Our heavy rainfall right through the year doesn't help these kinds of seeds. They rot very quickly, especially if it stays cold - which it does. The combination makes them less successful than they are for people further south. I always had them in the shelter of the house wall.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You're welcome to some of mine in the tunnel grown from your seed last year.
I'll swap for some more seed then I've got a succession going.
I still have our last year's ones in the green house, no seeds left as was hoping to get them from this year's plants, there still one huge one and a few tiny ones. The ones in the poly tunnel may not flower this year, plant this summer for next year's flowers.
Shame I lost the two biggest ones, they were taller than me. I am on an impossible quest to keep those going in our climate. But still I persevere. Just the thought of the thousand bees on them makes me press on with the imposible task.
yours should do ok in the front garden Hosta.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I have never collected the seeds from echiums - they just seed themselves and come up all over the garden - so I usually just let them grow a few inches and then transplant them into the positions where I want them and give the rest of the small plants to family and friends - some went to Holland last year but the cold may have killed them off by now. As for Nigella - thank you all for your helpful comments - I may try growing a few in the GH and sow the rest of the seeds directly into the prepared soil in a month or so.
The echiums are not too prickly - sometimes I wear gardening gloves but the prickles aren't overpowering and the young plants don't have any noticeable prickles at all. The echium attracts so many bees in the summer - it is a pleasure to watch them.
At a rare plant sale last year there were 6 different varieties of echium plants for sale. I wasn't tempted as I had other plants to purchase (lily of the Valley and Honesty suited my purse), perhaps this year I will be tempted to try a different echium.
Yes, I really did buy Honesty aym280 - I had a gap near in the middle of the flower bed to fill - nothing too tall (like echium) and nothing short would have done. My mother always grew Honesty - and it reminds me of her - I just wish I had saved some of the seed heads from her flowers - she often gave me the dried Honesty in an arrangement that she had picked for me - so you see it was bought for sentimental reasons - heart ruling head!
I never know what colours I'll get, but I just let them go. We're very dry here, so that's probably why some of you have moisture problems with getting yours growing.
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Our heavy rainfall right through the year doesn't help these kinds of seeds. They rot very quickly, especially if it stays cold - which it does. The combination makes them less successful than they are for people further south. I always had them in the shelter of the house wall.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
there's a variety called N. African Bride which I like. Has anyone any experience of it?
I can't sow anything direct, never ever see them again.
I still have our last year's ones in the green house, no seeds left as was hoping to get them from this year's plants, there still one huge one and a few tiny ones. The ones in the poly tunnel may not flower this year, plant this summer for next year's flowers.
Shame I lost the two biggest ones, they were taller than me. I am on an impossible quest to keep those going in our climate. But still I persevere. Just the thought of the thousand bees on them makes me press on with the imposible task.
yours should do ok in the front garden Hosta.
I have never collected the seeds from echiums - they just seed themselves and come up all over the garden - so I usually just let them grow a few inches and then transplant them into the positions where I want them and give the rest of the small plants to family and friends - some went to Holland last year but the cold may have killed them off by now. As for Nigella - thank you all for your helpful comments - I may try growing a few in the GH and sow the rest of the seeds directly into the prepared soil in a month or so.
The echiums are not too prickly - sometimes I wear gardening gloves but the prickles aren't overpowering and the young plants don't have any noticeable prickles at all. The echium attracts so many bees in the summer - it is a pleasure to watch them.
Lou12 I told you we were sisters split at birth, shall I save you some of the white seeds?
My giant Echiums are all pinky mauve, as in the photo above.
If you get any seeds from a white one later on NB, I would like a few Please.
At a rare plant sale last year there were 6 different varieties of echium plants for sale. I wasn't tempted as I had other plants to purchase (lily of the Valley and Honesty suited my purse), perhaps this year I will be tempted to try a different echium.
Yes, I really did buy Honesty aym280 - I had a gap near in the middle of the flower bed to fill - nothing too tall (like echium) and nothing short would have done. My mother always grew Honesty - and it reminds me of her - I just wish I had saved some of the seed heads from her flowers - she often gave me the dried Honesty in an arrangement that she had picked for me - so you see it was bought for sentimental reasons - heart ruling head!
The nigella self seed everywhere at my place.
I never know what colours I'll get, but I just let them go. We're very dry here, so that's probably why some of you have moisture problems with getting yours growing.