Outdoors, they need a chill. Best sown in autumn. But worth getting as cold as you can now.
This applies to a lot of hardy perennials. It's what happens naturally. Seed is set, shed, and either germinates immediately of in spring. Hardy perennials never need heat to germinate, it's not what they expect.
Some seeds will germinate whatever you do with them but some, apiaceae (eg astrantias) and ranunculaceae (eg hellebores) in particular, are fussy about it
I bought some white and pink Astrantia cheap from a car boot some years ago. I thought I had lost them as everything in the flower bed near my pond get eaten by slugs. Then all of a sudden I had a large clump. This I have replanted in my dry shady part beside the house. But the beautiful deep red one I bought from a garden centre last year, just got chewed away overnight! Yep! The wrong flower bed again. Waiting to see what colours I have coming up this year.
Mine seem to be well up, pink ones and red ones, I don't know names as they came with the garden, but they are prolific self seeders, not quite as bad as the hellibores though.
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Outdoors, they need a chill. Best sown in autumn. But worth getting as cold as you can now.
This applies to a lot of hardy perennials. It's what happens naturally. Seed is set, shed, and either germinates immediately of in spring. Hardy perennials never need heat to germinate, it's not what they expect.
Some seeds will germinate whatever you do with them but some, apiaceae (eg astrantias) and ranunculaceae (eg hellebores) in particular, are fussy about it
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks Nut, I'll stick the pots outside and see if that frightens them into action.
Remembered this thread and just thought I would post a pic of my Astrantia poking through this week
I 'd forgotten about this thread! Good to see Matt, mine are a bit larger/further on, i'll take a photo tomorrow.
I only planted mine last summer, I guess as it gets older it will become stronger and stronger
Mine looks like yours Matt - they seem to be one of the last to reappear
Mine is called Astrantia Florence. My Gaillardia is just appearing too. Havent seen much sign of my Illumination Foxglove yet.
I'll go and have a look to see if I can spot it tomorrow as its the only thing yet to show its face
I bought some white and pink Astrantia cheap from a car boot some years ago. I thought I had lost them as everything in the flower bed near my pond get eaten by slugs. Then all of a sudden I had a large clump. This I have replanted in my dry shady part beside the house. But the beautiful deep red one I bought from a garden centre last year, just got chewed away overnight! Yep! The wrong flower bed again. Waiting to see what colours I have coming up this year.
Mine seem to be well up, pink ones and red ones, I don't know names as they came with the garden, but they are prolific self seeders, not quite as bad as the hellibores though.