Sowing an Alphabet of Flowers

[Jungle Jane]

J is for Josephs Coat Amaranthus - Chinese spinach. Striking bedding plant for its yellow,scarlet & green foliage with erect brush like flower spikes. Sow February-May.
K is for Knautia Red Cherries. Perennial,great for pollinators,long lasting flowers (June-October the following year).

[veggiechicken]

J is for...............

Japanese Jacob's Ladder.
Should be a P really as its Polemonium Yezdense Hidakum "Purple Rain" but that's not a memorable/pronounceable name.
It has purple foliage so sounds rather nice. However, these seeds were fresh in 2008 so I don't hold out much hope!

[veggiechicken]

K is for..............

Kaffir Lily
Again, not quite in the right place as it should be in S for Schizostylus coccinea.
J & K are difficult letters You're doing well JJ

[Jungle Jane]

Thank you VC & so are you it's nice to be sowing seeds again,I'm wondering where to plant them,I might make a word depending on what it would look like or jumbled up for a nice display I don't know

[veggiechicken]

L is for.............

Lupin - Gallery Mix
Hardy perennial - for border or cut flower
Sow mid-Jan to July.
Sow in early spring for first year flowering or in summer for the following year.

[Jungle Jane]

L is for Lavender French,hardy perennial,sow February-June or September-October (No mention of January) you could over winter these in a cold frame if sowed in September

[Jungle Jane]

M is for Marigold Alumia Vanilla,French double blooms vanilla cream colour. Sow Feb-April. I've just sowed 4 seeds so 96 seeds left for March sowing

[Jungle Jane]

N is for nasturtium whirlybird cream,semi double flowers,the colour described as creamy buttermilk,I've grown these for a couple of years they are a nice colour,sow April-June,sowing a few seeds now will be interesting to see how they do.

O is for Ox-Eye Daisy a native wildflower,white flowers with golden yellow 'eyes' sow February-June,flowering June-August,18-24" tall,great for pollinators.

Most of the seeds & seedlings are under my fish tank light & in the cupboard next to it,I've made an extra space & half enclosed with white card arrangement & as long as I turn the seedlings they won't grow wonky A few are on the bathroom windowsill my Eryngium Alpinum super bum have germinated up there,I'll post photos soon

[veggiechicken]

M is for ..........

Monarda Bergamo HHA or short lived perennial.
Attractive to butterflies and bees, long flowering. Great for cutting.
Sow Jan - March Amazing! Sowing at the right time

[veggiechicken]

N is for.............

Nicotiana sylvestris HHA Tobacco plant.
Good for sun or shade. Grows to 1.5m Lovely night scent. Good for cutting. Adored by moths

[veggiechicken]

O is for.............

Oenothera - Evening Primrose Sunset Boulevard.
Hardy perennial - height to 24". Attractive to bees and other pollinators with orange blooms that deepen to red.
Sow Feb - March

[veggiechicken]

P is for.........

Phlomis Russelliana / Turkish or Jerusalem Sage.
Hardy perennial. Excellent for dry, partial shade and thrives in poor soil. Evergreen with yellow flowers.
Easy to grow and attracts bees and other nectar loving insects.
Sow late Jan - Feb and no heat required. One for the GH, not the house

With P I am up-to-date

[veggiechicken]

Q is for..............

This one was really difficult
I do have a Q = Quamoclit Lobata aka Mina Lobata aka Ipomoea Lobata. Common name - Spanish Flag. "An easy to grow climber. HHA Sow March-April). I really want to grow this one but there are only 16 seeds in the packet and I don't want to sow them too early - so these ca't wait for the next round of the alphabet.

Queen Anne's Lace grows wild in the garden so I can't grow more of that!

Finally, I remembered Quaking Grass - Briza Maxima. An annual grass "hung with pale green flowers that look like rain drops as they catch the light" so says Sarah Raven. Loved by flower arrangers fresh or dried for winter arrangements

[Jungle Jane]

Well done having 'Q' I don't have a 'Q' or a proper 'R' & I'm kind of cheating to get by now
P is for Poached Egg Plant,direct sow in the spring,flowering late spring & early summer,6" height & spread.
Q is for I sowed more Poached Egg seeds because 'P' is next to 'Q'
R is for Romeo & Juliet Sweet Pea,romantic pairing of two modern grandiflora varieties,Romeo produces a cream flower with a purple picotee & Juliet has a cream flower opening to show a soft apricot blush.

[Jungle Jane]

Sorry for the delay in alphabet flowers,I had a bit of a struggle here so I've used herbs but they do flower

S is for Sweet Pea Wiltshire Ripple ~ Sow January-May,pinch out growing tips after two pairs of leaves.
T is for Thai Basil ~ Sow all year round indoors or direct outside May-June,attractive plants with a spicy mild aniseed flavour.
U is for Umbelliferae Parsley ~ Sow all year round indoors or sow direct outside March-July
V is for Verbena Bonariensis ~ Sow Feb- April,first year flowering perennial,wiry stems topped with attractive clouds of rosy lavender blooms. 4-5 ft height.
W is for Wildflower Mixture including Borage,Calendula,Centaurea,Echium,Eschscholzia,Ox-eye daisy,Iberia,Papever,Tagetes & Zinnia.