What can I sow now to flower this year?

[Mitzi]

Planted up the perennials in my new flower bed over Easter. Obviously spaced them out to give them room to grow. Scattered some hardy annual seeds around them (opium poppies, nigella, cornflowers, calendula, can't remember what else.) Just broadcast sown so pot luck whether any come up. Oh also some white foxgloves and white evening primrose. They probably won't flower until next year but I can live with that.

So at the moment it's just a bed of bare soil with the odd small clump of leaves here and there. The perennials are:

• Sunflower, tall perennial single-flowered one, forget its latin name. Supposed to be quite invasive but I love it and have coveted it for years
• Perennial aster
• Kniphofia (spelling?) - a yellow one
• Agapanthus
• Acanthus mollis (variegated)
• Phlox (white)
• Astilbe - probably pink
• Campanula - a tall-ish perennial one but I can't remember which exactly
• Tiger lilies
• Iris - supposed to be darkish blue

I think that's everything but there might be one more. So it's a bit of a hotch potch of colours really. Most of the plants were given to me and I didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. In summer / autumn I'm going to sow things like honesty, aquilegia, hollyhocks etc. for flowering next year.

I don't have any room indoors to raise anything tender. All possible windowsills and growing space is occupied by chillies and a few bedding plants to go in hanging baskets and pots. I know it's rather late in the year for growing things from seed; however, has anyone got suggestions for things I can direct sow outside now to give a good display this year, while the perennials are establishing themselves? Or should I wait a few weeks until frost danger is over and just buy lots of bedding plants at the garden centre? (Thinking nicotiana, salvia farinacea, cosmos...)

I'm thinking I might just stick some salad leaves in, which reminds me I did scatter red orache seeds so fingers crossed that some of those come up. Vaguely ornamental edibles are welcome.

Honestly, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[mcdood]

Do you like Nasturtiums? They come in various colours yellows, orange, red to suit your tastes, can be sown direct, good sized seed so easy to handle, will flower quite quickly from sowing, will also cover bare ground or climb to suit. Edible flowers too. Downsides: can be a bit messy looking for some and can be a magnet for aphids.

[Mitzi]

Do you like Nasturtiums? They come in various colours yellows, orange, red to suit your tastes, can be sown direct, good sized seed so easy to handle, will flower quite quickly from sowing, will also cover bare ground or climb to suit. Edible flowers too. Downsides: can be a bit messy looking for some and can be a magnet for aphids.

I do like nasturtiums but the soil might be too good for them - I'm imagining lots of lush green leaves and not many flowers. Don't they flower better in poor soil or am I making that up?

I'm not too worried about aphids - my chillies will be nearby once the weather warms up but in the last couple of years I've not really had an aphid problem on the chillies once they get outside; I think the hoverflies deal with them.

[chillithyme]

Im direct sowing cornflowers this week. They are easy to grow and if you like them you can save the seed for next year

[Scarlet]

My local GC is selling off all their spring planting bulbs. Dahlia bulbs were a £1 each, and Lillie's were half price. They are big plants so would fill a good space and they will sprout up in no time.

Zinnias could be started now..cosmos, nicotiana are really slow

[nickdub]

I'd suggest googling half-hardy annuals - too many to name, but you should find some you fancy and they can be started in seed trays outside as the weather warms up.

[bramble]

I grew some Zinnias last year from seed.
Sowed around this time.
Fantastic display of beautiful vibrant colours.

[Mitzi]

I hadn’t thought of putting seed trays outside, I have to admit.

[Scarlet]

I started a tray of zinnias last week - they are in the GH alongside some I started a several weeks ago..they aren't far behind. Worth a shot and if we have a summer like last year they will be fab. I love a "hotch potch" of
colours

[nickdub]

I hadn’t thought of putting seed trays outside, I have to admit.

I do it quite a bit - usually in a plastic bag and up off the ground to keep the slugs away.

[Mitzi]

Thanks Scarlet and Bramble for the suggestion of zinnias. I've never them - a bit gaudy for my liking in the past. I think my tastes have changed a bit, though, and a splash of bright colour could be exactly what's needed.

I know it's too late to sow cosmos and nicotianas, that's why I was thinking of buying plants from the garden centre. But if I can sow zinnias now and get a good display this year, that will be far more economical.

[Guest]

Thanks Scarlet and Bramble for the suggestion of zinnias. I've never them - a bit gaudy for my liking in the past. I think my tastes have changed a bit, though, and a splash of bright colour could be exactly what's needed.

You could always try a couple of varieties such as zinderella lilac and green envy or just a plain white rather than the hot mixes if they seem a bit much.

[Scarlet]

I've got the green ones this year, I think they are stunning.

[Scarlet]

Just had a thought - morning glory is quite quick to flower from seed. Maybe start in a pot indoors ( inside a plastic bag to get it going quick) and put outside somewhere sheltered as soon as they've germinated.

[Guest]

Linum is a hardy annual, easy from seed, a little different.