So exciting that we are now full-pelt into the big growing season! I hear from Caroline that the Highlands are still dragging their feet somewhat about the arrival of spring, but even there, gardeners must be starting off seeds, sorting out lawns and mulching flower-beds. Let’s get on with it!
Growing seedy
Almost all of us in the UK can now sow seeds outside – the soil temp is rising and germination can (practically!) be guaranteed. Hardy annuals like Nigella (love-in-a-mist), cornflowers, nasturtiums, sunflowers, pot marigolds, Eschscholtzia (Californian poppies) Gypsophila (baby’s breath), Limnanthes or (our Dad’s favourite) Cerinthe can all be sown now where you want them to flower.
You need a weed-free patch of light soil which you water first. I suggest you sow the seeds shallowly in rows, because there are bound to be a few little weed seedlings that come up too, and you will be to tell much more easily which are the baby plants you actually want 👍.
Cover over the seeds, and as the seedlings appear, pull out some of them to leave a space (consult the packet for the best spacing) round each one.
Yes, yes, I know these are called HARDY annuals and you can of course do this too if you live in the coldest of areas, but I reckon you’d be well-advised to protect them with some horticultural fleece in case of a mean late frost. Or just leave the sowing for another couple of weeks ……
Remember, it’s not only flowers that you can sow outside now. Peas, parsnips, carrots, spring onions, spinach, beetroot – all are game for being sown out of doors now. Make the shallow drills just as you would do for the flower seeds, water the bottom of the drill, drop in the seeds, then gently tamp the soil down over them.
Sowing in pots
Maybe you don’t have space for sowing flowers and veg in the
Wildflower meadows are delightful of course. I don’t know about you, but I find them difficult to manage, though. You have to worry about too much soil fertility; and then, when you think you have sorted that out, grasses, docks and thistles muscle in, etc. etc. and swamp your beautiful wildflowers. I was having a chat with someone at a recent
Sowing indoors
There is still plenty of time to sow half-hardy plants indoors too. How about Nicotiana (tobacco plants), Zinnia, Thunbergia (black-eyed Susan) or Ipomaea (morning glory)? These half-hardies prefer a warm start in life – a sunny windowsill or even better, a propagator – and need to be gradually acclimatised to outside conditions, by bringing the potted-on seedlings outdoors and then in again at night for a couple of weeks. Then they will be all set to provide lovely colour in the
In the veg department, I always leave the sowing of courgettes and cucumbers indoors until April, and the same would apply to marrows, squashes etc. I always sow these in individual pots – they get big quickly! And if I sow them earlier than April, they tend to grow too large before you can safely plant them outside.
Gardening shorts
- The grass is growing like billy-o now, and that makes it the perfect time to sow a new lawn, or repair bare patches in an existing one. Scratch up the soil, sow the grass seed, rake it over, water it. Another job done.
My gardening friend was off to spike his beautiful lawn the other day. The aim is to aerate the soil beneath which will greatly help the health of the grass, and if the holes are filled with sharp sand, the drainage is improved, making an invasion of moss less likely. Neatening the edges of a lawn can really improve the impression that you are in charge of the
- Disturbing the border soil while you’ve been doing your spring weeding will have brought more weed seeds to the surface, so don’t forget to spread a mulch over any remaining bare patches to deter them from germinating.
- If you grow perennials that produce juicy shoots from a crown in spring (such as lupins, dahlias, asters, delphiniums, sedums etc, then a really easy way to make more of them is to take basal cuttings now. Just cut off some shoots about 10 cm long right at their base including a little bit of the crown (that’s the bit where the plant’s stems meet the roots usually situated just soil level – it’s where it stores energy to produce shoots, leaves and buds so a piece of it will give your cuttings a lot more oomph than normal!). Take off any lower leaves and put them into pots of gritty compost. Water the pots and keep them in a propagator or covered by a plastic bag to keep up the humidity until you see signs that they have rooted and can be divided into individual pots to grow on.
- If your Amaryllis have all finished flowering, cut off the spent flowerheads and continue watering and feeding as the leaves are needed to build up the bulb for next year. Tail off this treatment over the summer, and give them a dark, cool dormant period in autumn before they start into growth again.
This Skimmia has one attribute at this time of year that elevates it above its peers. Find out why it has earned its place at one of Louise Sims Great Plants this Month:
If you’re just starting out, you want to be fairly certain of success with your first few attempts. We’ve chosen 10 of the most obliging perennials that should succeed in your first year – and every year after that!
We are giving away this free prize to one of our lovely subscribers, so if you know anyone who doesn’t yet get our weekly newsletters, ask them to sign up for a chance to win. Closes on the May 5th which will be our tenth anniversary!
If ever you needed a razor hoe in YOUR gardening life, it;s right now! Gliding swiftly through the soft soil it makes short work of clearing the weeds around your precious plants, letting them grow away more strongly:
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