad and frustrated. A windowsill is not light enough.
Plant out in April/May/June. Autumn sown plants and well behaved spring sown plants, will flower from June, and will flower well into Autumn. (We can talk about spacing and wigwams in the spring. If I tell you now you might forget.)
It is ESSENTIAL that you use the best sweet pea seeds known to modern mankind. Seeds of this calibre are pretty much only found at Higgledy Garden. :) We have some discounted bundles too. Our selection is smaller than many other suppliers, this is because we only chose the finest varieties, and pick the creme de la creme of the seed stock.
Is there any flower more quintessentially part of the British cottage garden than the Sweet Pea. Those vibrant pick-and-mix colours, that scent. It speaks to me of sunshine, hazy days and a riot of colour climbing its way up a wigwam. The first proper posy full of sweet peas is one of the best treats of the summer.
It is truly one of my favourite flower so many different colours but in my opinion they have to have a good scent. The two best for this are ‘Cupani’ and ‘Painted Lady’, two superb varieties, smaller flowers than the more highly bred varieties but they make up for that in scent. Here at Higgledy Garden we also sell a number of single colour varieties all selected though with scent in mind! I like to try different varieties every year, here are the ones from this year.
It has to be said that this year was a tricky year for sweet peas, mine grew well initially but then suffered a bit in that early hot dry spell, they did have a bit of a renaissance once the rains came back but not a bumper year for me. They need plenty of water to keep them flowering well and like a good rich soil. They tend to flower on short stems if it gets dry and towards the end of the season but this doesn’t mean that you can’t keep picking them. Ben taught me about this, you just cut further down the plants and have stems, flowers and tendrils, this can be very lovely round the edge of bouquets.
I’ve found the best time to sow is in mid Autumn mid to end of October, but it will depend a little bit as to where you are in the country. When there is still some warmth to encourage germination but not too warm that they romp away and get too leggy and soft and susceptible to hard frosts. Believe me I’ve learnt the hard way! I sow into root trainers or square 9cm pots 2 seeds module of the root trainer or 2-3 per 9cm pot. I use Sylvagrow multipurpose peat free compost and have had excellent germination for many years. Some people say that you should soak them but I have never had to do that! I let them germinate in the greenhouse but once you can see those little green shoots (yes they still bring me a little squeal of delight) they can go outside. Grow them hard so they develop into short sturdy plants, pinch out if needed, maybe fleece them if a sustained hard frost is forecast. I plant mine out in early April, they can sit and sulk for a bit but soon settle down and start growing. A good tip to know when to plant is if you start seeing annual weeds germinating then you know the soil is warming up. The first shoots will need tying in to get them trained up whichever support that you prefer.
There can be a lot of debate about the best supports. I grow mine up an A-frame support but they can go a bit crazy when they get to the top of the support, where it narrows. Many growers recommend a circle of canes to make a column like structure so that they don’t all squash together when they get to the top. Or if you want to grow for shows then growing a single stem (cordon) up a tall cane. These last two types are best if you are growing for cutting. But honestly if you are growing them to have a mass of colour and fragrance in your garden then wigwams do look lovely and fit into a cottage garden scheme perfectly. Whatever you chose to grow them up, once they are flowering you must keep picking them, oh the hardship!! The more you pick the more they will flower, I’ve found best to do one big pick a week once they are up and running then by the time they are going over you will have more to pick.
I planted them in two places in my garden this year, the usual spot neat the greenhouse with lots of sun and also round the edges of my old chicken run. The greenhouse ones I thought I would try and remove tendrils (tendrils can twine round the sweet pea flower stems and bend them) but this did mean quite a lot more work in tying in and seemed to slow them down so I don’t think I’m going to bother again. For round the old chicken run I interspersed the sweet peas with Cobaea scandens the sweet peas flowered early and then the Cobaea took over and flowered from September. I was a bit sceptical that it would work but it has. Aphids can be a problem later in the season too but often if you are patient they can be sorted out by other insect predators like ladybirds and their larvae. I also had the joy one morning of watching a wren flit around the sweet peas around my old chicken run picking off insects.
Here at Higgledy Garden, Gemma and I have persuaded Ben to step away from the riotous medley of colours that he most enjoys and to select some combinations of our favourite varieties into colour coordinated bundles.
Gemma has chosen a vibrant mix of summer fruit colours. Shades of Blackcurrant and Raspberry. Sweet pea ‘Beaujolais’, ‘Cupani’, Winston Churchill’, ‘Starry Night’ and ‘Noel Sutton’
Mine is more of a dreamy pastel shades with Sweet pea ‘Leamington’, ‘Swan Lake’, ‘Flagship’, ‘Perfume Delight’ and ‘Alan Williams’.
We have knocked 20% off the price and we will also add a free, packet of Sweet pea ‘Mammoth’ for you to enjoy!
My main gardening project this year was at the Taraloka Buddhist retreat centre close to the Llangollen canal in North Wales. In March I met a lass on the towpath who worked there, and we talked about the possibility of me utilising some of their land in exchange for flowers that they could use on their shrines. This is what we did and it all went swimmingly well.
June 10th. I was worried that the seedlings weren’t thickening up fast enough.
There is a standard 6x8ft greenhouse at Taraloka. I used some of that space to start a range of annuals in three-inch pots, in early April. A raised bed was built and finished in early June, and as soon as I could I planted the seedlings out at about a foot apart, which is my standard vibe.
By late July the raised bed was overflowing with flowers.
Happily the seedlings rocketed forth and the bed was a great success.
The raised bed was built into a slope. It is deep on this side and shallow on the other. It measures 8 meters by 2 meters.
We dug a second bed out of the lawn. It too became a riot of annuals.
This bed was simply dug into the lawn. More Higgledy chaos.
I have resown the lawn bed with hardy annuals which will flower early next spring….and hopefully, will be big and juicy. :)
I sowed my hardy annuals in rows a foot apart.( There is a tutorial in the blog.)
I also grew a very simple container garden on the roof of the boat using galvanised buckets.
It was great not being able to see where I was going.
The next project will be sowing hardy annuals in pots to overwinter in the greenhouse (or clear storage boxes). Then in October it’s time to be thinking about sweet peas….YEAH!
I hope your own gardens went well.
If you have any questions then please ask away…you can find me on Twitter or Facebook. Should you wish you can join ‘Club Higgledy’ (see the right hand side bar).
Flash hiding behind Nigella. (The sunflowers aren’t all that winter hardy unless you are in the south west)
It is an indubitable fact that one of the greatest pleasures to be gained in the domestic flower garden is growing earlier, bigger and generally more flouncy flowers than one’s neighbours. This is not to say that one becomes showy offy or should throw unsolicited advice over the fence concerning the proper husbandry of Centaurea cyanus. Having a plump and juicy bed of dedicated autumn sown hardy annuals that are happily flowering in early June, will have Mr. and Mrs. Jones all of a fluster. Try popping round with a fist full of creamy blue Nigellas and lava hot Calendulas and say something along the lines of, “Oh Clive, do you have room for these anywhere?…we simply haven’t got the space for any more cuts in the house…you’d be doing us a tremendous favour…you know what these gluts can be like…”. Watch carefully through the returned pleasantries and you will see the twitch of seething jealousy in the corner of their eyes. They secretly wish they could be a little bit more like you.
When I refer to ‘autumn sowing’, this really means late summer, late August and early September, not really autumn at all, if you, like me, consider autumn to arrive on the equinox (In 2018 this will be the 23rd September). All of our flower growing ancestors have referred to the practice as ‘autumn sowing’ and I wouldn’t wish to incur the wrath of dead people with hoes and forks, certainly, not after the incident with the Ouija board, the sherry and the question to the dear departed about yellow flowers.
There is one big, hoofing issue with sowing seeds at this time of year and that is that it doesn’t always work. Sow too early and your seedlings might bolt and make an embarrassing attempt at flowering, sow too late and the cold wet ground may rot your seeds. However, there are methods by which the shrewd gardener can up their chances of floral success. Let me outline the two strategies that can be utilised.
Sowing In Pots Undercover.
On the boat, I start seeds off in storage boxes.
Sowing your hardy annuals in pots in the greenhouse, cold-frame or transparent storage boxes is the most reliable way to start off your seeds. I sow into three inch square pots at the beginning of September. Then I simply make sure they don’t dry out over the winter (but making sure they aren’t waterlogged either). Your seedling will often look pretty sorry for themselves at several points but frankly if you put me in a storage box over the winter I wouldn’t show you my best side. As soon as we have a mild week in March I plant out the little cherubs leaving about a foot between plants. The beauty about storage boxes is that you can simply take the lid off for a week before you plant out and this will harden them off for life outside. If the weather is looking either super wet or super frosty then just hold off planting out. After planting out the seedlings are in the hands of the Goddess Flora and she will wave her arms about and dictate when they will flower. Lots of my customers had annual flowers in the first week of June this year (Biennials flower much earlier of course).
NB Just to confuse the issue….I find that eschscholzia (California Poppy) and Nigella, don’t like to be transplanted and sowing into doesn’t pots and planting out can be disappointing….so I sow these chaps directly into the soil.
Sowing Directly Into The Soil.
Cut Flower Patch Beds Can Be This Simple. Three Foot Wide…Three Rows.
This is really where things become hit and miss, the stakes are high but the rewards great. Plants that are successfully grown this way will be big and strong and commanding in the following spring but many seedlings get eaten by the pesky wildlife, trampled by cider drinking Hobbits or drowned by Britain’s new hobby of having wet winters. My method for outdoor sowing is simple. Dig a bed that is three foot wide and as long as you have space for. Ensure it is totally weed-free. Dig in plenty of compost. Sow your seeds in straight lines a foot apart running down the length of the bed. Cover the seeds lightly with more compost. Job done.
It’s worth pointing out that you can combine both methods. Where you have gaps in your beds, simply plug them with seedlings grown undercover.
I gave all my flowers away to my boaty neighbours along my journey. #SmugHippy
What Are The Best Hardy Annual Flowers To Sow In Autumn?
Happily for us flower fiends there are dozens of flowers we can sow at this time. Here’s a sample of the flowers that I grow and which can of course be found in the Higgledy Seed Shop Of Dreams (Hard sell…you knew it was coming).
Thx Rosy Bows for this pic. This is wonderful…and the Cornflowers ‘Classic Romantic’ look totally smashing.
Larkspur ‘Giant Imperials’, Nigella, Godetia ‘Crown’, Dill ‘Mammoth’, Eschscholzia (California Poppy), Chrysanthemum ‘Rainbow Hippy Lovechild’, Calendula, Candytuft, Phacelia, Borage, Ammi majus, Gypsophila, Cornflowers, Cerinthe, Salvia, Daucus carota (actually a biennial but she is happy to play the part of a hardy annual), Malope and Scabiosa.
This annual Chrysanthemum ‘Rainbow Hippy Lovechild’ is available in the discounted bundle. #YoureWelcome ;)
Hardy annuals are perhaps the easiest of all the flowers you can grow for your cutting patch. This does not mean that they are any less beautiful than anything more challenging. Hardies are often ‘cut and come again’, in that you can keep harvesting the flowers over a long period and more will grow until the plant is finally exhausted.
Wonderful Larkspur grown in a community garden. Thanks to Valerie Jones for sharing this photo.
I would say about two-thirds of my flower patch is made up of Hardy annuals…I love the little beasties.
This is my present Higgledy patch at Bluebell Cottage Gardens in Chesire. This one is predominantly hardy annuals.
If you have any questions, please come and find me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Facebook is probably the most chatty and informative of the three…the flower growing community there is a very warm and friendly bunch of folk.
The wonderful ‘Ivory Castle’ with Gypsophila…thank you for this pic @littlesoapkitchen
If you sign up for the newsletter (see right-hand sidebar) your life will become better than it already is. It says it is a monthly newsletter but I’m far too slack for that in truth. I send perhaps five or six a year and always include a hefty discount code or more usually a bundle of flower seeds at a heavily discounted price.
Thank you for reading. Keep the faith. #BritishFlowers
This patch was sown in the spring but exactly the same principles apply.
