Can I plant foxgloves seeds near this heather that I've planted?

deadendwaterfall · 27 February

In the below picture, you can see the heather I've planted, and when it gets to April, I'm planning on putting in some foxglove seeds, some pink flower ones and some alba (white) flower ones in the same bed.

Can heather and foxgloves grow alongside one another or should they be kept well away from each other?

bertrand-mabel · 27 February

No photo.

amancalledgeorge · 27 February

I can see the photo

Mrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants · 28 February

I can't.

Ladybird4 · 28 February

Foxglove leaves in my garden get quite big and it is possible that if you sow seeds near your heathers they may eventually get swamped/very shaded by the leaves.

deadendwaterfall · 28 February

Ladybird4 said:

Foxglove leaves in my garden get quite big and it is possible that if you sow seeds near your heathers they may eventually get swamped/very shaded by the leaves.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. It's been a very long time since I've actually seen foxgloves in person rather than just pictures on the internet, so it's easy to forget just how big they can actually be. Further to the question, would it be ill advised to plant foxgloves near to Yew hedges?

Ladybird4 · 28 February

I think that would be a much better place to put your foxgloves @deadendwaterfall as they do like hedgerows.

Liriodendron · 28 February

Your heathers will flower best in a sunny spot, whereas the foxgloves really prefer dappled shade. You can sow the seeds direct, but if you have a lot of weeds germinating in the area where you want them to grow, you can sow them in a seed tray or similar, and plant them out when they're big enough.

JennyJ · 28 February

I agree with @Liriodendron . Think about where they'd grow naturally. Heathers are plants of open moorland, foxgloves grow in woodland edges. Both are lovely, but I don't think they'd look right together even if you could get them to grow together.

It's worth noting that foxglove seeds are tiny and the seedlings are tiny a first. It never ceases to amaze me how any survive from self-sowing (or direct sowing by humans). I expect that's why every flower produces a vast amount of seed - most of them don't result in a new plant, when left to their own devices.

Bilje · 28 February

I was too careful dead heading my foxgloves two years ago so only a few growing which will flower this year. Last year I planted some primroses close by the foxgloves which are now over about 15 inches across and are over the primroses to I have to keep tearing leaves off!

The odd self sown is ok but I’ve discovered it better to sow in a tray then transplant.

deadendwaterfall · 28 February

JennyJ said:

I agree with @Liriodendron . Think about where they'd grow naturally. Heathers are plants of open moorland, foxgloves grow in woodland edges. Both are lovely, but I don't think they'd look right together even if you could get them to grow together.
It's worth noting that foxglove seeds are tiny and the seedlings are tiny a first. It never ceases to amaze me how any survive from self-sowing (or direct sowing by humans). I expect that's why every flower produces a vast amount of seed - most of them don't result in a new plant, when left to their own devices.

The foxgloves seeds are to be planted in several beds bordering a car park for a community center in a built up city center area. It'll be interesting to see how well they'll fare, especially as I haven't seen any others for quite a few miles away. But then again, this particular city is notorious for being depleted of trees and flowers that attract much needed biodiversity.

Can I plant foxgloves seeds near this heather that I've planted?

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