Papaver commutatum
Caucasian scarlet poppy
- Position: full sun
- Soil: well-drained, preferably poor soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: June to August
- Hardiness: hardy annual
- Garden care: They tend to resent root disturbance, so sow shallowly, directly into a well prepared bed in spring and water well. As the seedlings develop, thin them out to 30cm intervals keeping just the healthiest and most robust plants. When watering, give the plants a really thorough soak when the soil gets dry, rather than a little water every day. Dead-heading will prolong the flowering period, but at the end of the season you should let some seed heads to develop for next years crop.
- Sow: March-May
- Flowering: June-August
- Approximate quantity: 1000 seeds.
The upright stems carrying the flower buds snake up from amongst softly hairy grey-green foliage in summer and split open to reveal deep red petals, each with a black spot at its base. These vibrant flowers form big bowls of colour, and as the petals drop, the ground beneath becomes a vivid carpet.
Polemonium caeruleum
Jacobs ladder
Bell-shaped, lavender-blue flowers in early summer.
£6.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Orlaya grandiflora
white laceflower
An incredibly long flowering period
£1.99
approx 25 seeds
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Pennisetum setaceum
fountain grass
Adds movement to the border
£1.49
approx 45 seeds
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Sow hardy annuals
Hardy annuals, such as clarkia, godetia and poppies, should be sown now either in prepared seedbed outside or in trays in a coldframe. If sowing in trays, sow thinly and prick out into pots filled with multi-purpose compost as soon as they are...
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