Everyone needs a bee-friendly flower patch whether it is a micro one-meter square patch or a twenty square meter ‘meadow’. There is no such thing as a bee-friendly flower meadow as such…but I’m sure you know the thing I mean. Dozens of three and four-foot high, willowy flowers blowing in the breeze with a gazillion bees and other pollinators buzzing about feeling very happy with their lot in life.
At Higgledy we’ve been sowing up these sort of flower patches for over a decade, and we love it, Every year has different results depending on which seeds we have added to our mix and how the weather has been but without fail it has resulted in a lot of colour and general all-around good vibes.
These were broadcast sown into an allotment patch I had in Cornwall. The Godetia (Pink) are not in the bee mix but they are available in the shop. They are also in the ‘Seeds to sow in autumn bundle’
The majority of our mixes are made up of hardy annual flowers. These are pretty bulletproof and will grow in most soils and weather conditions. I add a good slosh of half-hardy annuals like Cosmos because…well….because I love them. These always fair better from a spring sowing but a few will always turn up from an autumn sowing.
These seeds can be sown in late summer/autumn *and* spring. Autumn sown patches will produce early flowers the following spring and the plants will be chunkier than their spring sown chums.
My mix this year has got Phacelia, Borage, Larkspur, Cosmos, Cornflowers, Dill, Eschscholtzia, Calendula and Nigella.
Preparing the ground for a Higgledy Garden Bee-Friendly Flower Meadow.
I sound like my Dad….BUT…preparation is key! This ground needs to be TOTALLY weed-free.
Give your patch a good dig over…add plenty of juicy compost if you have it. Try to get the soil down to a pleasingly fine tilth….ie….small pieces…this allows the seed to have good contact with the soil.
The best sites for your meadow are sheltered sites which get heaps of sun.
Top tip: Don’t get 20 sq meters confused with 20 meters squared!
Sowing up your bee-friendly flower meadow.
When I sow in autumn/late summer, I tend to aim for the end of August….early august is a bit too early. Early September is also fine….but sometimes late September is getting too cool. If you sow late and your seeds don’t germinate….don’t throw yourself into the canal…they will probably make it through the winter and germinate in spring….this is what seeds usually do, of course.
Roughly you should be aiming for 2-3g per square meter. I tend to sow barefoot (I’m a hippy druid lovechild…) and walk gently over my prepared ground and sow very thinly…up and down…back and forth…until my 60g is finished. Treading the seed (Lightly) into the soil is a good thing….or use the back of the rake.
Watering your bee-friendly flower meadow.
After you have sown your seeds you can water the patch, but only water it lightly. A waterlogged patch will just keep the seeds cold and miserable and not in the frame of mind to germinate and strut their funky stuff. After germination has happened (two weeks or more) simply ensure the patch doesn’t become too dry but don’t mollycoddle it…let the roots do what roots do, which is to head down and look for water. Once the plants become established you can just let them get on with it. Annuals might look super delicate and pretty but they are tough customers and take a good deal of abuse.
Autumn sown seedlings will look like they have stopped growing when the cooler weather arrives…but their roots keep growing for a while…then they are ready to rocket forth when the spring warms up their cockles in March. The first flowers will arrive in June…and soon you will be awash with the colourful rascals.
Please give a bee-friendly patch a shot….you will earn a place in bee heaven.
Kind regards
Benjamin Higgledy
If you have any questions then please ask away…you can find me on Twitter or Facebook Should you wish you can join ‘Club Higgledy’ for newsletters and discount codes. (see the right-hand sidebar)
PS Another option is to sow up our bundle for autumn sowing. This is 16 packets of wonderful hardy annuals at 25% discount. I tend to sow these in rows a foot apart. This is more of a formal cutting garden but the bees don’t know that and they will flock to it. (I’m not actually sure that bees ‘flock’…but please humour me.)
The Higgledy patch at Bluebell Cottage last year was mainly hardy annuals and looked wonderful. All so easy to grow,
Flash hiding behind Nigella. (The sunflowers aren’t all that winter hardy unless you are in the south west)
“Higgers you crazy mixed up fool! Annuals are sown in spring…everyone knows that. Have you been on the sherry again?”
Dear flower friends, come hither…gather round….let me tell you the tale of the autumn sown flowers…
The varieties of annual flowers that we grow and sell at Higgledy Garden are native to different parts of the world. The flowers that are native to areas close (ish) to the equator are flowers that only know days of equal day and night length and have no experience of the seasons….or more importantly, they have evolved without having to overcome the rigors of a sharp frost. The frost can damage the very cell structure of a tender plant….after which they are not happy bunnies and often sulk themselves to death.
However…as we move our jolly way either north or south from our friend the equator, our annual flowers start to experience fluctuations in temperature and have spent many happy millennia finding ways to successfully combat the cold and the wet. In the interests of utter simplicity, the horticultural world (In the UK at least) separates these flowers into just two tribes, ‘Hardy Annuals’ and ‘Half-Hardy Annuals’. Hardy annuals can take a frost…and can therefore be sown in late summer/early autumn (When you see mature flowers drop their seeds). Half-hardy annuals must be sown after our frosts have gone…or in a greenhouse (in early spring) where Jack Frost can’t get his chilly mitts on them.
I was really happy with this Ammi majus and Eschscholzia combo this season. Both are hardy and can be sown in the early autumn.
FAQ: “Higgers you staggeringly delight of a man, what are the advantages of sowing hardy annuals in the autumn”?
A late summer or early autumn sowing of your hardy annual flower seeds can produce exceptional results the following year. Seedlings grow to a few inches high and then the tops become dormant over the winter, whereas their roots are kicking down into the still warm soil and gently expanding the root ball over the season. In spring time the plant already has the system in place to rocket upward as soon as the soil warms up and the sun starts to shine again. This produces much stronger and more abundant plants which will flower earlier than their spring sown brothers and sisters.
Autumn sown Larkspur ‘Giant Imperials’ enjoying the sunshine.
Whilst this is all fine and dandy…there are of course lots of variables and late summer/early autumn sowing can produce mixed results…it’s a good idea to keep some seeds back for a spring sowing.
FAQ: When do we sow these hardy annuals, Mr Higgsbosun?
One of the challenges is sowing into a somewhat small window of opportunity….let’s steal a phrase from NASA and call this window ‘The Goldilocks Zone’. The Goldilocks Zone is the period of time that you can sow your seeds that isn’t so early that your annuals will try to flower that same year…but not so late that the seeds refuse to germinate. (Seeds that don’t germinate may of course germinate in the spring.)
Autumn sown cornflower seedlings. They stay at this size all winter…then grow to six foot!
For most growers in England and Wales I would put the Goldilocks zone between late August and mid September. If sowing outside I would favour the end of August, and if sowing in pots in the greenhouse I would leave it a little later until September.
It seems that many of my flower growing friends have their own preferred weeks for sowing….up in Scotland they might sow a couple of weeks earlier….in sunny Cornwall, the merry men and merry maidens might sow toward the end of September.
I tend to sow some outside and also sow some in pots. The ones in pots I overwinter in a coldframe (storage box) or a greenhouse and plant them out in a mild week in March. I use the pots to fill any gaps I might have in the rows that I sowed direct.
On the boat, I start seeds off in storage boxes.
For a more detailed guide on how to go about sowing flower seeds, clickerty click over to: “How to sow flower seeds.”
The social enterprise ‘Organic Blooms’…(these folk are heroes of mine)…….having a chat with them earlier in the year I was surprised to discover they never ever direct sow their flower seeds…and instead start everything in the polytunnel…even the flowers that don’t like root disturbance. I forget what time of year they sow their autumn annuals undercover but I suspect it is mid September.
The Higgledy patch at Bluebell Cottage last year was mainly hardy annuals and looked wonderful. All so easy to grow,
Our hardy annual bundle for late summer sowing is always one of our best sellers. This season it has a whooping 18 packets with a third off the price and it comes with free shipping. :) Click here to view the list of packets.
Kindest regards
Benjamin Higgledy and Mr Flash Fantastic
.If you have any questions then please ask away…you can find me on Twitter orFacebook. Should you wish you can join ‘Club Higgledy’ (see the right hand side bar). This is a twelve times a year email with links to my discounted bundles….these are offered to subscribers first as they are usually limited in number.
Hello all, another wet morning so I thought I would write a bit of an update on my cutflower garden. Its been a funny month so far, we have had a couple of weirdly warm days but then some days it’s felt like winter again. Hail storms and the wind! I love my job and working outdoors at Bluebell cottage nursery but this has pushed us all to the limits this spring, just as we think we might be able to shed a couple of layers, back come the cold winds and even frosts to get us back into our thermals and twenty layers! No wonder the plants are a bit confused too, though on the whole they are probably taking it more in their stride than we are. The only doom-scrolling that I do is the looking at the long term forecast on my weather app and scrolling forward looking for a spell, even just a couple of days, of sunny weather! Oh well we just have to carry on, the seasons will just pass as normal. I think we have probably been spoilt a bit the last couple of years with some dry warm spring weather. But Spring is officially here and I do love this season, that burst of green on the hedgerows, the return to colour from the monochrome landscape. The blossom, the daffodils and the birdsong.
All is busy in the Higgledy Anne potting shed, in fact its chaos in there, no Instagram perfection here, seed packets, compost, pots and seed trays everywhere. But the great thing is I can just pop in there for half an hour after work and prick out some seedlings or sow a few seeds and then just lock the door and head back inside. In my previous garden my kitchen table was my potting up bench and so I feel very lucky that I have a space of my own to potter in. It needs a bit of a paint soon and the roof is leaking a bit but its a great place to be in!
This is my view from the potting shed, all is greening up in the garden now at last.
Bit sad about my tulips this year as the ones in my dustbins have got tulip fire so bit of a tatty display compared to how they normally look. Enjoying them for what they are but might not grow any again next year. The ones I’ve grown near the greenhouse and the potting shed have been fine so may still be able to grow some. The back garden is looking nice and green though and the Cherry blossom is blooming well. Can you spot Jed on the last photo!
How are your seedlings doing? Have you been following the Higgledy garden sow-along with Gemma? All the links to the posts can be found here. I think it has been a tricky year, there hasn’t been much sunshine so the light levels have definitely been lower than normal and it has stayed quite cool. Sometimes it has felt like the seedlings have had a little pause till there has been a bit of warmth for them. I sow some of my half hardies on the bedroom window but then once they have germinated and they are ready for potting they have to manage in my unheated greenhouse. Many things have germinated quickly but others have taken their time about it. Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ was up quickly but ‘Sugar Stars’ was a bit reluctant to get going. My Nicotiana took time too, apart from ‘Sensation’ which was first out of the blocks, was worried after I was singing their praises! But they are here now and will start growing strongly now, they are tougher than they look those little tiny seedlings.
Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ seedlings
I’m keeping an eye on my Zinnia seedlings as they are delectable to slugs and they can be ravaged in one night so, checking them each day. Now its all about juggling the space in the greenhouse, the hardy annuals don’t need much protection so they are chucked out of there first. They can sit in the sheltered spot near my greenhouse until they are ready to go out in their final spots. But the half-hardy annuals need protection from frost and we had a couple of cold nights last week and some forecast for this week so I have some fleece that I just pop over my seedlings and remove the next day. It soon warms up in my greenhouse now though.
Scabiosa seedlings
Sunflower seedlingsSalvia ‘Oxford Blue’ seedlings
Just to say though, there is still plenty of time to sow things, especially if you are going to be sowing directly as once the frosts have passed you can even sow half-hardy annuals outside. There is still a lot of growing time. Keep an eye on your emails and on the socials as there will be a new bundle coming soon for all the seeds that are good to sow now.
All my autumn sown seedlings are in the ground and growing well now, the Cornflowers, Corncockle, Orlaya grandiflora, Echium, Nigella ‘Delft Blue’, Cerinthe, Ammi majus and Ammi visnaga. The Sweet peas have been planted and I’m keeping an eye on them at this early stage, tying them into their supports as needed. The Canterbury bells are looking fabulous and I have some Ranunculus that are just starting to flower.
