New Seasons Sowing 2021
Laura and I have been sorting through the seed boxes and listing what seeds we have and when we can start sowing. Laura is ahead of me as she has already sown a few tomatoes and peppers a week or so ago and already has Cosmos seedlings popping through on the window ledge.
Today we have ventured outside and direct sown the end of a couple of packets of flower seeds from last year. There were six seeds of Cosmos Lemonade and a few Anchusa Blue Angel. Fingers crossed. She has placed them in the side garden after loosening the soil a little.
Cosmos Lemonade
This is a beautiful pale yellow cosmos with a central white eye. We sowed a few of these last year but had very few flowers. We are hoping that they self seeded last year so live in hope. This should be early flowering and a little shorter that the usual cosmos.
Anchusa Blue Angel
These were another no show last year so we are using up all the seeds left in the packet and have inter sown them with the Cosmos. If we are lucky and get a few good plants they will hopefully seed themselves. The colour looks amazing so should look good interspersed with the lemon of the cosmos.
Dierama – Angels with fishing rods.
I have sown seeds of these and covered the seed box with cling film. They are slow to germinate apparently. A selection of purple, red, pink and pale pink forms so I have no idea what colour they will turn out to be. I have sown just four seeds. . Bred by a nursery situated near and named after the highest of the Mourne Mountains in Co. Down, Ireland – Slieve Donard.
Cephalaphora Aromatica
Yellow pom pom flowers with pale green foliage. This unusual plant has a sweet apple fragrance. This is a new one on me but I think Laura tried a few last year. They are in a module tray and I shall keep them in the warm in the computer room.
Tomato Yellow Pear
My contribution to the tomato collection. I have grown these before but not since I lost the allotment I don’t think. Pear tomato or teardrop tomato is the common name for any one in this group of indeterminate heirloom tomatoes. They are very sweet and lovely to eat right off the plant in a warm greenhouse. Tomatoes prefers acidic soil to thrive and benefit from fertiliser when starting to fruit. A very good link providing loads of growing tips is listed below.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/yellow-pear-tomato-care.htm
Rudbeckia Gloriosa
These were the last of my sowings today. I sowed a few in each module and have covered them with cling film. Laura loves all daisies so I hope these germinate well for her. She grew quite a few last year so they may well pop up again in the borders. Neither of us could resist pushing a few Nasturtium seeds into the ground and I also popped a few in a module tray. That’s all the sowing for today so its back to reality after that bit of play time.
Sow Cosmos seed from March to May in seed compost and place the seed tray inside a polythene bag. Keep the soil damp but not wet. Do not exclude light as this aids germination which usually takes 7-15 days. When seedlings are large enough to handle transplant into 3″ pots and grow them on in cooler conditions until large enough to plant outdoors. When Cosmos plants are well grown and all risk of frost has passed acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Transplant outdoors in full sun in any moist, well drained soil 18″ apart. Pinch out the growing tip of each stem when transplanting to encourage stems to branch and produce more flowers. Deadheading will encourage new flowers. Information from T&M. These seeds can be sown outside directly into the soil about May time when the ground had warmed up a little.
The wonderful Cosmos flower is native to meadowland and scrub in Mexico. They have naturalised in USA and South America. Though perennial plants in their native land they are not in the UK and should be considered as annuals.