Help needed on which, showy, easy to grow flowery

[Jay-ell]

I need a bit of help with some selections of flowers that are easy to grow, look good and possibly be quick to grow.


I've recently started work supporting a person who has learning disabilities. He is interested in gardening and I do hope to to get him to grow veg but for now he is interested in growing flowers. He has a newly revealed plot (by which I mean it had previously been hidden by the building so carelessly positioned on top of it until a few years ago) sow the soil isn't top quality. the plot faces south although it does get some shade from single story buildings. There is an unheated greenhouse sitting on concrete as well.

He has mentioned sunflowers, dhalias and gladioli however as I don't have a clue about flowers (except nastursiums which taste great) I would appreciate any suggestions to flowers he can grow. Somethings not to fussy and possibly able to take a bit of mistreatment but visually appealing and maybe quick to come (although not all have to be quick as the achievement of just having the plants growing will help keep interest).

If possible flowers that can be sown and planted throughout the year would be good as it would be good to have a range of tasks in the garden throughout the year to keep the interest up (I.e. not just weeding)

Another criteria would have to be cheapness as he is on a limited budget. The types of plants that would be available in budget outlets so they I can help him make the best of limited finances.


Thanks in advance

[Guest]

Love in the mist (pretty seed heads as well),poached egg plant, cosmos, larkspur are all easy annuals. As well as good ole sweet peas.

Hollyhock, lupin are nice tall plants. Won't flower until the second year. Sweet williams, wallflowers and achillea are easy perennials.

They are not all showy but they are relatively trouble free. Just a word of warning with dahlias if grown from seed they are very particular to be sown at just the right time/ right conditions. To start with I would advise tubers so as to not disappoint.

Good luck

[Martin H]

Some good ideas from Norfolkgrey there.

Sunflowers, Dahlias (from tubers) and Gladioli (from corms) are all easy. The dahlias could do with richer soil to flower their best, but will survive and flower even in quite poor soil.

If you've got a windowsill, you can get sweet peas started any time now, move them to the cold greenhouse as soon as they germinate. These would be my top choice if your new gardener wants to be "hands-on", because the flowers need cutting every couple of days to keep the plants healthy and happy. Also if he wants to get really involved you could grow them as cordons and get into all the removal of sideshoots and tendrils and tying up activity (which I find a really relaxing, enjoyable activity).

I suggest starting the sunflower seeds in pots in the greenhouse at the beginning of March, the dahlia tubers also in pots but later that month. It keeps the slugs away and gets you a head start. The sunflowers grow fast and can be planted out around the end of March / beginning of April, the dahlias a month later when the frost risk has gone.

Glads can be put straight into the ground throughout April and May, if you don't do them all together they won't all flower together.

[Kristen]

Re: Sweetpeas

My local garden centre sells a pot full of seedlings, in the Spring. I count the number of seedlings and buy the pots with the most! In the past they have worked out cheaper than buying seed of course cannot guarantee that my local will stock them this year ...

Re: Dahlias

They flower profusely until the first frost, so I think they are a good choice, but beware that they don't start flowering particularly early in the Summer. If you can start the tubers off with some warmth that will get them flowering a bit sooner ...

[Scarlet]

I'm a dahlia fan. Start them off in pots, undercover and you should have some success.
I like flowers from the rudbeckia family. These can be started from seed end feb/March indoors and flower well.

[muddled]

Geraniums.
Buy in spring as trays of plug plants...usually three quid max for 24 at the market. All colours, very showy and thrive on neglect and also not too hard to over winter for next year.

Sunflowers.
Cheap seeds, big and showy and fun to grow. Leave some at the back to go to full height but cut the main flower of the front ones (lovely in a vase) to get multiple, smaller flowers on the others.

Does he have someone he'd like to give bunches of flowers to from time to time?
Girlfriend, carer or relatives? Giving a gift that he has grown will be a wonderful boost to his self esteem. In which case pinks, daffodils, gladioli, chrysanthemums and such might be good.

[ancee]

Easy to just sow and grow are marigolds. Cosmos too. They are pretty much chuck and luck!! They also self seed or you can collect the seed and don't have to buy them ever again. You could also go the quid shop and get one of those seed mixes which have all sorts in them l I did this two years ago and they all have self seeded all over the garden, and just in case they don't, I collect their seed too. This way I now have, marigolds, sunflowers, borage, love In a mist, geums, lavatera, corn flowers, poppies and corn cockles. All for £1!!! you really can't get cheaper than that!

[Jay-ell]

Thanks for the ideas I can now start putting together a picture book to see which ones he likes

[Trix]

I am new to flowers too but I picked up a few mixed packets of seeds from Poundland last week - eight different flowers in each. Some are biennial (so I've been told) but there is a good mix in them and it's a cheap way to get started.