CornflowersCanterbury bellsRanunculus
I have started cutting some flowers for the house again, I love this bit, snipping a few stems, walking round the garden to see what is looking good at the moment. I post a lot of these on Instagram and I’m trying to take part in the #weeklyposychallenge led by Caroline. Have a go its a lovely thing to do. The biennials are just starting to get into their stride, first to flower is Honesty, beautiful and tall with stems of white or purple flowers. I just never seem to grow enough of this, I need to really sow and plant more as you want to use it for cutting but also you want to leave some for their fabulous seed heads. So note to self, sow more! Wallflowers are a joy with their sweet scent and much needed vibrant colour for your bouquets, I’ve written about them here. Still to come are the Sweet rocket, Canterbury bells, Sweet William and Foxgloves.
White HonestyPurple Honesty
I know it might sound crazy but once the biennials start flowering its time to start thinking about sowing them for next year. Biennial sowing time is between May and July for flowering in the spring next year. You have to plan ahead with biennials. Between us myself, Ben and Gemma will be helping you out with your biennial seed sowing with blogs and sow alongs. Keep watching this space and our social media posts.
Higgledy Anne
(I’m on Instagram anne_hinks if you fancy a follow)
The biennials are starting to bloom and they are so useful to have in your cutting patch, Wallflowers especially are great for adding vibrant colour or pastel shades to your bouquets and posies. Mine have been flowering for a few weeks now and will keep going into early summer especially if you keep picking them and stopping them from trying to set seed. They also have a big advantage of being scented and I have to say that their scent is delicious, sweet but not too strong. Some of the spring bulbs like Hyacinths can have a scent that is a bit too overwhelming for me. But wallflowers have that delicate scent that just wafts around your room adding a touch of sweetness. They generally come in shades of yellows, oranges and reds but there also some nice purples and bright pinks too.
I’ve given them a whole raised bed to themselves this year but I am too conservative in the spacing and I think I could really pack them in for next year. Also many people keep them growing for a couple of year so treat them as a short lived perennial until they become too woody and unproductive so thats another option too.
Higgledy garden sells three varieties. Wallflower ‘Ivory White’, this is really a pale yellow colour, its starts off as creamy yellow in bud and then as it opens it fades to a creamy white. Not really Ivory white at all! But it is lovely and goes beautifully with one of my favourite spring flower the Forget-me-not, another biennial by the way, which seeds all round my garden.
Wallflower ‘Ivory White’
Here it is in a posy with blue forget-me-nots, spanish bluebells, White Honesty and white Cytisus.
Then there is Wallflower ‘Cloth of Gold’, a rich golden yellow, which goes well with the rich plum coloured tulips or with vibrant purple of Honesty.
Wallflower ‘Cloth of Gold’
Here it is in a posy with more Honesty (a cultivar called ‘Corfu Blue’) and a bevy of Narcissus ‘Thalia’, ‘Toto’ and ‘Minnow’. I think that warm yellow looks gorgeous against that lilac blue.
Finally there is the sumptuous Wallflower ‘Vulcan’, a dark red,very sexy colour, again would go well against bright orange tulips or purple tones.
Here in an arrangement with Ranunculus ‘Chocolate’, Helleborus ‘Star of Passion’, Honesty, Narcissus ‘Thalia’ and white Forget-me-nots.
They are best sown in May or June, they are small black seeds and these can be sown directly by broadcasting over the bed or in rows where you would like them to grow. Sow thinly, cover with a thin layer of soil or compost and and thin out to a spacing of about 30cm once germinated. Alternatively sow thinly in seed trays or 9cm pots, cover lightly with compost and prick out into individual modules or pots. Plant out in final positions once rooted. I tend to sow in seed trays and pot on as I very rarely have the space to sow them directly in the height of summer! One thing that Higgledy Gemma noted that her earlier sown wallflowers tried to start flowering in November and were shorter more compact plants. This would be good if you want to grow your wallflowers in containers or in the garden amongst your bulbs but the ones that she sowed later were taller, so longer stems for cutting. Its a fine balance really but one thing I’ve also found is that they don’t take well to getting root bound, pot on into bigger pots if not quite ready to plant out or plant out into final positions as soon as you can to prevent any checks in growth. They prefer to be planted in a sunny or partially shade spot. They are pretty tolerant with any soil type, growing best in in good well-drained soils but they are called wallflowers because they can often be seen growing in any cracks in walls.
You can often buy them as bare root plants in the autumn for planting out for the following spring or often garden centres sell them in modules but just be aware that many of these are shorter varieties more often used in bedding schemes or for planting amongst your tulips and other bulbs, they are great for that by the way and Sarah Raven is a real fan for growing as a colour complement to tulips.
Here is Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ in a mix of Aquilegias, Chive flowers, Lychnis ‘White Robin’ and Heuchera ‘Greenfinch’.
Its worth noting that you can also get perennial forms of wallflowers and probably the most well know in Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ which is a fabulous plant with silvery grey foliage and purple flowers that are often in flower nearly all year round. Keep deadheading it to prolong flowering. The bees love though be aware that it is not scented. I’ve used it as a cutflower and its very useful. It is perennial but often thought of as a short-lived perennial they flower so much that eventually they are just so exhausted that they keel over and die, usually over winter, but still great value as a plant. You can also propagate it from cuttings. There has been lots of breeding of these now so there is quite a range of colours often with hints of apricot and orange which are really lovely.
So as I said it will soon be biennial sowing time for sowing of not just wallflowers but also Honesty, Sweet William, Hesperis, Foxgloves and Canterbury bells, myself, Ben and Gemma we will be doing lots of blogs, sow-alongs, social media posts to help you along with this so get following us all and watch this space.
There will be a new biennial bundle coming soon too!
Higgledy Anne
(I’m on Instagram anne_hinks if you fancy a follow)
Another star of the late summer cut flower garden are the Zinnias, if you want some vibrant hot colours for your cutting patch these are the ones for you. Though there is lots of breeding going of these and there are some lovely colours and forms coming through. With many more muted pastel tones that are gorgeous. There are many dwarf varieties bred for bedding so take care when choosing varieties to grow. I am a big fan of rich, jewel shades and Zinnias are just perfect for that. They go great with Dahlias, Rudbeckias, Nicotiana and other later flowers.
They are half hardy annuals so are frost tender. They are not too hard to grow but there are a couple of things to note, they don’t like too much root disturbance and can sulk a bit if moved around too much and because of this its often recommended to direct sow but then that brings the second thing to note they are magnets for slugs who find them especially delicious! Having had big losses of them on my allotment in the past I tend to sow undercover but I sow into modules or straight into 9cm pots and grow them on a bit so they are a decent size before planting out after the frosts have passed. They are the one annual that I grow that really need a good sunny spot and don’t perform well in cool wet summers (which we often have!), many flower farmers grow them undercover in polytunnels. Obviously I’m growing on a much smaller scale, so they have priority for the sunniest spot in my garden. You can support them with some jute netting.
This photo was taken in mid-September!
They really need pinching out once they get about 30cm tall this will encourage lots more flowering side shoots and ultimately longer stems, they will then flower right into early autumn just keep picking. There is a trick passed down amongst flower farmers for how to know when to cut them. Its called the wiggle test and is very reliable. Wiggle the stem and if its floppy then wait a bit longer before you pick, but if its stiff its ready to be cut. They then are pretty long lasting in a vase of 7-10 days.
There are four varieties available at Higgledy garden. Zinnia ‘Mammoth’ is a vibrant mix of large flowers, like this vibrant red.
Zinnia ‘Cactus’ is another variety with large flowers and long narrow quill-like petals, like this bright pink.
Zinnia ‘Envy’ is a must for those that love green flowers which are so unusual.
I used them in lots of bouquets in August and September. Even the white ones looked great, here with Larkspur ‘Imperials’, Achillea ‘The Pearl’, white Origanum and Cynoglossum ‘Firmament’.
Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’ also went well with more pastel tones. Including Cosmos ‘Fizzy Rose’, Daucus carota ‘Dara’, Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’, Lysimachia barystachys and Origanum.
I’m fed up of talking about the weather, if we just keep telling yourselves we will get some sunshine soon, we will get some sunshine soon, on repeat! Surely if we all do it someone will listen and send some kinder weather our way.
As well as working for Higgledy Garden I also work at Bluebell Cottage nursery and gardens. We opened for the summer this week with a nice quiet start, bright sunshine and blue skies till the afternoon and then heavens opened, hailstorms, wind whipping round and chilly. Hoping it will be a bit calmer over Easter weekend. Do come and visit if you are around the Cheshire area. The gardens are looking lovely and fresh, tulips just opening, lots of Spring flowers and blossom. Plus it will soon be Bluebell time! There is a lovely tearoom too for hot drinks and delicious cakes. Its a hardy perennial nursery who’s staff have had to be pretty hardy this winter. But its getting better, we are so proud of how the nursery is looking and such a good selection of plants.
So a busy time and also a busy seed sowing time for my garden. Lots already sown, my early sowing of the nice tougher hardy annuals like Calendula, Echium, Gypsophila, Scabiosa, Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’, Godetia, Larkspur, have been pricked out and are growing on. Got to keep an eye out for slugs at this stage, its those little brown ones, they have nibbled a few of my Larkspur. You can often find the pesky blighter the next day nestled under the trays or pots, they are swiftly despatched on the compost heap. I also sowed a few perennials Gaura ‘The Bride’, Knautia ‘Melton Pastels’ and Chrysanthemum ‘Crazy Daisy’ I’ve pricked out what I need of those.
Another sowing in mid March of Statice, Rudbeckias, Dill, Phlox, Didiscus (very excited about this, a new introduction suggested by Higgledy Gemma), more Salvia painted sage and Chrysanthemum rainbow. Also a couple of new things, Coreopsis and Combidium for a bit of an experiment! These have all germinated well (though still waiting for one of my Phlox to come) and so I’ve a bit of a backlog for things that need pricking out.
After writing about Nicotiana last week I was going to sow them last weekend but I ran out of time so they are still to be done this weekend, see blog post! Oops, but also sowing Amaranthus (my favourite drama queen), Cosmos, Sunflowers and Zinnias. There is still loads of time for sowing. I just plan mine out a bit of where I will have space. My garden is not massive so I’m planning for better use of the space this year, so my autumn sown annuals like Cornflowers, Corncockle, Orlaya are mostly planted up in the garden now. I’ve also got 2 raised beds with some Iceland poppies and Ranunculus in, plus some beds of mostly biennials. They will flower away in late spring early summer and then the plan is (fingers crossed) I will take them out and plant up some beds full of Zinnias and Cosmos which will take over and flower then till the end of summer. Thats the plan anyway whether the timings will work that’s yet to be seen.
The Biennials are just starting to get going now though not enough for picking really so far. But here are the Wallflowers ‘Cloth of Gold‘ and ‘Vulcan‘, I also grew a variety called ‘Sugar Rush Pink’ but way too short, shame as I fancied a purpley flowered one.
Forget-me-nots, I have the blue ones seeding all over my garden but I grew some pink ones and white ones from seed this year to see how they did. The white one is a bit behind the pink one. I love a forget-me-not!
Honesty is looking good and often attracts one of the earliest butterflies the Orange Tip.
So lots of promise and I did finally do a bit of flower cutting and arranging, see photo at the top of the blog, of which everything was cut from my garden. It included Hellebores, Narcissus, Fritillaria, Flowering currant, Pachyphragma macrophylla and Lathyrus vernus. Its just an exciting time that even the weather can’t dampen. Its an Easter weekend and the clocks go forward so it will be lighter at night, giving us gardeners more time to potter in the evenings after work!
So now’s a perfect time to get sowing, its much lighter and warmer and seeds will grow lovely and fast now. Wishing you all a garden full of flowers.
It has come to my attention that as I approach my mid fifties, the old grey matter doesn’t seem to file stuff away in the right place anymore…I’m constantly forgetting that I’ve just made a cup of tea…I lose my specs four or five times a day and on the work front I can’t remember what seeds I’ve sown when or indeed where. This is where you come in, dear diary, keeping the records in order and ensuring the old higgledy brain is ship shape and sharp like a steel trap.
The story so far.
