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Visual spring seed sow along guides for growing the best cut flowers of your life!

We’ve all experienced it where we get all excited buying a packet of seeds and then it arrives and we question whether we are sowing it the correct way, we look at seed sowing guides, give it a good go and hope for the best, but sometimes we also like something visual that we can literally follow along and copy step by step, as a comforting guide to give us the extra confidence we are growing our seeds in the best possible way! That is why every day in March I have sown one of every single annual and perennial in the Higgledy Garden shop, so you can always have a visual guide on how to sow your seeds! Now do not worry if you are reading this after March there is loads of time to grow annuals and perennials in fact for most seeds April to May is the absolute best time of year to get sowing so you are in plenty of time to grow along, I just started mine in March so you could have visual sowing guides ready for when you needed them!

Now if you prefer written guides, here at Higgledy Garden we have it all! As the wonderful Higgledy Anne has wrote a fantastic detailed seed sowing guide for every single seed stocked which you can find by clicking here! So whether you are after  visual sow alongs from myself, Higgledy Gemma, which are all below, or photos and guides from the King of cut flowers himself Benjamin Ranyard founder of Higgledy Garden! Or a written seed sowing guide, we cover absolutely everything! So you can rest assured you are in safe hands with loads of support for all your cut flower growing queries!

Now if like me you really appreciate a visual sow along then I have got links below to sow alongs for every single annual and perennial seed we stock, so whatever seed sowing you would like a guide too just simply click on one of the links below and it will take you straight my Instagram page (Colour Wheel Garden) and straight to that exact seed sowing guide!  Happy sowing!

Bee Friendly Mix
Amaranthus Caudatus Red (Love – lies – bleeding)
Ammi – (both Ammi Majus and Ammi Visnaga are sown in the exact same way)
Aster Ostrich Plume
Borage
Briza Maxima
Calendula – (all Calendula varieties can be sown in the exact same way)
Candytuft
Cornflower – (all Cornflower varieties can be sown in the exact same way)
Cerinthe
Chrysanthemum Crazy Daisy
Chrysanthemum Rainbow
Cleome – (both White Queen and Violet Queen can be sown in the exact same way)
Climbing Black Eyed Susan
Climbing Nasturtium
Cobaea Scandens – (It is worth noting that if you want Cobaea to produce flowers it is worth sowing it ideally in January and February)
Corncockle
Cosmos – (all Cosmos varieties can be sown in the exact same way)
Dahlia – (all Dahlia varieties can be sown in the exact same way)
Daucus Carota
Didiscus Blue Lace
Dill Mammoth
Echinacea Primadonna Pink
Eschscholzia – (both Eschscholzia Orange King and Ivory Castle can be sown in the exact same way)
Feverfew
Gaura The Bride
Godetia Crown
Gypsophila Covent Garden
Helianthus a.k.a Sunflowers – (all Sunflower varieties can be sown in the exact same way)
Ipomea Heavenly Blue
Ipomea Exotic Love
Knautia Melton Pastels
Larkspur – (both Larkspur Hyacinth and Larkspur Imperials can be sown in the exact same way)
Malope Trifida Vulcan
Nicotiana – (all Nicotiana varieties can be sown in the exact same way)
Nigella – (all Nigella varieties can be sown in the exact same way)
Night Scented Stock
Phacelia
Phlox – (both Phlox Crème Brulee’ & Phlox Sugar Stars can be sown in the exact same way)
Rudbeckia – (both Rudbeckia Marmalade & Rudbeckia Irish Eyes can be sown in the exact same way)
Salvia Viridis – (Both Salvia Viridis Oxford Blue and Salvia Viridis Painted Sage mix can be sown in the exact same way)
Scabiosa Ping Pong
Snapdragon Lucky Lips
Statice – (both Statice Higgledy Mix and Statice Sky Blue can be sown in the exact same way)
Sweet Peas – (all Sweet Pea varieties can be sown in the exact same way)
Zinnia – (all Zinnia varieties can be sown in the exact same way)

There you go! A visual seed sow along for every annual and perennial we stock! Wishing you a glorious year of seed sowing and picking wonderful cut flowers!
Happy sowing!

