I think you’ve answered your own question there, the daisies and violets are wild flowers, they propagate themselves in the wild, think of nature. Seeds drop, lay dormant over winter, pop up in the spring. You could try sowing those later in the year direct in the garden. Be careful what you wish for with the daisies, once got, never got rid of.😀
that’s the very reason I never use seed compost, you could mix it with perlite, or even grow seeds in perlite in the first place. All trial and error, we all start off with mistakes, make a note of what you’re using and doing and try something different next time. Its not as easy as they say.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
It really isn't! If you search the forum, there are people upset by folks that buy plants in a GC, saying why do that when it's so easy to grow from seed! Well, because:
Lack of knowledge
Lack of space
Lack of correct conditions
Lack of patience (10 years to reach objective in some cases!)
I've had plenty of failures in the past, everybody does. Some of the problems I had was compost to wet, compost crusting over and becoming hard or the other variable that I haven't seen mentioned, poor quality or old seed. Some seed you buy is very fresh and will germinate readily, others are old stock and are less likely to grow. The packet instructions are pretty generic and I only start stuff that needs a long growing period early, like chillies, the rest I just delay because they normally catch up and surpass the earlier sown ones or at worst you get a little delay in the flowering.
that is true, but we all had to start somewhere, you will get the hang of it and find what works for you as you go on. bit like having a new baby, you don’t know what to do, but baby will soon let you know it’s needs. Plants are not much different.
I grow everything from seeds and cuttings, not all works well, very large garden and couldn’t afford to buy plants, so a necessity for me.
Somethings are easier than others. I always find info on Google before I sow anything, and still do. If you ask a question on a forum you’ll usually get several conflicting answers, that’s because they given info on their particular gardens, soil and temperatures.
Don’t give up, stick with it, find easy ones first, that will give you a bit of confidence.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I get wild dog violets growing in the cracks in the paving and in the limestone chippings and only the odd one anywhere else, so I guess they prefer more alkaline soil. The paving ones are great, tidy, don't mind being walked on and flower beautifully every spring. I step over them then The dog daisies pop up anywhere they please, no logic to them, but so far I haven't had too many and I move them to where I want them, in the designated meadow area.
Most of the others I haven't grown, apart from Cosmos and Tigerella. No success with cosmos, though they're supposed to be easy and I've grown lots of other things that aren't!
Tigerella has grown ok for me and had small crops, but I am a relative novice at tomatoes and also limited in the amount I can water. When all the water butts are empty that's it! I grow mine in the GH, unheated for the last 2 years and am having another go this year. I started them early, at the end of February, as I had read that they are slow growers, but I potted up some nice seedlings this week. They began in the propagator and moved to a sunny windowsill asap, but I put a lid over the tray initially to ease the transition.
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that’s the very reason I never use seed compost, you could mix it with perlite, or even grow seeds in perlite in the first place. All trial and error, we all start off with mistakes, make a note of what you’re using and doing and try something different next time.
Its not as easy as they say.
- Lack of knowledge
- Lack of space
- Lack of correct conditions
- Lack of patience (10 years to reach objective in some cases!)
- Vague instructions on the packet
- Very complex instructions on the packet
- Going away at a critical time
- Kids and/or pets interfering
I'm sure others will have their own blockers!The packet instructions are pretty generic and I only start stuff that needs a long growing period early, like chillies, the rest I just delay because they normally catch up and surpass the earlier sown ones or at worst you get a little delay in the flowering.
bit like having a new baby, you don’t know what to do, but baby will soon let you know it’s needs. Plants are not much different.
I grow everything from seeds and cuttings, not all works well, very large garden and couldn’t afford to buy plants, so a necessity for me.