We moored up Casper on the banks of the canal and went looking for a friendly hostelry as Flash thought we ought to search out a couple of pints and a couple of packets of cheese and onion. The village that straddled the canal at that point is called Bettisfield. (It will be of no surprise to you that there was once a field here…that belonged to Betty.) We didn’t find a pub…but we’re still here two years later. Flash and myself belong to the ancient tradition of itinerant flower Wombles…planting up flower patches wherever we find we have wombled off to. This year, we seem to have over-egged the old higgledy pudding.
Let’s have a little run down of the flower patches we have agreed to create/manage and what sort of space they cover and therefore how much graft we have in front of us:
The Taraloka Buddhist Retreat Centre.
By late July the Taraloka raised bed was overflowing with flowers.
We knocked on the door early last year and asked if they had a bit of ground we could use. In exchange they could have flowers for their shrines. I don’t know much about the world and less about people but Buddhists seem to be good eggs. These Buddhists are certainly good eggs and they offered us a couple of beds. One is a raised bed of about sixteen square meters and one is smaller and in the ground at about six square meters. This was a great success last season and it is a trouble free patch that shouldn’t be a problem this year. The small bed has a small selection of autumn sown annuals in it already. The raised bed will all be direct sown this year (Apart from sweet peas that I’ve already sown into pots).
Total space. 24 sq meters.
McCallan’s Menagerie.
Horses (of all shapes and sizes), geese, chickens, ducks, tortoises, a rescue barn owl, pack of dogs, shoals of fish and a cat. The menagerie is run by Katie and Guy. I managed to persuade them to have a bed of Higgledy biennials. They were sown into pots last summer and planted out in the garden in early autumn. Thus far they are looking great. The ground is very sandy…biennials tend to like rich, forest edge, soils but they are all looking spinky sponky and I expect them to start flowering shortly. Katie has also kindly taken charge of sweet pea trials. (She even sends spreadsheets…which I pretend to understand.) The sweet peas will all be sown into galvanised buckets, of which I seem to have scores.
Total space. 10 sq meters.
Willow Farm.
We used a roll of cardboard underneath our compost cocktail.
Willow Farm has been taken over by husband and wife team, Jane and Paul. I met Jane while she was filming poppies on a field border next to Taraloka. Clearly anyone filming poppies in a field border is a goodun…and she had a dog…we got chatting about flowers and a year later we have started work on a test bed on a disused piece of ground at the farm. It used to be a socking great pit that was filled in with household rubbish back in the 60’s. There is very very little top soil here. Yesterday we made a one meter wide and twenty meter long ‘no dig bed’ using a hoofing load of not very well rotted down cow manure, straw, peat free compost (Wickes), oldish leaves, general farm splodge. Gawd only knows what we may have created with that cocktail…but it made the clouds go funny. The compost will certainly end up being wonderful in time. I am going to take a punt on planting seedlings in it this year…because that’s the maverick kinda chap I am.
I really like the patch of ground and would like to extend the project there but we need to see how the test bed goes first.
Total space. 20 sq meters.
Bettisfield Church.
The church was designed by George Street who also designed the Royal Courts of Justice.
The church at Bettisfield is an utterly charming place. They had sown up two large twenty meter square beds with a ‘wild flower mix’ which hadn’t worked out as they had hoped. We offered to take them over. It’s a hoofing amount of extra work but it will be a great privilege, and something we are looking forward to getting stuck into. The church is open to all…and thus the flower beds are too.
Total space 40 sq meters.
Whixhall Marina.
…no small undertaking…
The marina has an old dairy field attached to it that is presently unused. It is completely and utterly unsuitable for a flower patch and I’m not sure what was going through my tiny little head when I asked to borrow some of it. The main issue is the fact that it is made up of Couch grass…nemesis of gardening folk. It also has no running water…it’s very exposed…there are signs of rabbits, and Flash says he could smell deer. It’s also huge with terrible access…this is the patch from Hell but I’ve said I’ll do it, so I’ll give it my best shot. Of all the patches, this one genuinely has a chance of not working out. The field is open to the public…parking and a lovely cafe at the marina. Feel free to come and laugh at me.
Total space. c 120 sq meters. (This will probably shrink as I may have bitten off more than I can chew.)
So in conclusion, we have about 220 sq meters of mostly unprepared ground…a spade…a penknife…and the use of a single 8ft by 6ft greenhouse in the shade of an ash tree.
The vast majority of what we will be growing will be annuals but I think we will also get some perennials underway just to make more work for ourselves.
Other than sweet peas, all I have sown are a few pots of Calendula and Cornflowers. I tend to favour sowing my annuals in April…so don’t think if you haven’t sown anything yet that it is too late…there is loads of time.
I will keep you informed with how things are progressing, here on the blog and also on the socials.
Please support us by buying lots of juicy flower seeds from the higgledy shop.
There are not a huge number of annuals flowers that are scented but Nicotiana is one of them and so a must for your cut flower garden. They are not all scented though so if you particularly want scent then choose your varieties carefully. Also be aware that some varieties are very short and used often for bedding so you want the taller cultivars for cutflowers. They are fabulous filler flowers within your bouquets and add some movement to your arrangements, especially the smaller flowered types that seem to dance around the edges. Also they are a proper cut and come again cutflower and will keep flowering all summer, sometimes into the autumn.
Nicotiana affinis, Nicotiana ‘Sensation’ and Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’
The ones for best scent include Nicotiana affinis, this is a creamy white variety that looks fabulous in containers or in your cutting patch.
Nicotiana alata cultivars are also all wonderfully scented so that includes the fabulous and versatile Nicotiana ‘Lime’ and Nicotiana ‘Sensation’. These are great plants, big star-like flowers, Nicotiana ‘Lime’ in a vivid bright green. We have included it in our Sunglasses bundle to add some vibrant acid green against your pinks, oranges and purples. Nicotiana ‘Sensation’ is a fabulous colour mix of white, to pale pinks to dark reds. Glorious.
Nicotiana ‘White Trumpets’ too is wonderfully scented. This is a monster of a plant so give it plenty of space, it can cope with some shade so is very useful in the garden. I’ve never yet used it as a cut flower but I can imagine it would be stunning in a big arrangement. I grew it on my allotment years back and actually overwintered it (must have been a mild winter, my allotment was in Huddersfield!) but better to treat as a half hardy annual and sow fresh each year.
Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’ is a bit special, it doesn’t have a strong scent but the flowers are smaller, white with a hint of green and hang beautifully from tall stems so brilliant as a cutflower. Adds lots of movement to your bouquets. It’s one of my favourites.
They are pretty easy from seed, the seed is tiny, like dust, and so I find its much easier to sow in a seed tray or into 9cm pots. They need light for germination so sow on the surface of you compost and leave uncovered or use a small covering of vermiculite. They need a bit of warmth so a sunny windowsill is ideal. They emerge as tiny little seedlings and best to prick out quite quickly. You think these are going to take ages to get going but they are surprisingly fast from sowing to planting out. Prick out into individual pots and plant out once rooted and after the frosts. I’ve found they need a sunny spot but maybe don’t need full sun which can cause them to wilt quickly if its really baking hot, though they will revive. Nicotiana ‘White Trumpets’ can cope with shade.
They are quite sappy plants and the foliage is slightly droopy and a bit sticky to touch but don’t let that put your off. Because of the softness of the foliage you might think that they won’t last long in water but they have a surprisingly good vase life of at least a week especially if you cut just as the first flowers on the stem are opening.
The plants can sometimes get a bit of mildew so the trick is to keep it well watered and plant in good moisture retentive soil.
I had it growing in my cutting patch next to the gorgeous Cynoglossum ‘Firmament’, Ammi visnaga and Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’.
The creamy flowers of Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’ look great on the edges of your arrangements. Here in a white and blue arrangement with Cephalaria gigantea, Larkspur ‘Imperials’, Cynoglossum ‘Firmament’, Achillea ‘The Pearl’ and white Origanum.
Just as an extra note, growing Nicotiana in your garden, especially the white forms will also encourage moths into your garden which is such a great thing. Nicotiana release most scent in the evenings specifically to encourage moths for pollination, though according to the Butterfly Conservation website the long tube like flowers of Nicotiana ‘White Trumpets’ are too long for may of the British moths to reach the nectar! But Nicotiana alata cultivars like ‘Sensation’ and ‘Lime’ are known to be particularly attractive to Hawkmoths. Would love to see one of those in my garden.
Also one year I found that my Nicotiana ‘Lime’ was being used by a leaf cutter bee for material to seal its nests!
I’ve been doing a bit of looking ahead and thinking about the half hardy annuals that I will sow later in the spring. Half hardy annuals I think of as the flowers that add a bit of pizazz to your plot, many are lovely and vibrant and they will extend your growing season right into autumn.
Contains Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’, Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’, Zinnia ‘Mammoth’, Larkspur ‘Imperials’ and Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’
So what is a half hardy annual? Well its a flower that grows, flowers and sets seed in one season but that are susceptible to frosts. So either they need to be sown after the risk of frost has passed or sown undercover and kept protected and then planted out after the frosts. I tend to sow them in late March or early April, and keep them in my unheated greenhouse or if they prefer a bit more heat on my bedroom windowsill. I prick out and pot on as needed and plant them out mid to end of May. They may need hardening off before planting out which just means bringing them out of the greenhouse or warm windowsill in the day and taking back indoors overnight, do this for a week or so. This is just so that they don’t get a shock from being in a toasty environment to getting planted out in the big wide world outdoors and keeps them growing more smoothly.
Contains Helianthus ‘Valentine’, Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’ and Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’
It includes some of my favourites, Sunflowers, Phlox, Rudbeckias, Cosmos, Zinnias and Nicotiana. Some I sow earlier than others as they can be a bit slower to grow and get to flowering size, these include Phlox, Rudbeckias and Scabious. Others are super speedy and quickly germinate and grow, like Cosmos and Nicotiana. More information of specific sowing instructions see the Higgledy garden seed sowing guide.
Sunflowers, who doesn’t love them, even if you are one of those weird people that don’t like yellow flowers (Controversial!) surely everyone can find room for a sunflower. They come in a wide range of colours with, some might say, more tasteful colours like primrose yellow, red, copper and I love the peachy apricot colours. I grew ‘Ruby Eclipse’ last year and fell in love, but this year we are stocking a new variety, excellently chosen by Higgledy Gemma called Helianthus ‘Summer Lovin’ which has shades of cream with shades of dark pinks and red suffused through. Gorgeous.
Helianthus ‘Ruby Eclipse’ and ‘Red Sun’ are the stars of this bouquet but it also includes Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’, Nicotiana ‘Sensation’, Cosmos ‘Purity’, Cosmos ‘Apricotta’, Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’ and Ammi visnaga.
Rudbeckias, another yellow flower! But again this comes in many shades, here at Higgledy we sell the glorious ‘Marmalade’ which is a gorgeous warm yellow with a big brown ‘nose’ in the centre of the flower. It goes lovely with vibrant colours of Zinnias, Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’ and Nicotiana. There is also Rudbeckia ‘Irish Green’ which has a bright green ‘nose’ in the centre, which I think would go lovely with Dill ‘Mammoth’ or Nicotiana ‘Lime’. Myself I’m a sucker for the rich varied tones of yellows, browns and sandy shades of Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’ which goes so well with Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ and Cosmos ‘Apricotta’.
Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’
Contains Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’, Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’, Zinnia ‘Mammoth’ and Larkspur ‘Imperials’.
Zinnias, I love them but they need sunshine and warmth to really do themselves justice and I don’t have a huge amount of areas in my garden with full sun but if you can find them the right spot and once they get going they are fabulous. I tend to sow these in modules, as they don’t like too much root disturbance, so then I can just either plant them directly from the module or pot them on into 9cm pots. The other thing I’ve found is that they are very tasty to slugs so I do try and get my plants to a good size before planting to give them a better chance. Last year the star of my Zinnias was ‘Purple Prince’ that was just glorious and mixed well with lots of other flowers.
Zinnias
Contains Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’ with Daucus carota ‘Dara’ and Lysimachia
Contains Zinnia ‘Mammoth’, Larkspur ‘Imperials’ and double Feverfew.