Higgledy Gemma
(a.k.a – Colour Wheel Garden)

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.

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.

Here in one of my favourite arrangements of the year, Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’ shimmered along with Helianthus ‘Valentine’, Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’, Ammi visnaga, Inula hookeri and Bupleurum falcatum.

Nicotiana ‘Sensation’ also adds to dark tones to this vibrant bouquet, including Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’, Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’, Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’ and Larkspur ‘Imperials’.

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!

Anyone else sowing Nicotiana this weekend?

Higgledy Anne

(I’m on Instagram anne_hinks and on Twitter Anne Hinks if you fancy a follow)

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.

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.

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Higgledy Anne

(I’m on Instagram anne_hinks and on Twitter Anne Hinks if you fancy a follow)

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.

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’. 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’. ‘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 ‘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!)

*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.

*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.

*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!

*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.

Kind regards

Ben

Before I start my warbling on my seed sowing method can I point out that Higgledy Anne has written a more extensive post that covers all the varieties we have for sale presently. You can see her seed sowing guide HERE.

In the previous lesson, we looked at ‘Positioning Your Cutting Patch & Preparing Beds’. It was, I’m sure you’ll agree, pretty nail-biting stuff. Today we will be exploring the delights of how you should go about sowing your flower seeds.

I have asked the wonderful flower folk on Facebook, how they go about seed sowing. Their answers have been very varied and very useful…probably more useful than my own warblings will be. I’ll start off by giving you my own preferred method….then we will look at other people’s methods and I will explain why they are all wrong…OK OK…let me at least add comments to their suggestions.

How I sow Seeds At Higgledy Garden.

My method is contentious…but it works for me.

*I sow virtually everything into three-inch square pots. A seed that is sown into a three-inch pot in early April will happily develop in the pot for six weeks until it’s time to go out into the big wide world in mid-May. Or he can be kept in that pot over the winter if I was sowing in Autumn…in a greenhouse.

*I use New Horizon or Melcourt Peat Free compost and sometimes mix in some perlite or coarse sand for better drainage. It’s not essential but it makes my neighbours think I know what I’m doing.

*I sow the vast majority of my spring sown seeds in April….some in March…perhaps some Carnations in February. NB Carnations are making a comeback….well….they are in my garden anyway. I also sow a few trays in May for later flowers. In June I’ll start sowing some biennials but I’ll be writing about those beasties later in the week.

*I give my seeds a very light covering of compost or vermiculite. I buy a bag of vermiculite from the garden centre when I buy my compost. Peat free compost can sometimes develop a green mossy bloom on the surface if left damp…I find that a gentle covering of vermiculite stops this. Vermiculite is also a glittery gold colour….so it’s like bling for your seedlings. #innit. Much like the perlite…vermiculite is not necessary…but it helps…I doubt if I spend more than £10 a year on it.

*OK…here’s the crunch. I never pot seedlings on. I find this whole process faffy and dull. Why start seeds off in a seed tray if you are going to later move them to a three-inch pot?…just start them in the pot. Depending on the size of the seeds, I just sow a tiny amount in each pot. Take Cosmos for example. I would sow two seeds in each pot. If two germinate I destroy one. #HarshLeader(butFair). If none germinate, I’ll simply resow. #simples. The other benefit of this method is that you don’t end up having a trillion million seedlings to pot up with nowhere to put them.

