Pansy seeds help please?

Hi I've just had some poppy seeds from Chiltern seeds all HP.
My question can I sow them now?

One of the variety is a winter flowering one!

 

Stingo - I can't say that I know anything specifically about poppy seeds, but my gut feeling says yes. Poppies only flowered about a month ago (perhaps a bit more). And in the natural state they will have developed and dropped their seed, so I suspect that they would be growing quite naturally at this time of the year.

There is still plenty of time till the cold weather comes. I currently have some Salvia sclarea and Campanula medium seeds growing in the kitchen, which are less than half an inch high. I am sure they will all be happy. I suspect that even the winter flowering one will be OK - but obviously won't flower this winter. I always only sow about half the packet, to keep some in reserve in case of failure.

 

Throw them in stingo as peter says they will be ok, I put some in this time last year that I bought at the tatton flower show they flowered well this spring.

 

Stingo - rereading your post I think you may have meant Pansy seed rather than poppy, especialy if you have winter flowering ones. But I would still sow them now.

 

Yes I realise my mistake now PeterS, I have re-read it!! they are pansy seeds.

I have sown them all and hope for the best.

By the way the Cleomes (spider plants) in your photo, I have been succesfull with their sowing and now have about eight growing very nicely, only about three were eaten by slugs. And they are lovely.

 

Well done Stingo. I sowed mine rather late (1st May - as recommended by Christopher Lloyd) and they are just becoming decent sized, with flower buds but no flowers yet. I have grown three in a large pot in the past, but this time I have so many I will put a large clump in the border.

I also sowed some Tithonia rotundifolia as the same time ( also as per CL) but they have been a complete failure - they are still about three inches high, when they should be growing to five feet. http://www.gardensandplants.com/uk/plant.aspx?plant_id=3312

 

You win some and lose some, it's a disapointment though I know; last year I grew some brilliant sweet peas but this year they were an utter failure!

It's good and a challenge to try and grow different plants, I have never grown pansies before so fingers crossed.

Not sure what else I fancy trying..

What about you?

 

I am lucky Stingo. I have joined the RHS and get 20 packets of seeds for £10. They offer some quite obscure things, as their seed scheme is not designed to compete with a garden centre. So this year I have been growing my old favorites, but also items such as Scutellaria zhongdianensis, Rhodiola kirilovii and Lepechinia hastata etc! Its great fun as you really have no idea what to expect.

As you said its great to grow new things - partly because you learn so much more.

If you want something unusual, but also really good, why not try Salvia sclarea. I am referring to the biennial, but Salvia viridis, which is often called annual sclary is also an excellent plant. They are both striking and long flowered. I have both in my garden and am already growing S.sclarea for next year and will sow S viridis next March.

 

I'll have a look at those PeterS, they sound interesting!

I have just collected loads of seeds from my Dianthus Sooty HB which gave an impressive show from seeds it says in my book to sew them from April till July but the same as the pansy's I think I'll sew a tray and hope that it's not too late.

If you want some you are welcome...

 

Stingo, I was about to say no thank you as I really have just too much of everything at the moment, but then I thought 'thats not what the pioneers would have said'. So yes please I would love some. I will send you an e-mail with my address.

I don't have any seeds of either of the Salvias at the moment - having sowed them all, but later on in the season I hope to collect some seed and will send some on to you. Many thanks.