Nicotiana, so good as adding a filler to your bouquets and they just keep on flowering, so just keep picking. I’ve also found them pretty resiliant to drought they don’t need masses of watering. Also many of them are scented including Nicotiana ‘Sensation’ which comes in a beautiful range of colours with quite large flowers, Nicotiana ‘Lime’ a fabulous acid-green form and Nicotiana affinis, pure white flowers. But my favourite is Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’ which though is not scented but has slightly smaller flowers than the other forms and adds some daintiness to your bouquets.
Nicotiana ‘Sensation’ and ‘Starlight Dancer’Contains Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’ with Burpleurum falcatum
Cosmos, these are a must have for me, they are just THE best cut flower in my opinion. I’ve written about my love for Cosmos ‘Apricotta’here but I love them all. Cosmos ‘Purity’ is such a strong plant, it gets big so needs some support but you will be cutting from it for months. Cosmos ‘Sensation’ and ‘Fizzy Rose’ give you a wonderful range of pinks and reds. There is nothing more beautiful than a big bouquet of Cosmos for me. I’m trying a couple of new varieties this year too so will see how they do. They are super quick to germinate and grow so you need to bear that in mind which you are planning to sow them as they will need to be kept frost free, so don’t sow too early unless you have the space to grow them on.
Joyous handful of CosmosCosmos ‘Fizzy Rose’Contains Cosmos ‘Purity’ with Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ and Aster ‘Little Carlow’
Scabious are fabulous flowers for cutting, I’ve found they can be quite slow to grow so I sow them fairly early and pot them on till they are a good size and plant out after the frosts. I love the rich dark black flowers of Scabiosa ‘Black Knight’, I’m also growing a lovely rich red form called ‘Merlot Red’ and a peachy apricot form called ‘Fata Morgana’. Scabiosa ‘Ping Pong’ I grow for its amazing seed head which is so good for drying and keeping for autumn and winter arrangements.
Scabious ‘Black Knight’
Aster ‘Ostrich Plume’ they remind me of jelly tots some how, the colours and that big yellow centre just full of fun. Big shaggy flowers, they need a bit of space and support but these Chinese Asters are great for bringing late colour to your plots.
Aster ‘Ostrich Plume’
Phlox I’ve already written about how much I love these here and can’t wait to get them going this year. Definitely going to try and have a good patch of these for cutting.
So there are a few of the half hardy flowers that I’m planning to grow on my plot this year. Can’t wait to get started. But I’m holding out a bit longer before sowing.
We also have a bundle offer for a collection of flowers to add some vibrant colours to your cutting garden. Have a look at the Higgledy Garden Sunglasses Bundle!
It’s Sweet peas sowing time! You might have seen lots of people going on about their autumn sown sweet peas on social media but now is also a perfect time for sowing sweet peas and they won’t be that far behind the autumn sown ones! I did sow in the autumn, see my guide here, but I am going to sow a few now too. My autumn sown ones have mostly been ok, lost a couple and I’ve had to pinch them back a bit to stop them getting leggy but its a very good way to get ahead and save time now when there is so much else you might want to sow. But I also have had a complete failure of my autumn sown sweet peas in the past, this was the year before last when we had that really cold prolonged spell of cold weather. The temperature in my unheated greenhouse went below -10 degrees for quite a few days and they never properly recovered from that. I lost a lot of stuff that year but I just resowed my sweet peas in the spring and still had a gloriously scented flower filled summer. Sometimes its good to do a second sowing especially if you want to extend the flowering. You can sow from now till end of March at least and you can even sow directly in April.
There is not much that beats a big bunch of sweet peas to dive your nose into. I love sweet peas mostly for that scent I think its my favourite flower scent just about pipping Lily of the valley. They are a bit of work to get going but once they are growing well your main job is to just keep cutting them and surely that is no chore!
So sowing is easy, the only thing to really be aware of is that they have big roots so sow into a nice long pot, I use 8 or 9cm pot or root trainers so that roots have a bit of a depth of soil to get going with. But pot size is less of an issue in the spring as they won’t be sitting in their pots very long, so just use whatever you have. I sow 2 seeds per pot and just plant the whole pot or module. I use peatfree compost, Melcourt Sylvagrow is my favourite. Some people recommend soaking the seeds but I’ve never done that and always have good germination. They need a bit of warmth at this time of year for germination but once you see those little green shoots then you can move them somewhere cooler. Keep them in good light so they don’t get too leggy. But don’t worry if they do, you can just pinch them out and they will bush out.
They need some support, either a wigwam or a A-frame and they will need tying in till the seedlings get established and starts using its tendrils to climb up. You can remove the tendrils if you feel so inclined as they can sometimes catch on to the flower stems and cause them to be distorted in shape. I tried this but then you have to a lot more tying in and they don’t grow quite as quickly so I’m not going to bother again. I’m not growing for perfection more to just have lots of colour and scent. I’ve also learnt to appreciate picking longer stems including the tendrils to add some nice texture to your bouquets. This is also useful for some varieties like Cupani which don’t have really long stems or later in the season when the stem length can shorten.
Sweet peas need plenty of nutrients and lots of water so struggle in a very dry summer but if you are patient and keep them going they can sometimes revive again once it rains. I mulch the area where I’m going to plant with well rotted manure and water well in dry spells. I will feed with a seaweed feed if they are looking a bit pale. They can suffer from mildew in a dry summer so plenty of water helps keep that at bay.
Above are a few varieties that I grew in 2023. From far left the dark red is Winston Churchill and then going clockwise round from there is Jilly, Beaujolais, Leamington, Flagship, Eclipse, Painted Lady, Valerie Harrod, Swan Lake and in the middle Nimbus. We will be getting Beaujolais back in stock very soon! You can see from this the subtle difference between Jilly and Swan Lake, Jilly is a much creamier white and Swan Lake a pure bright white.
I’m excited to be trying some of the new varieties that we have for sale this year, like Air warden, which is a bright scarlet. Noel Sutton looks gorgeous a mauve, a bit like Charlies Angels which we struggle getting stock of now. Plus I’m also sowing one called Pulsar which is another ruffled speckled variety but paler than Nimbus, and Annie B Gilroy which is a bright cerise pink.
We are also selling a bundle of our favourite sweet pea varieties here.
Ah so looking forward to picking the first bunch, its always a celebration in my household.
Ok I’ve done it, the seed box is out! I’ve made a start but I’m trying to not get carried away but this mild weather does strange things to you. Its been very warm here in Lancashire and everything has been stirring. I finally have some colour in my garden, the Hellebores are looking fabulous, delicate Iris reticulata are out, such short lived beauty but so welcome at this time of year. Cyclamen coum with its bright pink flowers and beautiful patterned leaves. Pulmonarias are just starting to flower, so good for the early pollinators that are braving the weather. I’ve already spotted a big bumblebee out and about. The daffodils are out and there are big fat shoots coming up in the tulip bins and pots. Its all so exciting.
This is my absolute favourite time of year the magic of seed sowing, I’ve been sowing seeds for years now but I still feel that giddy excitement when I see the little green shoots poking out of the soil. I’m straight up in the morning to look at the collection of pots on the window sill and see what has changed during the night.
I’ve been squelching down my garden (when is this rain going to stop!) to the greenhouse and having a bit of a sort out there. Clearing out anything thing that hasn’t survived the winter, its been a relatively mild winter, just a couple of really cold spells. My autumn sown Sweet peas are currently in a sheltered spot outside and they look much better for it, they were looking a bit bedraggled and a bit of fresh air and rain has done them good. I’ve also put outside the Cornflowers, Corncockle and Ammi majus, they were growing too quickly inside. These have been fine and are so good from an autumn sowing. I will bring them in if it forecasts heavy frosts. I’ve potted on a few things, Orlaya grandiflora, Papaver nudicale, Ammi visnaga, Daucus carota ‘Dara’, Echium ‘White Bedder’ and Omphalodes linifolia ‘Little Snow White’. I also have Cerinthe which is looking good.
So what have I been sowing, well I’ve sown some of the perennial seeds which can sometimes take a while to germinate. I’ve sown Echinacea ‘Primadonna Pink, Gaura ‘The Bride’, Chrysanthemum ‘Crazy Daisy’ and Knautia ‘Melton Pastels’. These I’ve sown in 9cm pots and have placed these on my bedroom window sill where it gets some warmth from the radiator below. I sowed these on the 10th February and I already have germination in the Gaura, Chrysanthemum and Knautia which is very exciting. Patience will be required for the Echinacea, they can be slow to germinate. Plus I’ve also sowed Cobaea scandens and some Thunbergia (Climbing black-eyed Susan) these are on my small propagator which gives a gentle bottom heat. Already can see a few shoots of Cobaea.
Cobaea scandens
Then just last weekend I spent a pleasant couple of hours in my potting shed sowing some of the hardy annuals that are pretty tough and can cope with a bit of cold. Calendula sunshine in a seed packet.
Some more Cornflowers as you can’t have too many cornflowers.
Finally I’ve sown a few different varieties of Scabious including ‘Black Knight’ the fabulous ‘Ping Pong’ grown for the quite bonkers seed head. So I’m keeping an eye on all these now and will keep you posted.
Just had another peek at the pot of Echinacea seeds and there is a little green shoot! Whoop!!
Have you started sowing yet? Lots of guides on here to help you get started by myself and Ben.
I believe it was the Greeks who first named the flower Cosmos. They saw the well-ordered petals around the center and considered it similar to how they believed the Cosmos to be. ‘Cosmos’ means ‘balanced universe’ in Greek.
I know what you’re thinking….”wow! Higgers….you’re so brainy!”….and you’d be right of course…but not just brainy…practical too. Our friend Cosmos is a super practical addition to any cutting garden. It’s easy to grow….has a long flowering period…keeps producing flowers after you cut them…and it lasts well in the vase.
Cosmos are right up there in the flowery hall of fame when it comes to the best flowers for your cutting patch. I am never ever ever without cosmos in my gardens. The first cosmos flower of the year is like meeting up with an old chum and splitting a bottle of posh wine in the sunshine. The issue I’ve had is how many varieties can I sensibly stock. Higgledy is a ‘micro business’ and we have to keep our total range under one hundred varieties and choose only the very best of the bunch (excuse the pun.) So I decided that I would stock the finest four Cosmos that exist on planet earth right now in the 21st century.
Cosmos ‘Purity’.
Cosmos are workhorses in your flower patch….don’t be without some. This one is ‘Purity’.
“This popular annual cosmos makes a great filler for a sunny border, and as long as it’s dead-headed regularly, it will produce a succession of pure white, saucer-shaped flowers from early summer to mid-autumn. It’s very easy to grow and it makes an invaluable addition to the cutting garden.” RHS.
Cosmos ‘Purity’ was the first cosmos I grew back in the day. I had an incredible first harvest. We had flowers until November. I used to sell bunches of flowers in a local health food shop in Cambridge. Customers used to grab the bunches of flowers out of my hand before I could them to the manager. ‘Purity’ always helped to sell the bunches. You rarely see them in florists as I don’t think they travel well.
Cosmos ‘Fizzy Rose’.
Cosmos ‘Fizzy Rose’. (I had her consent to shoot from this angle)
“A bushy, upright, half-hardy annual with finely-divided foliage and semi-double, white flowers stained and edged a dark pinkish-red, borne on stems to 1m tall, from summer into autumn.” RHS
I saw these growing in my chum, Mandy’s front garden. They are about as jazzy as I think a cosmos flower should go….I’m not a fan of cosmos with fluted petals for instance. I used to refer to ‘Fizzy Rose’ as ‘posh totty’s knickers’ but that was in the 1990’s and I need to refrain from that sort of language now. Fizzy Rose always sells well and my loyal customer base send me photos and tell me how much they love them…so Fizzy Rose is with us for the long haul.
Cosmos ‘Sensation’
Cosmos ‘Sensation’ being photobombed by Scabiosa Ping Pong.
“Sensation Series are half-hardy annuals with fine, feathery foliage and, from summer into early autumn, single flowers, to 9cm in diameter, in shades of pink, red and white that are borne on stems to 1.2m tall” RHS
Not having Cosmos ‘Sensation’ in my seed shop would see me in the soup. The flower growing public would burn effigies of me and I would be sent to live on the Isle of Wight. Some say Sensation is a tad too flouncy for their tastes…and I get that….but it is certainly not too flouncy for mine. I have no problem with pinks and the bees seem to love Sensation too.