*Be aware of how much growing space you have. This year I had a relatively large cutting patch…my flower habit is only for domestic use…for me…my friends and neighbours…and the old folk’s home. #WhatALovelyMan. This space was about 40 square meters (two 20 x 1 meter beds). I plant perhaps between 9 and 12 plants a square meter. Let’s call it 12… 12×40=480 plants. 15 three-inch pots fit into a seed tray…so I need 32 seed trays… 4 seed trays fit into a ‘gravel tray’ (I’m not sure they are called that)…so I need just 8 ‘Gravel Trays’ to fill my whole patch. Work out how many plants you will need to fill your flower patch and concentrate on bringing up this number of seedlings…NOT five times this number of seedlings, which result in poorer quality plants (usually)

*Nurture these seedlings…keep them warm….let them have as much light as possible and don’t let them get waterlogged…damp/dryish is much better than wet.

*After the frosts I plant out…usually mid-May.

*After this…the workload drops to zip all….I just gently hoe around my seedlings every few days. My 40 square meters takes just ten minutes or so. Once the seedlings become ‘plantlets’ (?)…about six inches high, I’ll add a mulch around them to keep the weeds down.

This process is more time-consuming than sowing seeds straight into the ground but in fact it doesn’t take all that long. Even with a gin and tonic in one hand I can sow up 4 seed trays in less than an hour…so sowing the whole lot would be less than an afternoon. I find this takes considerably less time than weeding around tiny seedlings that were directly sown into the ground….and native weeds grow faster than our non-native flowers. HOWEVER…some growers swear by direct sowing….as we shall see.

Here’s what my customers say….well most of them are customers….some of them are just waffs and strays. ;) Thank you all for your comments and tips. #Facebook.

Lorraine Pullen Morning Ben my top tip would be don’t sow many seeds. In the early days I would happily sow whole packets in a couple of trays and then spend hours pricking out hundreds of plants that I had no room for and ended up giving away. Now I sow one small pinch of seeds into a small pot or a cell of a tray and still have a few left to give away and this way I have space in my greenhouse for lots more variety.

A lady after my own heart.

Joff Elphick When I was growing cut flowers for a boutique hotel and cookery School I sowed absolutely everything direct. It meant no one needed to water over hot weekends, there was no check in growth at pricking out or potting on and nothing ever failed. No cloches, or fleece etc was used. Zinnia, cosmos, Ammi etc etc. Basically everything you sell was down direct. Save yourself a lot of trouble and try it.

There you have it…everyone has their way. Joff has grown flowers for a long time…and knows his onions….so to speak.

Nicky Ogborn All my seeds get started in yoghurt pots, food trays, basically anything without holes in the bottom and put on my sunny windowsill until I prick them out (tend to pick out the biggest ones and then give up halfway through a pot as I run out of space/lose the will to live). Easiest and most resistant to pests would be antirrhinums and scabious. Gypsophila and persicaria were a bit tricksy for me this year.

I have taken Persicaria out of the shop as it was too sulky for the happy vibe I want to push out. note how pricking out her seedlings gets Nicky down! Don’t do it Nicky! You have to be careful when starting seedlings on a windowsill that they get enough light…remember the light is only coming from one side.

Hannah Roberts If you have young children don’t use plant labels use masking tape all the way round pot & write on the tape to identify seedlings.

Hannah, you are a genius. Flash is a fan of label theft too.

Kerry Skinner 1. Might be better to use pots which are all the same size! Ben says…
My beginning was Thrifty, determined to re use/ re cycle but that became messy..and not space efficient.
2. Also, make a list of what you are planting, I didn’t so countless googling to check whenever I found a badly labelled stray pot..
3. Make sure your labelling doesn’t wash off! Or just enjoy a lucky dip..

I like consistency and order…I am turning into my Dad.

Rosemary Mckerrell agree strongly re not sowing too early but if the temptation is proving too much antirrhinums do well with an early start (even Jan/Feb). Higgledy antirrhinums are brilliant. Flowered well in summer and good second flush now.(and v little rust)

Rosie takes heaps of wonderful flower photoraphs (that I steal). Visit her page to have a look.

Rosy Bows I have two cats who love to dig and sunbathe on any bare earth – so I sow in small pots and plant out to discourage them! Then seed between for later flowers. I do thin out but hate doing it poor babies 

Wildlife, as well as domestic beasts, will quickly gobble up seedlings if one isn’t careful.

