HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON SEEDS
Yes, I know it sounds unlikely but I am trying a new idea.
After reading an article in The Royal Horticultural Society magazine, September issue, I am saving seeds of perennials to sow straight away.
SAVING SEEDS FROM PERENNIALS
I read a very interesting article from September issue of The Garden, the journal of the Royal Horticultural Society.
The author says get your perennial seeds straight off the plant as soon as you can find the seed pods.
Then plant the seeds now, don't wait until the spring.
He says it doesn't matter if the seeds do not appear to be ripe, either.
I have had problems getting perennial seeds to germinate, ones that I have bought from seed merchants
So I am trying the new technique. I have collected some lavender seeds (off a tender lavender canariensis), seen in the photo (drawing pin is for size comparison). They are already germinated and very tiny lavender plants.
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| TINY SEEDS, LITTLE BLACK DOTS, LAVENDER |
And I am trying to find the seeds on the gaura lindheirmeri, which somehow does not seem to have seed pods of any size!
I will also get seeds of verbena bonariensis. They used to be prolific in the garden but sadly I am down to just one plant now; I love them, they are so pretty.
My first verbena bonariensis was grown years ago from a little flower head, gone to seed, which I snaffled from a plant in Christopher Lloyd's lovely garden, at Great Dixter.
FREE SEEDS OF BIENNIALS AND ANNUALS
Yes I know, everybody collects these, and so far I have old envelopes of cornflower, corncockle, tobacco plant, larkspur and marigold (calendula).
Being full of good intentions, I sometimes find these old envelopes from past years, with seeds I never got round to sowing.
One such envelope I found, with a date of 1998 on it, reading 'Delphinium', full of seeds from a plant bought in Oxford which died after flowering. I put the seeds in a pot and to my surprise I have three large healthy plants. I think this one is a biennial. We shall see.
The lovely hollyhock is so easy to grow, and my little pots of seeds of these, and schizanthus are already sprouting tiny plants. I shall also collect cosmos from plants on the allotment. All for free! Probably the seedlings are not frost-hardy, so I will have to protect them somehow.
THE GARDEN CENTRE SELLS OFF SEEDS NOW
This time of year you can get some 50% off full price seeds.
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| My new seed purchases, half price! |
The local garden centre has regular sales like this, and you can get Thompson & Morgan, Unwins, Suttons, Franchi etc half price.
Later last year, round December time, the same seeds were for sale at 50p a packet.
Never one to pass by a bargain, I got some more seeds, both flowers and veg, and have sown some already.
Hope that the sweet williams and wallflowers I have sown will survive the winter, in trays.
Might keep them in the cold frame, and hope they survive, snails permitting.
I have got some sweet rocket coming up too.
It is so exciting to see the little seedlings from your own seeds, but I can't resist buying them if they are really cheap