Cosmos ‘Apricotta’. Higgledy Anne’s chum.
I haven’t grown Cosmos ‘Apricotta’ yet but Higgledy Anne says she will leave Higgledy and go and work for Mr Fotherchops if I don’t start stocking it. I think you’ll agree she is a very beautiful and charming Cosmos….’Apricotta’ that is, not Anne….Anne isn’t a Cosmos….although she is beautiful and charming.
Tips for growing cosmos from seed:
*Either direct sow your Cosmos seeds direct into the soil after threats of frost have disappeared….or sow six weeks earlier in pots…in a greenhouse or on your windowsill. Best just not be in too much of a rush to get them started…one bit of frost and our Cosmos chums will keel over…and you will be all sad…guilty….and be in the shallows of despair….well…maybe. I sow mine from April (undercover)…outside after 10th May. I noticed that the wonderful flower farm ‘Organic Blooms’ sows in March…although they are in the southwest, which will account for early sowing to some degree.
*Prepare the bed you are going to grow them into…make sure it gets lots and lots of sun and is weed free.
*I thin my seedlings to a foot apart…many other flower folk sow two feet apart….either way your plants will need staking if the site is exposed.
*When you harvest cosmos flowers…cut them just above a leaf node and this way you will get some more blooms.
We would recommend using Peat-free compost and we use Melcourt Sylvagrow multipurpose compost. Sylvagrow is lovely and loose and light, you can always sieve it a bit if you feel there are larger chunks in there but we never have. Care needs to be taken with watering as it can dry out on the top but still be moist underneath but once you have used this compost for a bit you soon get used to it.
If sowing in trays and pots, once sown it’s better to water from below so sit them in trays of water to allow the water to soak upwards through the compost. If you water from above you can move the seed around, especially light seeds they can get washed to one end of the tray and all germinate there in one big mass!
Seed is precious and if possible you should sow the seeds individually, some seeds are so small that this is almost impossible but in this case just sow as thinly as possible. Just sow what you need. The rest will often keep for another year at least.
Label your seed trays well, I’ve made this mistake a few times and think I will remember but you never do!
If sowing direct, prepare the bed by clearing any weeds and raking over so that the soil is nice and loose and friable (posh word for crumbly and light!). Then you can either broadcast sow, this is where you sow seed over the whole area, or you can sow in rows. The advantage of sowing in rows is you can spot any weed seeds that germinate in between the rows and can confidently remove them!
This is just general advice but just find a way that works best for you, there is often no right or wrong so just have a go and experiment. If you are unsure, just sow a small amount of seed then if it fails you can try again, the best way to learn is by just doing it. You will soon work out the best methods that suit you and your growing conditions.
Most hardy annuals can be sown in early spring (March–April), some also benefit from sowing in the autumn, kept protected over winter from the worst frosts and then plant out in April for flowering earlier than the spring sown plants. Or they can be sown directly once frosts have past. These different sowing times means that you will get flowers over a longer time if you need successional flowering for your cutting patch.
Amaranthus caudatus red. Small orange seeds. Sow direct in rows once risk of frost has past, cover lightly with soil and once germinated this to 50cm apart. Or sow undercover with some warmth in modules or 9cm pots. Prick out and pot on as needed and plant out at least 50cm apart. These make big tall plants that will need some staking.
Ammi majus and Ammi visnaga. Smallish grey seeds. Can be sown in early spring or in the autumn for early flowers the next year. Sow individually into 9cm pots, or into a seed tray and prick out into 9cm pots. Plant out in April or May in final positions about 30cm apart. Ammi majus can get very tall from an autumn sowing and Ammi visnaga can produce quite chunky plants so both benefit from staking well. Can be sown direct in late Spring, in rows where they are to flower.
Borage. Sturdy black seeds that can be sown direct into the ground in April or May or if you want to start a bit earlier in March can be sown undercover into 9cm pots or modules. Plant 1cm deep and pot on before planting in final positions 25cm apart. Often seeds around once established.
Briza maxima. Large beige husk like seeds. Another plant that once established will seed around at will, but to get going it’s easiest to sow directly in the Spring. Prepare the area and broadcast sow. Thin out if needed but they can cope with being close together.
Calendula (C. ‘Indian Prince’, ‘Snow Princess’ and ‘Art Shades’). Gorgeous curved seeds like little seahorses. Can be sown in early spring or in the autumn for early flowers the next year. An easy annual to sow directly, 1cm deep, where they are to flower or can be sown undercover in 9cm pots or modules. Plant out into their final positions about 30cm apart.
Candytuft ‘Crown Mixed’. Small brown seeds. Can be sown in early spring or in the autumn for early flowers the next year. Or can be sown directly once the frosts have passed. Surface sow on the compost in seed trays or 9cm pots, in spring they will need some warmth. Prick out individually into 9cm pots. Plant into their final positions 10cm apart.
Cornflowers. Centaurea cynus ‘Black Ball’, ‘Blue Ball’, ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Classic Romantic’. Cute seed like little shaving brushes. Another easy one that can be sown in early spring or in the autumn for earlier flowers the following year. Or can be sown directly once the frosts have passed. Sow straight into 9cm pots or in a seed tray and prick out individually when germinated. Plant into their final positions 15cm apart. Will need supporting.
Cerinthe. Large black seeds. Can be sown in early spring or in the autumn for earlier flowers next year. Or can be sown directly once the frosts have passed. Sow straight into 9cm pots or modules, 1 seed per pot or cell. Plant out once the frosts have passed.
Chrysanthemum ‘Rainbow Hippy Lovechild’. Large brown husk-like seeds. Sow in the spring with some warmth spring or in the autumn for earlier flowers next year. Sow into 9cm pots or seed trays prick out individually into 9cm pots and plant out once the frost has passed, 20cm apart. Can also be sown direct in late Spring.
Corncockle. Small black round seeds. These do best sown directly where they are to grow, this can be in the spring or in autumn. Sow 1cm deep and thin to 30cm apart. Can also be planted undercover in modules and transplanted in the spring. They can get very tall so may need some support.
Daucus carota. Small grey seeds. Actually a biennial really but it does well sown as an annual, we tend to sow in the autumn though and they are good to sow directly. Only lightly cover with soil. Alternatively sow in seed trays or modules and prick out while still very small into larger pots. Can also be sown in early spring. Will self-seed if seedheads left over winter.
Dill ‘Mammoth’. Oval brown flat seeds. A nice easy one, sow indoors in early spring for early flowers or direct once the frosts have passed. Sow on the surface on seed trays or into 9cm pots, only lightly cover with compost. They can get very tall so may need some support in the garden. Space about 15cm apart.
Eschscholzia ‘Ivory Castle’ and ‘Orange King’. Small round black seeds. These really do prefer being sown directly as they don’t really like transplanting. Can sow in rows or broadcast sow and just cover with compost/soil. Sow in the spring.
Godetia ‘Crown’. Very small black seeds. Sow directly in spring or undercover with some warmth in early spring. Can also be sown undercover in autumn for earlier flowers. Sow in seed trays and prick out or straight into 9cm pots and they germinate quickly. Plant out after the frosts about 15cm apart.
Gypsophila ‘Covent Garden’. Small black seeds. Sow direct or for earlier flowers sow undercover in early spring. Pinch out to make more compact and bushy. Thin to spacing of about 25cm.
Larkspur ‘Giant Hyacinth’ and ‘Imperials Mix’. Small black seeds. These can sometimes be tricky to germinate as they need a period of cold to break dormancy. So you can either sow in autumn or late winter to allow the natural cold conditions to break the dormancy. Or put the seed packet in the fridge for a couple of weeks before sowing. Sow into seed trays and prick out into modules or 9cm pots. May need some support.
Nigella papillosa ‘Delft’, N. ‘Alba’, ‘Oxford Blue’ and ‘Persian Jewels’. Small black round seeds. These are best sown direct as they don’t really like transplanting, but I have sown in modules successfully too. Can sow in rows or broadcast sow and just cover with compost/soil. Sow in the spring or in autumn for earlier flowers.
Night scented stock. Small brown seeds. Very easy to grow and best sown directly where they are to grow in the spring. Broadcast sow and lightly over with soil. Can thin out if needed to about 20cm apart.
Phacelia. Small black seeds. Another easy one that is best sown directly, broadcast sow and cover with soil. If growing for cut flowers you may want to thin out a bit. If growing as a green manure then best to dig it in before its starts to flower and leave for a couple of months before planting in that area to allow it to breakdown naturally.
Salvia viridis and Salvia viridis ‘Oxford Blue’. Small black seeds. Best to sow directly in the spring after the frosts, sow in rows or broadcast sow, thin out to about 15cm apart. Can also sown undercover into seed trays, pricked out individually into pots and plant out after the frosts.
These are susceptible to frost and so if you are sowing directly they need to be sown once the risk of frosts has passed. They can often be started earlier than that if you sow them undercover with some warmth and grow on. Then you only plant them out once the frosts have passed. They may need hardening off before planting out which just means bringing them out of the protected area in the day and taking back indoors overnight, do this for a couple of weeks. This is just so that they don’t get a shock from being in a toasty greenhouse/house to getting planted out in the colder outdoors. It just keeps them growing more smoothly.
Antirrhinum majus ‘Lucky Lips’. Small black round seeds. Sow undercover from January as they are quite slow growing. Surface sow onto a seed tray, don’t exclude light. Prick out the tiny seedlings in pots. Plant out in final position once frosts have passed. Plant 30cm apart.
Aster ‘Ostrich Plume’. Oval beige seeds. Sow undercover with some warmth in April, sow thinly on the surface of the compost in a seed tray or 9cm pot. Once germinated prick out individually into 9cm pots. Plant out in final positions once the risk of frosts has passed, when they could also be sown directly. Plant 20cm apart.
Cleome ‘White Queen’ and ‘Violet Queen’. Small black seeds. Sow undercover with some warmth in April, sow thinly on the surface of the compost in a seed tray or 9cm pot. Once germinated prick out individually into 9cm pots. Plant out in final positions, about 30cm apart, once the risk of frosts has passed.
Climbing Black Eyed Susan. ‘Flash Mix’. Unusual spherical seeds like little sea urchins. Sow under cover with heat in late autumn-winter or in spring. Sow onto compost in 9cm pots and cover lightly. They need warmth for germination. Grow on and keep protected from frost. Plant out when risk of frosts has passed. Will need a climbing support.
Climbing Nasturtium. Pea-sized grey seed. Perfect for sowing direct or can sow undercover straight into 9cm pots and grow on, sow or plant out once the frosts have passed.
Cobaea scandens. Large flat seeds. These are the first things we sow in the year, they like a good long growing season to grow well. Sow 1cm deep in 9cm pot in February or March, they will need warmth to germinate. Keep protected, they can grow fast so I often pot on again into 11cm pots with some support. Plant out once the frosts have passed. They need a good strong climbing support as they are very vigorous.
Cosmos ‘Apricotta’, ‘Fizzy Rose’, ‘Purity’ and ‘Sensation’. Long thin black seeds. Sow with some heat undercover in seed trays or in 9cm pots. Prick out individually if needed in to 9cm pots. They germinate super speedily so be aware that they grow quickly but can’t be put outside until after the first frosts. They may need some support as ‘Purity’ can get very tall. Space 40cm apart.
Didiscus ‘Blue Lace’. Small flat seeds. Sow with some heat undercover in seed trays or in 9cm pots. Cover with compost. Have patience they can take a couple of weeks to germinate. Prick out individually in to 9cm pots. Plant out once the frosts have passed. Plant out 20cm apart.
Helianthus ‘Harlequin’, ‘Moonwalker’, ‘Red Sun’, ‘Valentine’, ‘Summer Lovin’. Nice big teardrop-shaped seed, some are stripy. Super-duper easy and another one which is great to get kids to sow. Sow directly once the frosts have passed or undercover direct into 9cm pots. 1.5cm deep, can add two seeds per sowing and thin to one per pot. Protect from slugs when small and they will need staking once growing well.