Karen J N Edgar Direct sowing is great fun. Don’t be afraid to give it a go. Too many – pull some out. Had great success this year by doing this. Nigella cornflowers poppies bidens all easy to grow this way. Mind you they will find their own space!. Don’t have a greenhouse. No room. Use two shelves from an old fridge to cover pots of seeds outside too until they germinate. It works. Motto – give it ago.

As Karen says ‘give it a go’…I don’t want to be too prescriptive with my own method…it’s all about experimenting. PS I use storage boxes as mini greenhouse. Works a treat.

Lenore Messick Don’t start seeds too early – they will sulk. Wait until the soil is good and warm if you’re going to sow direct. If you’re sowing inside (windowsill), wait until there’s plenty of light. If you can stand looking at it for weeks on end, it really works to line the windowsill under your seed flats or pots with aluminium foil – reflects the light. I have also found my cheap electric propagator to be a good investment.

Yes, good point. I didn’t write much about direct sowing….but in my experience sowing outside before mid-April is counterproductive.

Alison Badman Don’t be tempted to start sowing too early indoors or in the greenhouse Reading comments on other FB gardening groups so many people think a warm late winter day means spring and try to get ahead with sowing only to find they have straggly seedlings reaching for light and it’s too cold to plant out. On the other hand it’s worth do late midsummer sowings of annuals to get a continuous display into autumn.

Newbies be aware of how folk have learned not to sow too early…we all know it’s tempting…but it will disapoint…and worse…by the time you’ve realised it’s gone wrong you will have missed a really good window of opportunity to sow. I know of one amazing flower grower who doesn’t sow a single seed until May.

Jan Willetts If you have seedlings try watering with cold camomile tea, it prevents damping off disease. I make a pint with one teabag.

Being a rugged, alpha male type, I haven’t got any Camomile tea….but this sounds wise.

Lesley Brown on gardeners World on Friday a lady cur off a seed head (Hesperis Matronalis) and just stuck in in the ground where she wanted it to drop seeds and grow.

I would prefer folk to buy seeds from me! ;)

Dysko Stu Using perlite and vermiculite in 3×3 with correct compost means you can sow fewer seeds and get greater yields. Then you don’t have to replant them. All stuff you’ve said before. The first year I didn’t do this and yields were low. Then I lost loads during repotting.

Another shout out for perlite and vermiculite. NB Perlite is for mixing in with compost…vermiculite is for a top layer.

Sian Price This might sound a bit woo woo but since I started doing the moon gardening thing – flower/Root/leaf days – germination rates are far better for the herbs! Seriously works.

I don’t believe biodynamic gardening BUT I do believe that if a grower is going to take as much care in sowing seeds as Sian does then those seeds will have a better chance than most. I think Sian is ace. #PleaseDontTurnMeIntoAFrog

Caroline Davies Buy Kelly’s Cornish ice cream. They sell it in handy mini propagators.

#Brilliant

Deanne Brown 1) Pull seed head off flower
2) Crumble
3) Throw to back of border. Hope for the best.

When Deanne was at school he was very disruptive. ;)

Jane Langley Write on both sides of the label as one side always fades.

#Organised

Seed sowing guide.

General comments

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.

Hardy Annuals

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.

Half Hardy Annuals

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.

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.

Helianthus ‘Harlequin’, ‘Moonwalker’, ‘Red Sun’, ‘Valentine’. 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.

Sweet Peas

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

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.

Perennials

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.

If you were to ask me what my most productive cut flower was in 2023 you would think it might be Sweet peas, Cosmos or even Phlox, but no by far and away the most prolific flower on my cut flower patch was Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’. My unsung hero last year. And the good news is that we now have it for sale at Higgledy garden! I sowed them in mid March, they were pricked out in mid April into modules and then planted out in mid May. I planted in a couple of spots in the garden, including a row of 5 plants in my old chicken run. I would say they were flowering by mid June and they were still going in late November, gradually fading to a beautiful bleached denim colour. I’m wondering if they may self-seed but anyway I will definitely be sowing them again this year.

Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’ looks great with contrasting colours such as oranges and yellows. Here it looks fabulous with the vibrant oranges and pinks of Helichrysum.

Another vibrant posy containing Salvia alongside Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’, Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’ and Zinnia ‘Mammoth’, Larkspur ‘Imperials’, Nicotiana ‘Bronze Queen’, Tithonia ‘Torch’ and foliage of Physocarpus.

But it also looks good with more subtle colours of white, pale lemon yellows and purples. Here with Cynoglossum ‘Firmament’, Achillea ‘The Pearl’, Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’, Larkspur ‘Imperials’, Cephalaria gigantea and white Origanum.

Salvia viridis is a seed mix and you can get flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink and white so I’m going to try and get some nice pink ones next year.

So give Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’ or Salvia viridis a try if you want a flower filled summer.

Higgledy Anne

(I’m on Instagram anne_hinks and on Twitter Anne Hinks if you fancy a follow)

The rain feels a bit relentless this autumn, my garden is saturated, its covered in leaves, the lawn is all muddy (again I’m having that yearly battle in my head of why I’m keeping a lawn when I could have more room for flowers!) and its all feeling a bit soggy. So to cheer myself up I’ve been sorting out my photos from last year and celebrating the successes.

One of which was the Cornflowers, how can anyone not love that blue, pure blue of Centaurea cyanus. Its quite appropriate to talk about it at this time of year as the Cornflower is the French flower of remembrance equivalent to the poppy here. Its called the Bluet de France and a small blue flower is often worn in France on the 11th of November to commemorate those lost in the war.

It comes in a range of colours from white, to purple to almost black. It has many common names one of which is Batchelors Buttons, because it was worn on the suit buttonhole of young men looking for love. Simpler times hey?!

Its a hardy annual and is so easy from seed (the seeds incidently are so cute, like little shaving brushes) and it can be sown directly into the ground in spring, but I tend to sow undercover into pots and grow them on a bit before planting them out. This give them a bit of protection from slugs which can nibble on the fresh young growth if you are not careful.

I also tend to sow in the autumn and protect them in a cool greenhouse over winter and then they grow into nice stockier plants and flowers nice and early. They are tough cookies and were one of the few plants that survived that horrendous really long cold spell last winter getting to minus 9 degrees in my greenhouse. I planted them out at the end of March and had my first flowers at the end of May. So flowering at a similar time to the biennials like Sweet Rocket and Honesty.

They look fabulous in bouquets and add a wild look, I tend to pick low down picking multiple stems with buds as well as they look almost as lovely as the flower. The flower lasts longer in the vase if its picked once the bud is starting to open and showing perhaps half of its colour.

The Cornflower ‘Black Ball’ is most versatile though and combines well with many schemes, with rich reds or even looks great with more subtle peach and apricot colours. Here is Cornflower ‘Black Ball’ looking fabulous with Cerinthe, Chrysanthemum ‘Rainbow Hippy Lovechild‘, Calendulas Indian Prince and ‘Sherbert Fizz’, Orlaya grandiflora and Omphalodes linifolia ‘Little Snow White’.

Here is a more monochrome mix with Sweet William ‘Nigricans‘ and ‘Alba’, Orlaya grandiflora, Echium ‘White Bedder’, Allium ‘Graceful Beauty’, Physocarpus ‘Diablo’ and Sanguisorba ‘Crimson Queen’.

Here with the rich reds of the Rose ‘Munstead Wood’ and Ranunculus ‘Purple Heart’ with White Honesty and Orlaya grandiflora.

The Cornflower ‘Blue Ball’ is quite a vibrant blue but I think it goes well with colours like yellow, orange and acid green that make the colours pop. Here with Cynoglossum ‘Firmament’, Cosmos ‘Apricotta’ (coming soon to Higgledy Garden!), Cerinthe, double Feverfew and Helianthus ‘Valentine’.

