things to plant now ??

1. Is there any seeds i can plant now for next year, sweet peas, lupnis, aqualiga, dhali ect or antthing for winter even, pansys viola ect. Any ideas what i can plant now guys. Just got a new house with a garden after not having a garden for 4 years so im a bit rusty shall we say

 

Have a look at the Suttons website - if you click on the relevant link for the month it tells you which seeds to sow

 

Good idea cheers

 

Can't knock enthusiasm

But, a little word of caution: you should really be in your new home for a full 1 year before you begin planning what to grow and where. That way, you get to see what your current garden has to offer (what's been laying dormant; what each season offers); plus a nice opportunity to sort out which part of the garden gets the most/least sun; how the soil differs from one aspect of the garden to another.

It's also a good opportunity to decide which *type* of garden you think you would like: cottage? Mediterranean? Minimalistic? Tropical?

Which structural features you want to incorporate: shed, summerhouse, greenhouse, pergolas, patios, raised beds, ponds, other water features, veg patch, etc., which should really be given thought before any planting (guilty of not doing that myself )

Unless, of course, you've moved into a property which has all the features you've dreamed of and all the beds in the right places and all that is left is the planting side of things (if so, I'm now in envy mode )

 

I see we're your coming from M, the garden is just a small square concrete yard really so will mainly be pots except for the one empty bed that's already there

 

It depends a little on the facilities that you have to overwinter the resulting seedlings. By the sounds of it there is no greenhouse so you need to consider how many seedlings you want on the windowsills. One of those blow away "greenhouses" would be a good investment, so based on that here are a few ideas;

Tricyrtis
Lupin
Delphinium
Aconitum
Many Iris species
Salvia sclarea turkestanica
Some Penstemon species (ie; P.smallii)

All the above benefit from a cold spell to aid germination. Be sure to sterilise the sowing medium and try to open the "door" during warmer winter spells.

If the bed is ready you can sow in situ Cerinthe and Digitalis purpurea (Foxgloves) now.

For indoors winter care the list is rather long, but I would be looking at perennial Lobelia, Salvia patens and dolicanthe, and some of the less common Digitalis species (D.ferruguinea, D.lutea etc.).

 

What do you cover them with to prevent Moss growing (for slow germinators). Grit maybe?

 

For larger seed cat litter. But on the whole boiling water, microwave and cheshunt compound from my stock seems to work.

 

Ah, forgotten about cat litter. Lighter for the seeds to push past, than grit, I expect. probably cheaper too!

 

I suppose if you got the wood litter or the recycled paper litter, it'd also degrade nicely into the soil once it's done?

 

Just the proper stuff as it's relatively inert (ie; antibacterial).

 

Spot on!