Ipomoea ‘Heavenly Blue’. Large black seeds. Seed can be soaked in water 24 hours before sowing to aid germination. Sow directly once the frosts have passed, about 20cm apart. They will need a climbing support. Can sow undercover into 9cm pots, 2cm deep with some warmth and plant out after the frosts.
Ipomoea lobata ‘Exotic Love’. Medium sized black seeds. Seed can be soaked in water 30 minutes before sowing, so that they swell, this will aid germination. Sow directly once the frosts have passed, about 20cm apart. They will need a climbing support. Can sow undercover into 9cm pots, 2cm deep with some warmth and plant out after the frosts. Need full sun to flower well.
Malope trifida ‘Vulcan’. Small brown seeds. Sow with some heat undercover in seed trays or in 9cm pots. Prick out individually if needed in to 9cm pots. Plant out with a spacing of 30cm once the frosts have passed, when they could also be sown directly.
Nicotiana affinis, N. ‘Lime Green’, ‘Sensation’, ‘Starlight Dancer’ and ‘White Trumpets’. Tiny dust like seeds. Best sown undercover with a bit of heat in Spring. Sow thinly on the surface of the compost in seed trays or 9cm pots. They need light for germination. Prick out into individual pots once large enough to handle. They are fast growing once they get going which always surprises me from such small seed. Space all about 25cm apart, except for N. ‘White Trumpets’ which can get very tall and wide so needs about 50cm spacing.
Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ and ‘Sugar Stars’. Small brown seeds. Sow undercover in seed trays or 9cm pots and cover with compost, give them some warmth in Spring. Prick out individually into pots and plant out once the risk of frost has passed. They can be grown quite close together as they will then support each other. Needs pinching out two or three times to allow it to bush out and then it will send out nice long stems.
Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’ and ‘Marmalade’. Small black seeds. Best sown undercover with a bit of heat in Spring. Sow in seed trays or 9cm pots on the surface of the compost and lightly cover with compost. Prick out individually into pots and plant out when all risk of frosts have passed, plant about 25cm apart.
Scabiosa stellata ‘Ping Pong’. Big seeds like little shuttlecocks. Sow in the spring undercover with some warmth into seed trays or 9cm pots and just cover with compost. Prick out individually into pots and plant out once the risk of frost has passed. Plant about 30cm apart.
Statice ‘Higgledy Mix’ and ‘Sky Blue’. Small long thin black seeds. Sow in the spring undercover with some warmth into seed trays or 9cm pots and just cover with compost. Prick out individually into pots and plant out once the risk of frost has passed. Plant about 30cm apart.
Zinnia ‘Cactus’, ‘Envy’, ‘Mammoth’ and ‘Purple Prince’. Large flat black seeds. These are a seed that doesn’t like too much disturbance so they are good to be sown in modules undercover in the spring with some warmth. They can be susceptible to slugs when young so we like to grow them on into bigger pots and plant out once established into a good sized plant. Plant once the frosts have passed, when they can also be sown directly. May need some support.
These are lovely big seeds like small black mini marbles, easy to handle and great to get children sowing seeds.
These can either be sown in early Spring (February/March) or for earlier flowers they can be sown in mid Autumn, usually mid to end of October, but it will depend a little bit as to where you are in the country. When there is still some warmth to encourage germination but not too warm that they romp away and get too leggy and soft and susceptible to hard frosts. Believe me I’ve learnt the hard way!
I sow into root trainers or square 9cm pots 2 seeds module of the root trainer or 2-3 per 9cm pot. I use Sylvagrow multipurpose peat free compost and have had excellent germination for many years. Some people say that you should soak them but I have never had to do that! I let them germinate in a sunny warm spot but once germinated they can be kept in a cool greenhouse, try to grow them hard so they develop into short sturdy plants, pinch out if needed, maybe fleece them if a sustained hard frost is forecast. I plant mine out in early April, they can sit and sulk for a bit but soon settle down and start growing. The first shoots will need tying in to get them trained up whichever support that you prefer.
If sowing in spring they will need some warmth for germination but again once they have germinated they can be kept in a cool greenhouse.
You can also sow directly into the soil after the risk of frosts has passed.
Biennials are sown in May to July, I prefer sowing most things in seed trays or pots, pricking out and potting on so that I have reasonable sized plants before planting. But there are some biennials that can easily be sown direct, especially Foxgloves, Honesty, Wallflowers and Sweet Rocket. They don’t need heat for germination just put them in a sheltered spot in your garden or a cold-frame and they will soon germinate. Ideally they should be planted in their final positions before the first frost and they will stay as a small plant over winter and then start growing and flowering the following spring.
Canterbury Bells Single Mix. Small seed so I definitely prefer sowing this in a seed tray or 9cm pot and pricking out. Sow on the surface of the compost and don’t cover as they need light to germinate. They are quite slow to germinate and grow initially but then seem to put a spurt on. Pot on individually into 9cm pots and then plant in their final positions about 30cm apart. They are classed as a biennial but you can sometimes get flowers in the first year if you sow early in Spring.
Foxgloves ‘Alba’, ‘Suttons Apricot’ and ‘Excelsior’ the seed is tiny, like dust almost and so care is needed to sow thinly. It’s impossible to sow the seed individually but the thinner you sow the easier it is to prick out. They need to be surface sown as they need light to germinate. Once they have germinated and are large enough to handle prick them out individually into module trays or 9cm pots. Once rooted into these pots they will be ready to plant where you want them in the garden. These can also be sown directly, clear where you would like to plant them and sow thinly over the area. Thin out to final spacings once germinated.
Sweet Rocket (Hesperis ‘Purple’ and Hesperis ‘White’), small little black seeds. Sow thinly on the surface of the compost and cover lightly. Prick out into modules or 9cm pots. Plant into final positions once rooted, 30cm apart.
Honesty. Large flat disc shaped seeds. These can be sown singly into 9cm pots or modules. I tend to sow them seed sideways down and cover slightly with soil. Germination can be a bit erratic and sometimes they need a spell of cold to break dormancy and encourage germination. They can be also sown direct where you would like them to flower, about 30cm apart.
Sweet William (Sweet William ‘Alba’, ‘Auricula-Eyed’, ‘Nigricans’ and ‘Higgledy Mix’). Small black seeds these can be sown directly by broadcasting over the bed or in rows where you would like them to grow. Sow thinly, cover with a thin layer of soil and and thin out to a spacing of about 15cm once germinated. Alternatively sow thinly in seed trays or 9cm pots, cover lightly with compost and prick out into individual modules or pots. Plant out in final positions once rooted.
Wallflowers (Wallflower ‘Cloth of Gold’, ‘Ivory White’ and ‘Vulcan’). Small black seeds again these can be sown directly by broadcasting over the bed or in rows where you would like them to grow. Sow thinly, cover with a thin layer of soil and and thin out to a spacing of about 40cm once germinated. Alternatively sow thinly in seed trays or 9cm pots, cover lightly with compost and prick out into individual modules or pots. Plant out in final positions once rooted. Another note on these is that they don’t take well to getting root bound, pot on into bigger pots if not quite ready to plant out or plant out into final positions as soon as you can to prevent any checks in growth.
Can be a little more tricky than the annuals and biennials as germination may be more temperamental. You will need to start them off indoors, they are not really good ones for direct sowing and most need some warmth for germination.
The Dahlias (‘Bishops Children’ and ‘Cactus’) are easy, just sow in the early spring, sow thinly on the surface of peat-free compost in seed trays or in 9cm pots and cover lightly with more compost. They need a bit of heat but they germinate quickly and can be individually pricked out and potted on into 9cm pots. They shouldn’t be planted outside till all risk of frosts have passed. At the end of the year they will have developed big chunky tubers that you will need to protect from frost (depending on how cold it is where you live you can either leave in the ground and mulch or lift and store in a frost free place).
The other hardy perennials (Chrysanthemum ‘Crazy Daisy’, Echinacea ‘Primadonna Pink’, Feverfew and Gaura ‘The Bride’ all have similar requirements. They need to be sown in the spring indoors, sow thinly on the surface of peat-free compost and don’t cover as they need light to germinate or you can cover with a thin layer of vermiculite. Patience is required!! Germination can be slow and erratic. If you get no germination they may need some cold stratification to break the seed dormancy. This just means put them somewhere cold for a couple of weeks and then bring them back into the warmth again. Or you can cheat and put the packet of seed in the fridge for a few weeks before sowing and this can break down the dormancy of the seed.
The Knautia ‘Melton Pastels’ is often recommended to sow in the autumn and you could potentially sow those directly and then they will naturally have a cold spell over winter. But you could also use the fridge trick on this seed too and sow in the spring.
In the last Higgledy lecture we wrapped our flowery heads around the subject of Hardy Annuals. It was emotional. If you have just joined us may I suggest you take a peek at the previous posts and get yourselves up to speed. There could well be a surprise test…points could be deducted…no one said this was going to be easy.
FAQ:
‘What is the difference between a hardy and a half-hardy annual?’
In simple terms…hardy annuals can cope with frosty weather…and so their seeds can be sown in autumn as well as spring. Half-hardy annuals will keel over if they so much as look at a frost.
The slightly annoying thing about Half-Hardy annuals is that they can also require a long season to flower. If you consider they are usually native to places closer to the equator…they haven’t got seasons to get worried about…so they just hang around in the sun, smoking cigars and drinking Tequila until such a time as they feel like flowering.
To combat this we must sow them relatively early. I sow mine in pots in early April. I plant these seedlings out in late May. They can flower from July…and right through until Halloween-ish if the weather is mild.
Nicotiana. Thx Rosie, for the pic.
FAQ:
‘Higgers, lion of lions, King of Kings…Half-Hardy annuals (HHA) sound a bit faffy…are they worth all the faff?’
HHA are not at all faffy…there is a little work sowing up the pots…but even then, ‘work’ is the wrong word…it is nothing short of a joy my dear. HHA also offer us more flamboyant blooms….often not as many as their hardy brothers and sisters, but this just means we use them more sparingly. Some HHA are flower making maniacs…for instance, my old friend, Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’ is an incredibly prolific fellow….and no one would dare call him ‘faffy’!
FAQ:
‘After my husband died in a freak golf buggy accident (which my lawyers are confident I will be acquitted for), I was able to dig up his vegetable garden to use for a cut flower patch. Can you recommend some HHA to plant there? Would you have time to come over to Bonkton Hall to help me with my needs?
Here are my Top Seven Half Hardy Annuals for planting in your recently deceased husband’s vegetable garden.
Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’
*Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’. I’ve already mentioned this chap once…here he is again. Handsome, reliable and very cheery. I have never been without ‘Marmalade’ in a cutting patch. Some folk just loath yellow flowers…I think there was a movement against them in the 1970’s…it’s time to get over it.
Cosmos ‘Fizzy Rose’
*Cosmos ‘Fizzy Rose’. ‘Fizzy Rose’ is the new Shelia in town. She was loved by almost everyone who grew her this season. At first, I thought she might be a bit of a flouncy tart…but, not so…I’m not going to suggest she is classy…like ‘Purity’ but she is a chirpy lass and we LOVE her!
Tithonia (Red)
*Tithonia ‘Torch’. This Tithonia is a gem. Tithonia like a rich soil. Be careful of the delicate and hollow stems. (We are out of stock right now….sorry!)
Thank you to the wonderful Kerry Skinner for letting me share her pic of ‘Violet Queen’.
*Cleome ‘Violet Queen’. This flower has become a modern classic….a bit like the Ford Capri. The seeds can be a little erratic to germinate…give them lots of time and keep them moist (not waterlogged) She has thorns….oh what a minx! #NaughtyViolet
*Sunflowers. Lots of seed companies will tell you that sunflowers are Hardy…well…sometimes they will make it through a winter but not often. We have four varieties this season.
Rosie takes great pics of her flowers. I can’t swear this is from my Nicotiana ‘Sensation mix’…but it easily could be.