This year I’ve grown a variety called ‘Mauve Ball’ which is a lovely lilac colour, almost matching the colour of Hesperis Purple and its been lovely to mix it up in bouquets.

Here is ‘Black Ball’ and ‘Mauve Ball’ in my favourite bouquet of the year, with Canterbury Bells (Campanula medium -now on sale at Higgledy garden), Alchemilla mollis and Silene vulgaris.

Keep picking or deadheading to keep them flowering for a longer time. But one great thing about them is, if like me you haven’t got a massive cutting patch, that they are efficient for space as they grow tall and slim! They will need some support though, especially if autumn sown as these tend to be taller plants. Mine flowered well until early July and then looked a bit straggly you really have to keep on top of deadheading to keep them flowering but the key for longer flowering is to sow successionly. So sow a second batch in late spring which grow quickly and will extend your picking season. Or you could just dig them up and replace them with late season annuals such as Zinnias or Cosmos and extend your growing season that way. They are also good for drying and last but not least the bees and insects love it. Here with that gardeners friend, the ladybird larvae, voracious eater of aphids!

Will you be growing Cornflowers this year?

Higgledy Anne

(I’m on Instagram anne_hinks and on Twitter Anne Hinks if you fancy a follow)

The cutting garden is starting to wind down a bit now, mostly because I’ve not been completely keeping on top of deadheading all the annuals and the some of the flowers are a bit smaller now and going over a bit quicker.Though that warm spell a week ago did push on the Zinnias a bit and I had a big flush of flowering. Especially lovely has been Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’, here with Zinnia ‘Mammoth’ and ‘Cactus’. The vibrant purply pink is glorious, you need your sunglasses for these.

I don’t think its been a particularly easy summer for Zinnias compared to last year. They like lots of sunshine and warmth and the damp grey August that we had here up north wasn’t particularly conducive to lots of flowering. They are also a bit of a slug magnet! I sow mine in modules and pot them on at least once to get them to a good size before planting out so that they have half a chance. I think I need to find them a slightly sunnier spot so a different location is needed for next year. But they are definitely worth growing for their vibrancy alone, adding a bit of pizazz to bouquets.

Another late summer annual that are still romping away are the Rudbeckias, here we have Rudbeckia ‘Marmalade’ a brilliant warm yellow with a dark brown button centre. Gorgeous.

Put them together and you have a vibrant colour clash! With Salvia viridis (yes still flowering away), Calendula ‘Ice Maiden’, Cosmos ‘Fizzy Rose’ and Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’

Much excitement in my garden this month with the first flowering of Cobaea scandens. They are one of the first things I sow in the new year (this year on 10th February) and one of the last to flower but look at that flower! They get potted on and kept in a cool greenhouse until I planted them out in May. I have planted them round my old chicken run and they have romped away and are now starting to escape into next doors garden.

I’ve got lots of buds all over so hoping for lots more flowers but it all depends on how warm it stays as to how long it keeps flowering.

Still flowering nicely are Cosmos and Phlox, they are just so productive, to create a cooler more relaxing combination I have been picking the lovely perennial Aster ‘Little Carlow’ (also know as the tonge-twister of Symphyotrichum ‘Little Carlow if you want to be proper). It creates a lovely haze of lilac blue daisies which combines beautifully with Cosmos ‘Purity’ and ‘Apricotta’, Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ and ‘Sugar Stars’, also includes Astrantia ‘Buckland’ having a reflower and the pretty white stars of garlic chive flowers, also spot some of the Cobaea.

I’ve been busy in my potting shed sowing some hardy annuals for next spring. Key for me are the Cornflowers they are so reliable and if you sow now they make lovely big plants and flower so much earlier. They have been such a big part of my bouquets this year. If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I lost a few of my autumn sown annuals last year after that really cold spell but not the Cornflowers! So tough. I’ve also sown Cerinthe, Calendula, Corncockle (I’m also trying the white form this year), Echium, Cynoglossum, Daucus carota and Orlaya grandiflora. Have you sown yours yet? There is still time but time is getting on now, last chance to get the discounted bundle of seed for sowing now.

