Seeds I have sown today

I tend to go for flowers as I don't have room for a veggy patch.

Today I planted:-
5 types of brugmansia
a double purple datura
cerinthes
Clitoria terniata
mina lobata

I also pricked out:-
Dwarf phlox
dianthus
perennial hibiscus
liatris

and
potted on three brugs I planted in September.

A trip to the garden centre is required tomorrow for seeds to grow for the hanging baskets.

 

I had to put my wellies on to get to my greenhouse today, and only stayed there long enough to check things out, water etc, and plant some Tropaeolum speciosum. I've had no luck so far with seeds for that, although mpost nasturtiums grow at the drop of a hat, so I got these as young plants. Fingers crossed. (Have been told that you have to sow T. speciosum seeds within 7 days of getting them - I did that but still no joy. Any advice, anybody?)

 

Today I took out of the fridge, after two weeks, Verbena Hastata, and Verbena Rigida Polaris. Both collected from my garden. It would have been easier to have left them outside - but they might have got too cold!

I sowed these and a load of others two weeks ago. So far 11 lots out of 41 have germinated. For the first time I am recording the date of sowing and first germination, just for the record. They do not all take as long as the instructions say.

Agrostemma Githargo took 3 days (instructions said 30 - 90 days). Stachys Marcantha 14 days (30 - 90), and Tanacetum mixed 7 days (30 - 60).

 

Rich do have or have you seen a variegated Brugmansia, I saw one last year for the first time in Tenerife .. quite a striking plant.

 

Carried on sowing more Lobelia last friday (as per photos in(It's Here).
Tomorrow: Celosia Century Mxd, Salvia Victoria,
Kochia Trichophylla, Salvia Summer Skies, Abutilon Red Belle, Gazania Kiss mxd, Gazania Bronze Star, Tithonia, Thunbergia Susie,Geranium Scarlet eye, Geranium Maverick Quicksilver, Heliotrope Marine ... to name a few.

 

Strongylodon. Some of those are perennial, do you ever try to keep them overwinter.

 

Although I've never seen them here, I have a couple of friends in America who have the variegated brugs.

The centre for brug husbandry is Germany, so if anyone is going over there they should be able to get some interesting cuttings and bring them home legally.

 

just thought i'd put this in.

 

PeterS.
No, they are grown for the parks and they change their requirements each year so they are disposed of in the autumn. A shame, but we can't keep plants we don't need. :(

 

So, are you in charge of all the seed propagation for the parks dept in you area, S? That must be a really good job - lots of job satisfaction! So long as they actually grow, that is!!

 

Ive sown:
Sweet Peas inc some seed I kept from last year
Baby plum toms
Chillies
Courgettes
Pansies
Peppers
Lobelia
All indoors under clingfilm

 

I've been a propagator since the early seventies but started in '68 at Rochfords the house plant specialist at the time, as some may remember. I've been here running our nursery here since '89 and yes I still really enjoy it and yes we have failures like everybody else, damping off, fungus attacks of different kinds and I am still learning. There are only two of us here permanently but with three extra bodies for the next five weeks to help it gets very chaotic as planting out starts mid towards the end of may (total aprox 155,000 plants)

 

sounds really good! I can't imagine the scale, even though I've been round a couple of commercial places - it's nothing like a normal greenhouse, is it?! I presume it's mostly bedding plants you produce? There can't be a lot of scope, given the usual range of council plantings!! How many real gardens do ornamental cabbages, for instance! But - I take my hat off (and in the summer I do wear one)to people who do all this - it looks really good when planted up, whether in the way we all make fun of - alyssum/ lobelia/salvia/alyssum/lobelia/salvia - or more adventurous stuff! A friend of mine now works in parks/cemeteries, adn it's really opened my eyes, and maybe mind, to what goes on. The scale is something else - good on you, S! :D

 

I remember Rochfords. I lived in Borehamwood for a short time and I used to buy Caladiums, Begonia Rex- lovely plants.... Happy memories!