Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Confusion re timing

Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
in Plants
Yet again I'm somewhat puzzled and confused.  Upon reading seed packets, many state indoor/outdoor seed planting times.  The approx. flowering period is also mentioned.  This time of the year every year I have very little colour again, in my garden.  While I planted several varieties of veronicas, and lupins, which are flowering, my other seedlings are still just young plants and will be beautiful by the end of June, this I know from experience.  
I just cannot seem to get the timing right for having flowers in June, which I find frustrating.  Can any fellow seed growers please advise me on when to buy, what to buy and how to have flowers now?  

«1

Posts

  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Can't edit previous post...........I do of course mean this time next year, not now, this year.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Biennials are the backbone of colour in my garden now - sweet williams just coming, wall flowers just going over and foxgloves hitting their peak. The annuals take over as the biennials drop off. Sow some soon - I usually do mine in July in modules in a cold frame - to plant out in the autumn and hopefully they'll be flowering with your lupins next year.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Sweet williams, calendula, red valerian, foxgloves, geum and long lasting diascia are the main low lying colour in my garden at the moment. Coreopsis, sweet pea, geranium in bud, about to pop.
  • PurplerainPurplerain Posts: 1,053
    I call this the "lull". Just a brief moment of calm before the riot begins, and I like it @Mary370
    SW Scotland
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Penstemon, salvia, and yarrow.  
    Utah, USA.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I'm confused as well. I bought petunia and bedding geraniums as standbys for open days but they are still only 2-3 inches tall. Ideally I need them to be in flower in 10 days time. Is there anything I can do or give them to hurry them up please?
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    warmth
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Thanks for the input..........drawing up list for next year.  
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Worth checking over your local GC clearance rack.. as many of these finish flowering they will be cut back and sold off cheap and neglected.  I got most of mine that way.  Water and a bit of feed, and they will be well established and ready to flower again by June.. then set seeds all over and spread for following years.  
    Utah, USA.
  • paul_in_surreypaul_in_surrey Posts: 239
    My French Marigolds flowered yesterday and a few of the Cornflowers have opened too. Sweet Peas are out in force and a few Roses. Like Raisingirl and Fire my plot is dominated by the Foxgloves (which are great with all the bees) and Sweet William at the moment. My Wallflowers are finished already. Calendula, Salvias, Penstemon and Snapdragons not flowered yet, though Penstemon looks close. I've got boring spaces where spring bulbs are finished and I'm waiting on the others to buck their ideas up, though some Irises are still hanging on.
    “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
Sign In or Register to comment.