SOWING SEEDS - 2021

I'll be trying Mexican Sunflowers for the first time this year and wondering when's the best time to sow them. Perhaps @NigelJ can give me some advice

And are they really attractive to butterflies?

 

This year I am going for all grown from seed - so no plugs if I can help it. Garden centres are shut and on line prices have sky rocketed. I can't stand this blatant profiteering by the online sellers.

Luckily, I've a tin full of free flower seeds from the front of Garden Answers magazine - so have planted a load of these today.

I have ordered some blue and white Lobelia for the urns/hanging baskets and of course some Night Scented stock to plant outside the bedroom window. These stocks were recommended to me on this ere forum when I joined in 2013. Have planted them every year since then. 2013 - has it really been that long..

 

@Scrungee I sow Tithonia mid April which can still be too early. They are one of those plants that likes to keep growing and will sulk if there is a cold spell after they have been planted, sometimes it can be July before they start moving.
As for butterflies, unfortunately my garden is a bit of blank for them, even the Buddlejas and Sedums don't attract them, bees, hoverflies, fliesand other insects yes, but few butterflies.

 

Maybe not quite as strong as night scented stock but I'm growing Zaluzianskya capensis again, not grown it for a few years, but its another plant that comes alive after dark on warm evenings.

 

Thanks, I think a diary note to sow in May and be prepared to keep some under cover for a 2nd planting out.

 

Did some sowing myself 10 days ago. Don't have recent pictures yet, but there is a LOT of green now



Edit:
My personal favourites to sow are sunflowers and beans. Reason being I like plants with seeds I can actually see and feel. I always get anxious if there are a few specs of dust to see but the packet says "100 seeds". Most of the time I end up growing them everywhere but the place I actually want them to....

 

At last - Lobelia seeds that are easy to sow. The Suttons Lobelia seeds are 'Supa seeds' - which means that each seed is coated and easier to handle. Take a look at these pictures from this morning.

 

I would have expected Suttons to get it right. Does nobody check these things?

 

Indoors I've planted Honesty (Lunaria annua) for a shady corner. They are off to a good start. Nasturtium milkmaid (purchased) and some red nasturtium seeds collected last year from a plant that was a gift. Planted the Nasturtium 12 days ago and only one of each kind is growing. Patience I guess! Going simple this year and last years seeds that are now plants in the ground should also flower this year.

 

I sown these too, how are yours doing?

 

I’m growing Mirabilis jalapa for the first time this year. To be honest, I knew nothing about the plant, but the seeds were nice and cheap in Aldi’s, and I thought “49c for some possible flowers, what’s not to like?”.
Well, they’re up - I think I have 8 plants from the 10 seeds. We’ve got second true leaves emerging, so can anyone give me a few tips on growing them? I’m guessing half-hardy annual, but do they flower profusely, or sparsely? Any photo of any flowering plant on the internet is always covered in blossom, but it’s hard to know what actually happens!

 

I'm growing a few for the first time in 20years so from memory, don't remember them ever being totally covered in flower, but a steady stream all summer once they start.
The 4 o'clock bit says it all really.

Small shrubby habit of growth, likes a warm spot with reasonable amount of water and feed.
Oh and you can dig up the tubers at the end of summer and over winter for next year.

 

Thank you @pete !

I’m a little confused as to what conditions they like / can cope with....
Some websites say they tolerate drought, and poor soils; others say that they need to be well-watered and mulched!!

 

Its first time I’ve sown the teddy bear seeds, I will send a photo of them from my greenhouse as they are germinating really well