Now is the time to sow Biennial Seeds. But what exactly are they and why do we need to sow them in summer?
Biennials are hardy plants which are grown from seeds sown this summer. They produce roots and foliage this year then burst into life next spring with masses more foliage, long stems and lots of flowers in late spring and early summer. Sown this summer they have eight to ten months to grow into super strong, healthy plants.
I’t’s been a scorcher of a day here in Lancashire. It’s cooling off now and we can here thunder rumbling in the distance but there’s no sign of any rain so far. I’ve just picked a bunch of flowers. There’s nothing quite like cutting flowers from your own garden and this evening I’ve chosen plants that I’ve grown from seed.
Foxgloves are just coming into bloom in our garden. They are woodland plants really. Their large leaves make the most of all the available sunlight so they can grow in shady areas so they are brilliant if you have dappled shade in your garden.
Foxgloves have performed very well for us this year. I grew them from seed and planted them around the oak tree and my garden studio in the spring garden. I also planted a big patch at the edge of the Bluebell wood – they flowered twice, as usual in spring and then quite unexpectedly again in autumn. You can cut the flower stalks right back when you tidy your garden in autumn and some people like to remove the plants as soon as flowering is over. As you know I prefer to leave some seed heads on my plants so that tiny creatures have hiding places and seeds to eat over winter. And here’s my bonus.
On a dull June day Foxgloves light up shady corners in the garden. Given the right conditions they are a doddle to grow and what’s more bees and other insects love them. So what are the right conditions?