Having a break now and will come back and sow my sweet peas in October, get ready for the Higgledy garden sweet pea promotion soon. We have some new varieties on the way!

Higgledy Anne

(I’m on Instagram anne_hinks and on Twitter Anne Hinks if you fancy a follow)

Well what a difference a year makes, this time last year was scorching, we had 40 degree temperatures and we had a drought. This year in July we have had a LOT of rain. The garden has been a bit battered by all the heavy downpours and we’ve had quite a bit of wind. This weather is a test of whether your plants support structures work! I’ve had a bit of flopping with some of the perennials in the garden but on the whole my annuals have all been fine. Even my sunflowers some of which have grown a lot taller than I expected! The rain has rejuvenated my sweet peas and lots of things have flowered for longer. July has seen the start of the Dahlias, Cosmos, Sunflowers and the Zinnias. But one of my favourites this month has been Larkspur ‘Imperials’ many of which were a gorgeous vibrant blue or purple.

This posy also includes the Cosmos ‘Purity’, Salvia viridis, Zinnia ‘Mammoth’, the lovely sky blue Cynoglossum amabile ‘Firmament’, Borage, Achillea ‘The Pearl’ and supporting foliage from white Origanum.

Its been a busy couple of weeks in my other job at Bluebell Cottage nursery, end of July is Tatton week and we have a stand in the floral marquee, we have had a mad few weeks ahead of the show. Prepping show plants and plants to sell at the show and then a busy time at the show. Its a full on week but I love it and feel very lucky to be involved. We got a Gold medal for the Bluebell Cottage nursery display, my boss Sue Beesley created such a beautiful display and we had such a lovely selection of plants, many of which we sold out of! More on my Instagram page if you want to have a look.

So my garden has been a bit neglected but I’ve still managed to get picking most weeks as new flowers and colours are coming out. The sweet peas have not been quite as good this year I think largely due to that hot dry spell in late spring but after some rain and keeping them well fed with seaweed feed they have revived somewhat and I’ve been getting some nice long stems, especially from ‘Jilly’, ‘Nimbus’ and I’ve especially loved the vibrant dark red of ‘Winston Churchill’.

Some of the autumn flowering annuals like Cornflowers, Orlaya, Corncockle are going over now and really I need to get them out and get the space ready for some of the biennials which I sowed in June. I’ve pricked and potted on into 9cm pots. The wallflowers especially don’t like sitting around for too long in pots and prefer a space in the ground.

The tiny stars of my cutting garden in July have got to be the annual Phlox which I never seem to grow enough of. They just flower and flower from now until October and are just such great flowers to support the more vibrant Zinnias and Cosmos. Here in close up is the delicious Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ with Amberboa muricata and a second picking of Canterbury bells. Cosmos ‘Apricotta’ (another variety I’m trying to persuade Ben to stock!) is the other star in this posy.

Anyone been growing Nicotiana? What a plant, teeny tiny seeds, bit fiddly to pot on and you think gosh these will take ages to grow but then they just take off and grow super fast and in no time you are planting them in your garden. They are really good flowers. I have grown two varieties from Higgledy, Nicotiana ‘Sensation’ which has quite big flowers and lovely scent so thats a winner, they come in a mix of colours from whites to pale pink to dark purple. Good scent especially in the evening as often pollinated by moths. But I think for arrangements I prefer the more delicate flowers of N. ‘Starlight Dancer’ (new for Higgledy this year) they looks fab dangling little heads through the bouquet to give a bit of movement. Lovely creamy flowers with a lime coloured back. Also grown a nice browny purple one called ‘Bronze Queen’.