*Nicotiana ‘Sensation’. I had the best year ever for Nicotiana. I should have won awards and been on the telly. Nicotiana are beautiful creatures. I grow four varieties….but this year ‘Sensation’ won me over.
Helen Bond grew these mighty fine Asters. #TopMarks
*Aster ‘Ostrich Plume’. When I asked my flowery Facebook chums what their fav HHA were, Aster ‘Ostrich Plume’ was mentioned a good few times by many. Mine were a bit wimpy this year but I see other folks did better…..grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Tanja Pickrell’s, Zinnias…not ‘Mammoth’…but rather splendid!
*Zinnia ‘Mammoth’. Zinnia are Marmite flowers…not for everybody…I love their awkward and quirky ways. ‘Mammoth’ are usually the most useful in the cutting patch. Plenty of blooms and a good range of colours. Keep the bed rich and moist for a good harvest.
All of these wonderful creatures can be found in the Higgledy Seed Shop.
If you have any questions, please come and find me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Facebook is probably the most chatty and informative of the three…the flower growing community there is a very warm and friendly bunch of folk.
Inch by inch, step by step the light is returning but my it feels so slow, we have now passed what feels like the longest month, January and there are changes are in the air. Almost imperceptibly every day there is a change in the light, small green shoots are emerging from the brown dark soil and the morning bird song volume in my garden is just slowly creeping up. Especially the Robin, my morning walk down to the greenhouse sees him (or her) perched on the tree serenading me. Looking forward to the time when I can starting picking flowers again from my garden.
I’m also counting down the days till I can get my seed box out and start the sowing year. I love that feeling of tipping the seeds carefully from the seed packet into my hand and pressing them into fresh compost. Followed by that moment when the little seedlings emerge, I still get so much joy from that every year it never goes away.
I just adore growing from seed, little packets of joy that promise so much. Let’s just admire the beauty of them, they are all so different, from the tough round black mini marbles of the sweet peas to the spiky coils of Calendula seeds that I imagine look like little seahorses.
Sweet pea seedsCalendula seeds
There are the Thunbergia (Climbing Black Eyed Susan) seeds which look like tiny sea urchins, Cornflower seeds that look like little shaving brushes and the always popular Scabiosa ‘Ping Pong’ where the seeds are like shuttlecocks.
Ok maybe I’m going a bit crazy but they are all so unique. Some are big chunky seeds that you can hold between your finger and thumb to sow individually, like climbing Nasturtium or the gloriously stripy black and white sunflower seeds.
Nasturtium seed
Others are so tiny they are like dust and need to be sown thinly and carefully on the surface of the soil, like Foxgloves and Nicotiana.
Nicotiana seeds
Some are long and thin, like Cosmos, and others are round and flat, like Cobaea which I tend to sow on its side so that water doesn’t sit on top of the seed and cause it to rot.
Cosmos seedsCobaea scandens seeds
Seeds are precious things, its getting more expensive for seed companies to grow and harvest them so prices have gone up a bit on many of them, so take your time with sowing. Sow when the time is right, use nice fresh compost. I use Melcourt Sylvagrow multipurpose compost which is lovely stuff and I’ve had great success with. We have a guide for sowing all the Higgledy gardens seeds here. But its just a guide, the best advice is just to have a go, if you are unsure just sow a small amount and then you can try again later if they don’t germinate. See what works best for you and your garden, some of you may have fancy propagators but you can do just as well with a sunny windowsill.
Some seeds germinate almost within days, I find Cosmos given some warmth from a propagator or a sunny windowsill can soon push their heads out of the soil. Whilst other you need lots of patience with and the germination can be erratic or a few a time rather than a big flush of seedlings. Some like Larkspur and many perennials seed like a spell of cold weather to break their dormancy so you can sow these in early spring and expose them to cold or take the easier option and put the seed packets in the fridge for a couple of weeks and then once in the warmth they should germinate quickly.
Larkspur ‘Imperials’
But its still a bit too early for most things at the moment, still quite poor light levels and cold but I have sowed some Larkspur after putting the seed packets in the fridge. I will also likely in the next week or so sow some Cobaea scandens which I’ve written about in more details here. I will also check through my autumn sown sweet peas and see how they are doing and I may make a second sowing of those. There are a few of the more hardy annuals that could be sown undercover soon. I’ll be sowing some Calendula (I especially love Calendula ‘Snow Princess’), Echium ‘Blue bedder’ (as much for the bees as for me), Scabiosa, Salvia viridis (see my blog on this fabulous flower) and Chrysanthemum ‘Rainbow Hippy Love Child’ (a big favourite of Ben). See the Easy peasy bundle for a selection of seeds that are easy and you can start sowing now. Plus I’m going to sow some perennials especially Gaura ‘The Bride’, I want those wafty wands of butterfly like flowers in my bouquets this year.
Cobaea scandens
But I’m sorting through my seeds and planning my sowing year. I’m growing some old favourites but also going to be growing lots of new things. I love to experiment with new varieties so I will keep you posted. I’ve a fairly small garden so just grow small amounts of lots of things. I’m stocking up on fresh peat free compost and sorting out my seeds trays and pots. I’m doing a big tidy of my potting shed which will soon be my favourite place to be.
We were almost delirious with excitement yesterday when we explored the various seed sowing methods employed by flower growing folk up and down the Isles. Today we shall be dipping our proverbial toes into the tingly waters of ‘what seeds to sow when’.
As is becoming my habit, I have asked the flower bods on Facebook for their opinions. They are a clever bunch and they are friendly to boot.
Throughout this piece, I will give rough dates for central England…add on a couple of weeks for Scotland…and take off a couple of weeks for Costa Del Cornwall.
Far and away the biggest failures in growing flowers that newbie growers have is caused by sowing too early. Seeds sown outside in cold wet soil can easily rot before they get a chance to germinate. Seeds sown inside too early don’t get enough daylight hours…this makes them ‘stretch’ towards the light. The ‘stretching’ makes them really get the hump…they usually become weak and flop over in a gangly pile of sulking stems. Sowing early is a form of greed. Don’t do it. Be patient! #NaughtyNaughty
Beautiful Larkspur grown by our delightful customer Valerie Jones…and some pretty good Nicotiana ‘Lime Green’ too as it happens…
There are exceptions to every rule. The master flower growers at the brilliant ‘Organic Blooms‘ sow early in their polytunnels and have excellent results. However…I am aiming this post at those who may be just starting out on their cut flower patch adventure…and I want them to have the best chances of success.
Although the main push of your seed sowing will probably be in April, there are sowing opportunities in three seasons. I never sow anything in December, January or February (though some folk do)…the winter is a time for casseroles and for working on my beer belly…I leave my plots untouched and untidy…this is the way the creatures like it.
After a long day at the flower field, Flash finds a great use for my beer belly.
Right…I’ll start off with a rough guide to when I sow my seeds for the Higgledy Garden and then we’ll delve into the seedy lives of the Facebookies.
Sweet Peas.
Sweet Pea ‘Jilly’ & ‘Swan Lake’
In theory, you can happily sow Sweet Peas from October to March. A couple of years back I found myself sowing them on Remembrance Day. I now make this my last seed sowing day of the year. I sow my first sweet peas on Feb 1st. (Imboc)
I then hold off sowing any more seeds until the spring equinox (no…I’m not a druid). The equinox is the day in March when we have equal day and night length. Plants are really switched on to this. Our ancestors were really switched on to this date too. in 2024 the equinox falls on the 20th.
I sow Sweet Peas right through until May with no problems. I think I am right in saying Georgie Newbury (Common Farm Flowers) sows into May too.
Hardy Annuals.
Thx to Rosie McKerrell for this pic of her cornflowers ‘Black Ball’
I will go into more details about the differences between Hardy and Half Annuals in a few days. For the time being newbies should just be aware that Hardy Annuals are generally flowers that are native to our climate and as such can take a frost without having a hissy fit. This means they can be sown in autumn. Conversely, Half Hardies are native to areas closer to the equator and generally like things to be warm throughout their life…and who can blame them.
The first sowings of Hardy annuals I make into pots from the March Equinox. I don’t sow many annuals directly into the soil but if I do I always leave it until the soil has properly warmed up….certainly no earlier than mid-April. I prefer the first flush of weeds to come through…and hoe them off before sowing my flowers.
I will sow hardy annuals right until the end of May. My flowers last until Halloween when I leave them to go to seed for the finches.
When it comes to Autumn sowing I make my last sowing into the ground in late August or early September and the last sowings undercover before the September Equinox. (Sept 22nd)
Remembering the dates of the equinox will make you look like a pro. Drop it into a conversation when you’re chatting with other gardeners and they will wish they could be like you.
Half Hardy Annuals.
Tithonia. Half Hardy Annual. Sown early April. Handsome beast.
I sow all my Half Hardy Annuals into three-inch pots. Again we are looking at our chum the spring equinox. Half Hardies generally like a long growing season, so try and get them in before mid-April…but it’s no biggy if you leave it a little later. As these critters are too wimpy for a frost we don’t sow any in Autumn. If you are buying seeds from me…you will see that I include in the description whether they are hardy or not. (Most are Hardy as Hardy Annuals are the most prolific flowerers and therefore suited to a cutting patch)
Biennials.
Foxgloves, Sweet William & Hesperis. (..and the lovely Furface)
June and July is the best time to sow these (for flowering the following spring) I sow in pots and then plant them out before the September equinox (yup…I’m pretty big on equinoxes)
Higgers Tip: My autumn sown annual flower bed is usually spent by the September equinox. I plant my biennial seedlings into it after I’ve cleared it. This means that I can save a big chunk of space.
Punter’s Tips:
Bees love annual flowers.
Zoe LeesonA patients relative told me a few years ago about his lovely tradition of sowing Sweetpeas on Christmas Day. I have therefore started my first set off during Christmas week (with three kids, sowing on Christmas Day was being a bit too optimistic 😄). I then sowed more at the usual time of year. The Christmas sown ones were a lot healthier. I also start collecting toilet rolls now to sow the seeds into, Sweetpeas love having long roots so they are perfect for the job and degrade in the soil …. love a bit of recycling too
I love the idea of having memorable dates for sowing seeds. Seed sowing can be a pretty emotive task. Like Zoe I sow in cardboard tubes too. I find it helps to water them very lightly or they can fall apart. It’s also pretty easy to make newspaper tubes. After I’ve realised I can’t afford any of the houses in the local property paper, I use that.
Nicky OgbornI always like to sow things too early and have found that they don’t do well like this so now I normally wait until the end of March beginning of April to sow. The exceptions being Tomatoes and Antirrhinums which go in February to satisfy my plant cravings. Have tried some autumn sown hardy perennials this year which seem to be doing really well. Will have to try the Christmas sown sweet peas!
Good point on the Antirrhinums (Snapdragons), they like an early start….though they don’t get one from me! Carnations are another beastie that you can sow in February.
Rosemary Mckerrelland aim to get biennials sown by the longest day… so start in first two weeks of June. They are so worth it!!
NB Longest day being the solstice…usually the 21st June. I totally agree with Rosie, Biennials are a must have. They produce buckets and buckets of flowers…you’ve just to wait a while for them.
Cassie Maund-PowellTip I heard but personally I test soil temperature with my hand 😂 “The gardeners of old would test the soil to see if it was warm enough to sow seeds in by dropping their trousers and sitting down on the earth with their bare bottom.”
Haha! Yes…I think the test is actually a mental one…you should look at the soil and decide if you would be happy sitting on it with a bare bum…no need to actually place your peachy buns on the earth. #BumTesting
Carol ThorntonDon’t lose your gardening calendar is a good tip! I never know when to sow things, so mine are always late!
I will keep you on the straight and narrow, Carol. ;)
Many thanks to those who posted tips. I will update them as and when I get new ones.
Most folk sow their sweet peas in March and April but it’s also possible to sow them from late October onwards. The advantage being that the sweet pea roots have another six months of wriggling about before the spring, which results in bigger plants with more flowers. At the Higgledy Garden I like to make both an autumn and a spring sowing. The spring sown flowers will flower later in the season.
So a busy time and also a busy seed sowing time for my garden. Lots already sown, my early sowing of the nice tougher hardy annuals like Calendula, Echium, 
