It’s easy to grow your own flowers from seed. Here’s beautiful flowers, growing information & seed collections for gifts.
COUNTRY GARDEN SEED SHOP
Eschscholzia californica & Gypsophila 'Covent Garden'
Eschscholzia & Gypsophila Seeds
A lovely mix of flowers to grow together. Eschscholzia californica is a simple poppy from California with bright upright flowers and feathery foliage. Orange and Gold flowers open in the sun then close when night falls. Californian Poppies are easy to grow, produce masses of flowers and they are perfect for edging paths too.
Gypsophila is one of our most beautiful hardy annuals with many loose sprays of flowers and grey/green foliage. Commonly known as Baby's Breath every stem of Gypsophila has hundreds of tiny white flowers on thin wiry stems. It's good in mixed borders, for cut flower production and attracts pollinating insects too.
For lots of flowers I recommend making two spring sowings, one in March then again in May for flowers all summer long. Sow again in autumn for early flowers the following year.
| Genus | Gypsophila elegans and Eschscholzia californica |
| Variety | Covent Garden |
| Plant Type | Hardy Annual |
| Height and Spread | 30-45cm / 12-18 inches tall x 30 / 12 inches wide |
| Sow Seeds | Sow in succession for the longest flowering period. Sow indoors March to April then sow direct in May and June. Sow indoors in late summer/autumn for early flowers next year. |
| Thin/Plant Out | 30 cm apart |
| Conditions Required | Grow in full sun in well drained soil. Needs plenty of water but not waterlogged soil. Gypsophila may need some support such as twiggy sticks in windy situations. |
| Flower Production | May to August. Takes 10 to 12 weeks to flower if sown in spring. Each sowing produces blooms for at least 8 weeks. |
| Picking | Pick early in the day and strip most of the leaves from the stem. Sear stem ends for 20 seconds then stand them in deep water to condition for several hours before arranging. Lasts 5-7 days as a cut flower. |
| Planting Combinations | Grows beautifully with Cornflowers, Cosmos, Salvia and other airy annual flowers. A classic 'filler plant' Gypsophila is perfect for adding a light touch to any planting scheme and bunches of cut flowers. |
Thanks very much for your reviews of Eschscholzia californica & Gypsophila Covent Garden
12th April 2018
“Great personal customer service, and very thoughtful free seeds to try that go lovely with the ones bought. Best customer service I have had in a long time. Thank you.” Amanda C