I sowed cosmos on October 5th and they germinated just 5 days later. And five days after that, they’re ready for pricking out into small pots. Cosmos are a great investment for the summer garden because the flowers just keep on keeping on. See more on cosmos below.
Echinacea
Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are getting more colourful every year. The most widely grown are the vibrant pink varieties (shown here), but there are also white, peach, tomato red, even yellow hybrids. Plant them in full sun in free-draining soil. They’re reasonably drought tolerant, but they’ll perform better will a little mollycoddling. Young plants, especially, need regular watering until established. Sow seeds in trays now for a late summer show. Or wait until summer and buy full-grown plants.
Cosmos
You’ll never be without cut flowers if you sow cosmos. They flower profusely from spring to autumn, and in as little as two months after sowing. They come in soft pinks, vibrant pinks, white, yellow and orange, with single, double or fluted petals. Egmont Seeds and Kings Seeds both have a great range to choose from.
China asters
China asters (Callistephus chinensis) are hardy annuals grown extensively as cut flowers. They’re classic autumn flowers, and they come in vibrant, racy colours. If you prefer a paler palette, try the gorgeous new variety ‘King Size Apricot’ (click here to see) from Kings Seeds. China asters are super easy to grow from seed, or you can buy seedlings from your local garden centre. Plant them in full sun and keep the soil moderately moist. They won’t rebloom once picked (or deadheaded) so try successive sowing (sowing seeds once every two or three weeks) to get a steady supply of blooms for the vase.
Hi Jane
Do you plant your seeds straight into the garden?
Jane
Hi Jane
It depends what time of year it is and what seeds they are! Some are more hardier than others. I generally sow all my seeds in trays or small pots and transplant them in the garden when they’re about 8-10cm high. It gives me much better control, and it means they don’t get lost in the garden when they’re emerging!
Some flower seeds, like sunflowers, can be sown directly in the ground, but only when the soil has warmed up. Sweet peas are best sown directly, as they’re very hardy, and in fact like the cold.
If you were going to sow a mini wildflower meadow, you’d clear the area of grass and weeds first, then scatter the seeds directly on the soil.
Jane
hi Jane
was wondering would my echinacea plant flower this year if i raise it from seed this year
thanks
Khadija
Hi there. No, unfortunately it’s very unlikely to. It may flower in autumn next year, but it’s probably more likely to flower in summer at the end of next year.