Lyn, I don't think I could squish caterpillars, ha! Thanks for the advice though.
Thanks Fidgetbones, I haven't much space inside so may put them out and see how they go.
Nutcutlet, thanks yes! These are on my list of ones to get.
Thanks Bob, I'm going to go and look up those now, I had evening primrose last year and they'd stay open all night in late summer, which is what inspired me.
Want to attract moths also as part of working towards a wildlife friendly garden.
Hello Hollie Hock, sounds great! Yes I'm going to get some night scented stock, I'd never heard about it until yesterday.
Thanks, it will take a while, to make my garden more wildlife friendly, haven't done much yet. There were a lot of butterflies, bees and dragonflies amongst other things last year, and I always get lots of birds. There's sparrow's and starlings all over the garden as I type this. Saw a goldfinch for the first time in my life the other day.
I built a log pile, I'm letting grass grow in certain areas, planted some wild flowers and grass. I'm going to make a pond and a bug hotel next.
Thank you Hollie hock, I will look up those plant/flower names. Yes there's a wealth of collective knowledge on here and glad people are into attracting wildlife. Yes I should have done more research before buying seeds, everything I seem to have got so far is biannual and won't do much until the second year.
a few years ago I started some sweet rocket from seed indoors in March, planted out after the frost, and it flowered that year. The two severe winters seemed to have killed them off but last summer I must have disturbed some self-sown seed as several have grown over the winter and some are currently in flower, though only tiny ones!
For whatever I sow I now tend to sow some seed and keep some for later in case of germination problems or to give a succession.
I'm definitely a fan of sowing in small cells and potting up or planting out, I find outdoor sowing quite hit and miss for many plants. If I do sow outdoors I cover the seeds with compost rather than soil - I sometimes find that, especially if the seeds need watering , ordinary soil forms into a hard crust that seeds can't break through. Covering with compost also helps you see where you've sown.
Night scented stock has a lovely scent but the flowers aren't very impressive - you might want to try mixing the seed with some Virginia stock or Candytuft. Reseda (mignonette) is a nice evening-scented plant but not as easy/reliable.
Some easy wildlife-friendly annual seeds that will flower the same year are: nigella/love in a mist, sweet scabious, single cornflower wild or cultivar (available mixed colours but avoid double flowered, agrostema/corncockle, candytuft, dwarf sunflower (little leo?), limnanthes/fried eggs, calendula/pot marigold. All should be ok sown outside in late March or April. If you sow some in April and some in June you should get a succession. Sorry for the mixture of Latin/common names!
Some late flowering perennials may flower the first year - I think the echinacea I grew from seed a few years ago did - so don't despair.
If you've already spent a lot on seeds, and the folk on the forum are tempting you further, Wilkinsons own are good value!
Wow, thanks for all that Steve! Great advice there, I will check out all those annuals tomorrow when I get in from work. I'm making a list of all the ones I like the look of most and then I'll hopefully keep ticking ones off as I get them. I have a Wilkinsons close by, I'll have to check it out. Cheers!
Posts
Thanks all,
Lyn, I don't think I could squish caterpillars, ha! Thanks for the advice though.
Thanks Fidgetbones, I haven't much space inside so may put them out and see how they go.
Nutcutlet, thanks yes! These are on my list of ones to get.
Thanks Bob, I'm going to go and look up those now, I had evening primrose last year and they'd stay open all night in late summer, which is what inspired me.
Want to attract moths also as part of working towards a wildlife friendly garden.
Cheers all.
Hello Hollie Hock, sounds great! Yes I'm going to get some night scented stock, I'd never heard about it until yesterday.
Thanks, it will take a while, to make my garden more wildlife friendly, haven't done much yet. There were a lot of butterflies, bees and dragonflies amongst other things last year, and I always get lots of birds. There's sparrow's and starlings all over the garden as I type this. Saw a goldfinch for the first time in my life the other day.
I built a log pile, I'm letting grass grow in certain areas, planted some wild flowers and grass. I'm going to make a pond and a bug hotel next.
Thank you Hollie hock, I will look up those plant/flower names. Yes there's a wealth of collective knowledge on here and glad people are into attracting wildlife. Yes I should have done more research before buying seeds, everything I seem to have got so far is biannual and won't do much until the second year.
Hi
a few years ago I started some sweet rocket from seed indoors in March, planted out after the frost, and it flowered that year. The two severe winters seemed to have killed them off but last summer I must have disturbed some self-sown seed as several have grown over the winter and some are currently in flower, though only tiny ones!
For whatever I sow I now tend to sow some seed and keep some for later in case of germination problems or to give a succession.
I'm definitely a fan of sowing in small cells and potting up or planting out, I find outdoor sowing quite hit and miss for many plants. If I do sow outdoors I cover the seeds with compost rather than soil - I sometimes find that, especially if the seeds need watering , ordinary soil forms into a hard crust that seeds can't break through. Covering with compost also helps you see where you've sown.
Night scented stock has a lovely scent but the flowers aren't very impressive - you might want to try mixing the seed with some Virginia stock or Candytuft. Reseda (mignonette) is a nice evening-scented plant but not as easy/reliable.
Some easy wildlife-friendly annual seeds that will flower the same year are: nigella/love in a mist, sweet scabious, single cornflower wild or cultivar (available mixed colours but avoid double flowered, agrostema/corncockle, candytuft, dwarf sunflower (little leo?), limnanthes/fried eggs, calendula/pot marigold. All should be ok sown outside in late March or April. If you sow some in April and some in June you should get a succession. Sorry for the mixture of Latin/common names!
Some late flowering perennials may flower the first year - I think the echinacea I grew from seed a few years ago did - so don't despair.
If you've already spent a lot on seeds, and the folk on the forum are tempting you further, Wilkinsons own are good value!
Wow, thanks for all that Steve! Great advice there, I will check out all those annuals tomorrow when I get in from work. I'm making a list of all the ones I like the look of most and then I'll hopefully keep ticking ones off as I get them. I have a Wilkinsons close by, I'll have to check it out. Cheers!