Zinnias are now flowering well and there is a lot of wiggling going on to check if they are ready to pick. I only learnt this last year but if when you wiggle they are floppy then they are not ready for picking. If they are sturdy and steady then get out the snips.

Here is the glorious Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’, another new one for Higgledy this year.

Also in this posy is Cosmos ‘Purity‘ and ‘Fizzy Rose’, Nicotiana ‘Starlight Dancer’, Daucus carota ‘Dara, Origanum vulgare and Origanum ‘Rosenkuppel’ and Lysimachia barystachys.

So plenty to be picking but also starting to think ahead for what to grow next year. Ben will be doing a promo in August for seeds to sow in the autumn to get good sturdy early flowers next spring. So keep your eyes peeled.

Higgledy Anne

(I’m on Instagram anne_hinks and on Twitter Anne Hinks if you fancy a follow)

Abundance is the word, June is when things really start kicking in, the autumn sown annuals have been flowering their socks off and the spring sown annuals are really starting to get going. The biennials are still producing too and what a show they have been. Its just glorious. It was a very dry start to the month even here in the North-west (it doesn’t always rain in Manchester!!) and very hot but thankfully we are back to sunshine and showers here again and things are back on track.

Talking of biennials I’ve just been so happy with them this year I’ve had the first wallflowers in mid-April, honesty, sweet rocket in May and June has been all about Sweet William and Canterbury bells. This has by far been my favourite bouquet of the year.

My first time growing Canterbury bells and they have been fabulous, bigger than I expected so they really needed plenty of support and maybe needed pinching out better but I’ve picked lots of stems and since then have had lots of side shoots which are much shorter but still look great. They are also very long lasting in a vase. Here I’ve mixed them with Alchemilla mollis, Cornflowers ‘Black Ball’ and ‘Mauve Ball’ and Silene vulgaris. I think we are hoping to stock Canterbury Bells at Higgledy next year. Well I’ll keep pushing for it anyway!

The Sweet william cutting bed has been fabulous too. I’ve got all of the Higgledy varieties in here.

Sweet William ‘Higgledy Mix’ includes this lovely pale pink which is so beautiful up close.

Sweet William ‘Auricula eyed’ which is in all sorts of shades of pink including this beauty.

But you can’t beat a big bunch of all varieties, here mixed with added zing with the fabulously frothy Alchemilla mollis again and Echium ‘White Bedder’.

But I think the ones I’ve used most have been Sweet William ‘Alba’ and Sweet William ‘Nigricans’ which both combine so well with other flowers and colours.

The Cornflowers have been amazing filler flowers in lots of bouquets in June, they have been fabulous. These were sown in the autumn and were one of the plants that survived the heavy freeze and have been really robust. I will definitely sow them at that time again. Here’s a monochrome posy, the dark side provided by Cornflower ‘Black ball’ looking great with Sweet William ‘Nigricans’, Sanguisorba and Physocarpus foliage. The light provided by Sweet William ‘Alba’, Orlaya, Allium ‘Graceful beauty’ and Echium ‘White Bedder’,

Cornflower ‘Black Ball’ also contrasts well with orange Calendulas, including Calendula ‘Sherbert Fizz’, ‘Snow Princess’ and ‘Indian Prince’. Here with Cerinthe and Orlaya.

A cooler combination of blues, purples and white also highlights Cornflower ‘Blue Ball’ here with the first of the vibrant blue of Larkspur ‘ Imperials’ (my first time having success with these), Cynoglossum, Nigella, Ammi majus and the still productive Hesperis White!

I’ve had lots of fun in June playing with lots of different combinations and things are only just starting, Cosmos are just starting to flower, I’ve got Phlox, Rudbeckias, sunflowers and Zinnias to come. Sweet peas are flowering madly you have to just keep picking them. Happy summer days.

There is still time to sow biennials for next year. Ben has a sale on for most biennials and also the wonderful Biennial Bundle, which is such good value.

Higgledy Anne

(I’m on Instagram anne_hinks and on Twitter Anne Hinks if you fancy a follow)