The majority of her plants have been propagated either by taking cuttings or growing from seed. Now, as well as selling cut flowers bouquets locally, she also inspires friends and fellow school parents to love gardening by demystifying the process and making it fun, explaining what they’ve got in their gardens and how to look after it.
In her own words, she has begged, borrowed – though never stolen! – seeds, pots, plants and soil to create a garden at her village primary school, ensuring that it is both scented and tactile, as well as wildlife friendly. She leads class planting sessions each year with tulips (each class chooses the variety) and roses, the latter kindly donated by David Austin after a school fire.
This year, she will be sowing tomato seeds and sunflower seeds with every class, as well as doing a school sale of plants grown by the children in a bid to inspire the next generation.
Here she tells us what jobs to do now in order to bask in the glorious sights and scents of a thriving cutting garden in just a few short weeks’ time.
Flowers That Can Be Sown From A March Sowing
Hardy annuals can withstand a bit of cold, so if you’re direct sowing into your garden, do be aware and maybe hold back until April. Half-hardy annuals won’t survive a frost so don’t direct sow for a couple of weeks yet – or grow them inside.
I grow everything in plug pots inside my house on windowsills and in a conservatory as I don’t have a greenhouse.
Then harden off (putting out during the day but back inside at night). Do this for a week before planting out when the weather properly warms up and there are no more frosts (around end April /May here in Wiltshire).
This ensures germination – seeds need warmth and the soil outside is still too cold to direct sow. I like to imagine it like sleeping with no duvets at night.
Seed sowing
Think how many varieties you *actually * need – do you need cosmos in every colour? How much space have you got? Plants grow better given a bit of space – think Covid rules still applying to plants, but in miniature.
They don’t want to be touching, so at least a hands width apart when planting out. The bigger the plant, the more spread it has, so plant further apart (I like to think of children’s clothing as an analogy here: we buy bigger to last longer!)
Less is more when sowing seeds… if using new packets of seeds, they should all germinate. If you follow all the instructions and after couple sowings still nothing, then contact supplier. It could be a batch issue.
The rule of thumb is one seed for each insert in a seed tray, or the tiniest of pinches for minute seeds like snapdragons. You can use recycled fruit containers or mushroom pots, as long as they have holes for drainage.
The best compost to use is a special seed compost, but it is more expensive. You can also use normal peat-free compost mixed with a bit of grit or sand or coir.
Easy Seeds To Grow
Cosmos, Nigella, Scabiosa, Cornflower, Corncockle, Nasturtium, Sunflower, Malope, Calendula, Marigolds.
Keep to one seed per insert in a plug plant container, otherwise you will need to ‘prick out’ the seedlings and pot on. It’s easier to sow into a smaller size tray and then move whole plug up into a 15 tray, adding more compost and growing on before planting out.
Small Seeds That Need A Careful Hand To Sow
Ammi Majus, Larkspur, Snapdragons, Daucus dara.
On the whole, poppies prefer to be direct down as they don’t like being transferred. They’re easy to sprinkle where you want and carefully rake over.
Seed Care
Sow onto damp compost and cover with light sprinkle of compost (see seed packets as some don’t need covering).
You can cover the seedlings trays with a plastic lid or cling film or place in a plastic bag to germinate.
Keep an eye on them. Don’t let compost dry out but don’t soak the compost and remove the lid/ clingfilm when you seed signs of germination and green shoots poking up.
Seedlings need warmth, moisture and light, so once germinated, do place on a bright windowsill to avoid them becoming leggy. Turn the tray regularly as they will lean towards the light. Don’t overwater.
By Tessa Hickey
