Bright and beautiful

APRIL is a good month to be sowing a few seeds outdoors if the ground has warmed up a bit.

If not then indoors is best and a good window sill is very useful. My greatest joy is to sow annual flowers because these plants are a great addition to your garden whatever the size. You can sow hardy annuals, such as sweet peas or marigolds in the autumn and they will overwinter and sprout around now, but it’s not necessary.

Annual plants are plants that will not come back on the same root next year; they will die off (in this country) and you will need to collect the seed or buy new seed to get blooms next year. These plants include: marigolds, cornflowers, poppies, cosmos, annual sweet peas, love in the mist, honesty, sunflowers and many more popular varieties.

I love them, mainly because I just like sowing seeds, it never fails to thrill me, but also because I really enjoy hardy annuals.

I thought this month, I would introduce you to one or two you may not have tried, and which I have found to be lovely additions to the garden.

Zaluzianskya is a phlox, white petals, backed by deep maroon and opening at night with the most delicious of perfumes. Plant close to where you drink your evening wine, (or tea, if you prefer).

Linaria, is a short growing annual of snapdragon flowers in a beautiful range of colours.

Chiltern seeds and Sarah Raven have them as seeds or small plants and they are unusual and lastingly lovely.

Nicotiana, if you search around has some beautiful varieties, all scented and long lasting. Try the ’’Whisper’ series online. These bloomed for me from June 2021 almost until Christmas and seeded themselves for last year too.

Gorgeous velvety pinks and whites.

For an unusual climber try Ipomoea lobata, the Spanish flag plant. Wonderful impact, bright but small flowers and a generous, branching habit. Support it with a few canes and it brightens the garden no end. Go on try something new this year - you will not be disappointed.