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Seed sowing season

guttiesgutties Posts: 224
in Plants
As it is approaching the time of year when we start to think about sowing seeds I was wondering whether most of the active forum members here still plant seeds each year, or is it  the case that there is "enough" in your gardens already.

What type of seeds do folks here sow over the next couple of months?  Are they mostly annuals or do some grow perennials from seeds instead of buying them as plants from Garden Centres?

As a newbie gardener I'd appreciate some insight as to what the Old Hands here do in this regard.

Posts

  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    I grow a few annuals and perennials from seed each year, collecting the seed after the plant has flowered, drying the seed and storing in a cool dark place until the following spring.  This procedure  saves me money and I enjoy nurturing plants grown from seed too gutties.  I mostly grow geum, heuchera, hollyhocks, foxgloves, ox-eye daisies, knapweed, teasels, harebells and poppies, probably a few more that escape my memory. I hope that helps.
  • Fishy65Fishy65 Posts: 2,276
    Hi Gutties, while my own garden is on the full side these days, there is always room for a few more plants and there are perennials you could sow now, though mine are fully hardy natives such as aquilegia. And even if they are hardy natives, the chances are they will wait for increased light levels before germinating anyway. So it's debatable as to how much you would really gain by sowing in early January. Seeds that require a period of chilling could be sown now, but again likely won't germinate until light improves. Try to mimic nature and you won't go far wrong. 

    If you waited another month there would be a greater variety you could sow, such as antirrhinum, delphiniums, salvia, lupins. Of course, if you're sowing indoors under lights then I've sown pelargoniums that way and even managed those without artificial light, as long as they have some natural light (on a window sill) and temps between 20 and 24C
  • guttiesgutties Posts: 224
    Sorry, I meant between now and March; not just early January.
  • lilysillylilysilly Posts: 511
    Hi @Gutties, I have only been growing flowers sometimes successfully from seed for the last 15 years or so since we moved to this garden, so wouldn't call myself an old hand. But I enjoy it immensely. I grow only a few of each variety of favourite annual flowers that are easy from seed. Sunflowers, not the giant types but the multi-headed sort. Sweetpeas, couldn't have a summer without smelling their wonderful scent. Zinnia, for their bright colour, white cosmos and nicotiana sylvestris, for flowers that pop out at you at dusk. I keep the seeds wrapped up tight in an airtight tin for years.
    I do grow some perennials from seed I collect from my own plants. I have agapanthus and hellebore I have grown myself. When you've waited 3 or 4 years for a flower, and it's a lovely colour or form it's a great feeling.
    I grow basil and salad leaves from seed in long planters that tuck in close to a wall. A few Swiss chard plants that I pop in gaps in the borders. 
    My garden is rather full, back and front garden. Perennials I regularly divide to invigorate them, plant elsewhere, give away. This gives little gaps for a annual or three to be planted. I always have too many plants on the go, propagating new plants from seed, division or cuttings is a bit addictive, new plants for free is rewarding. Any plants that are spare l donate to a local charity plant sale each May.  I enjoy seeing folk buying what plants I have donated, especially if it's something a bit unusual, and it's all money to a good cause.
    I only have a plastic covered standing growhouse and the kitchen windowsill to germinate seeds on so I don't start until the end of February or early March.
    What seeds are you thinking of trying this year?

  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    gutties said:
    As it is approaching the time of year when we start to think about sowing seeds I was wondering whether most of the active forum members here still plant seeds each year, or is it  the case that there is "enough" in your gardens already.

    What type of seeds do folks here sow over the next couple of months?  Are they mostly annuals or do some grow perennials from seeds instead of buying them as plants from Garden Centres?

    As a newbie gardener I'd appreciate some insight as to what the Old Hands here do in this regard.

    I’m also a newbie, it’ll be my second season of seeding.

    This year I’ll be trying to grow rudbeckia, sweet williams, field poppies, and anemones.  Probably sweet peas again too.
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