If you don’t have the luxury of a heater in the greenhouse, or a heated propagator in the house, you can still get an early start on a garden full of colour by sowing hardy annual flower seed this week.
With such a wide range of these easy-sow plants, there is something for everyone, and they are an economical way of adding seasonal colour to the garden.
Whether you are working to a particular colour schemeor style, or want to add scent, height or even something exotic-looking, you’ll find a hardy annual to suit your need. Many varieties are great for attracting bees and butterflies to the garden too.
While they don’t require extra heat, they will need the warmth of a windowsill or frost-free conditions of a greenhouse to get underway at this time of year.
Fill seed trays or modules with Gro-Sure Seed and Cuttings Compost, level off and water in. Scatter your chosen seed across the tray or set two or three seeds per cell. Cover with more compost or a thin layer of vermiculite, but check seed packets for info – some small seeds may not need covering, while larger seed will need setting deeper.
Remove propagator lids after germination and keep on the windowsill/greenhouse until large enough to pot on (once the first true leaves have developed). The young plants can then be moved to a cold frame to free up space.
These hardy plant can be set out in the garden from late April onwards, but keep some horticultural fleece to hand in case a hard frost is forecast.
