Eschscholzia californica 'Thai Silk Strawberry Fields' (Thai Silk Series)

californian poppy

approx 200 seeds £2.99 Buy
+
-
within 2-3 days excludes weekends Buy

  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: poor, well-drained soil
  • Rate of growth: average
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • Flower colour: orange and yellow
  • Other features: ideal for the novice or young gardener; excellent cut-flowers
  • Hardiness: hardy annual

    Masses of bright and cheerful, yellow-centred orange flowers help create a riot of summer colour in the garden. They have a compact habit, so are perfect for filling gaps at the front of the border or for filling pots and window boxes. These easy to grow annuals are best planted in poor, well-drained soil in full sun. They make excellent if short-lived cut-flowers.

  • Garden care: Prepare the bed well and sow shallowly into drills from March to May where they are to flower. When large enough to handle thin out the seedlings to 10 - 15cm apart, taking care not to damage the tap root. Water when necessary, but avoid excessively wet conditions.

  • Sow: March-May or August-September

  • Flowering: June-August

  • Approximate quantity: 200 seeds
Calendula officinalis Indian Prince

Calendula officinalis 'Indian Prince'

pot marigold

Incredibly easy to grow

£1.99 Buy
approx 100 seeds within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Marigold Key Lime

Marigold 'Key Lime'

marigold Key Lime

Easy to grow and very colourful

£2.99 Buy
Approx 50 seeds within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Papaver rupifragum Tangerine Parfait

Papaver rupifragum 'Tangerine Parfait'

poppy

Masses of lush-coloured blooms

£2.99 Buy
approx 400 seeds within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Tagetes tenuifolia Golden Gem

Tagetes tenuifolia 'Golden Gem'

marigold

Very showy and will help repel aphids

£1.99 Buy
approx 225 seeds within 2-3 days excludes weekends
 

Thin out hardy annuals

Hardy annuals such as candytuft, California poppy and cornflowers sown direct last month into a prepared seedbed [link to making a seedbed] will need thinning to the correct spacing. Thin the flower seedlings when they are large enough to separate...

Read full article

Get more flowers

Deadheading will prevent them setting seed and so use their energy producing a further flush of blooms later on. Plants that respond well to deadheading include annuals such as Ageratum, Alyssum, Antirrhinum, Calendula, Centaurea, Cosmos, Dahlia, foxglove, Californian poppy, sweet...

Read full article