Bacopa for hanging baskets and containers now available by seed

Bacopa is an excellent hanging basket and container plant.  Until recently it was only available from cuttings, now there is a seed raised version called Topia, available in 3 varieties, Bacopa Blutopia, Snowtopia and a mixture of blue and white. The plants are naturally self branching so require no pinching back, they quickly fill the container and cascade over the side. An abundance of flowers cover the plants in hanging baskets and containers. Seed available from Nickys Seeds

Bacop Blutopia seed raised plants

Bacopa Snowtopia

Cutting raised Bacopa Abunda is available from your local nursery or garden centre. Available in Pink, Colossal Blue, Colossal Sky Blue and Clossal White, plants are covered in hundreds of non-stop blooms all through the season right up to the first frosts.

Bacopa Abunda Pink and White

Bacopa Abunda

Petunia Wave Series, Seed germination, planting seeds, what to plant

Information on germinating Petunia Wave series seeds, Wave series, Shock Wave and Easy Wave.

Petunia SHock Wave

Description and information on the Petunia Wave series:-

Shock Wave Petunia

Shock Wave petunias form a blanket of colour, they have a mounded and spreading habit with small 4-5cm flowers and are ideal for hanging baskets, patio containers and flower borders. Height 17-25 cm spread 75-90 cm.

Petunia Wave Series

Petunia wave is a low and wide spreading series and is ideal for flower beds and containers. Similar in habit to Surfinia petunias with 7cm blooms along the length of each branch. Height 10-15 cm spread 90-120 cm

Petunia Easy Wave Starship Mixed

Petunia Easy Wave are more monded and less spreading than Wonder Wave and are ideal for use in Flower beds, Hanging Baskets and Containers, either on their own or mixed with wave petunias,
or other hanging basket or container plants for mixed hanging baskets for your friends to envy. They fill baskets and containers faster and are quick to flower. Height 20-30 cm spread 75-90 cm

Petunia Shock Wave Coconut, Denim and Pink

Seed Germination & Planting Seeds
Germinate Petunia Wave series at 22-24C, sow seed thinly onto compost in trays, pots or plu cells, do not cover the seed with compost or vermiculite. Shade from direct sunlight and cover trays with glass to maintain humidity. Seed should be ready for transplanting approx 3 weeks after sowing, dependant on conditions. Once transplanted and plants are established temperature can be dropped to approx 10C and protected from frost, lower growing temperatures produce well branched vegative plants. At the lower temperatures plants will take longer to flower. Cool dry growing, allowing the plants to dry between watering will keep the plants more compact, plants require good ventilation and  do not allow plants to be wet overnight.
Petunia Wave Seeds  -  Available online from the Author Nickys Nursery

Black Petunia raised from Cuttings

Look out for a Black Petunia, it should be available at your local nursery or garden centre. Petunia Black Velvet won awards in 2011 for Annuals & Breeder Inovations. Black Velvet goes well with almost any other colour, being perfect for premium baskets and containers. The upright plants are mounded and early to flower with a tightly branched habit, they will fill hanging baskets and containers with colour all through the season. Height and spread 20-30cm.

New Petunia Phantom a must have petnia for single species baskets, mixed baskets and containers.  This cutting raised petunia has won awards in 2011 for Best New Annual variety, Best Breeder Inovation and Gold in both of those categories, in 2010 won the fleuroselect award. A black base to the petunia with a distinctive yellow star pattern, it is the perfect companion for Black Velvet, they will as a team make stunning baskets and containers.

Petunia Phantom

Mixed Phantom and Black Velvet Containers

Petunia Black Velvet and Phantom wall grown in Verti Garden System

Author Nickys Seeds a large range of seed raised Petunia available from my online store, sorry Petunia Pahantom & Black Velvet are not available from seed, you should be able to find them in your local garden centre.

Plants for 2012

We had a busy time going round the seed and plant trials this year, some of the highlights in plants will be shown over the next few blogs. The young plants should be available from your local nursery or garden centre during 2012. Nickys Seeds only stock seeds where most of the plants mentioned below are only available as young plants.

Calibrachoa Can Can
Used for hanging baskets and containers to give a spectacular display, free flowering and well branched plants

Calibrachoa Cabaret
Available from cutting raised plants, look out for them in your local nursery, in a full range of colours including Cherry Rose, Deep Blue, Hot Pink, Lavender, Light Pink, Mango Tango, Pink Vein, Purple Glow, Red, Rose, Scarlet, White and Yellow.

Calibrachoa Cabaret wall basket in Mixed colours

Author Nickys Nursery Seeds

Nickys Seeds Vegetables to sow

Grow your own vegetables in borders, allotments, raised beds, patio pots, greenhouse borders, kids love growing and eating them. Cucumber Iznic a baby cucumber that is great for kids snacks or lunch boxes. Nothing can beat harvesting your own vegetables full of flavour straight from the garden.

Cucumber Iznic Baby cucumber

Cucumber Iznic seeds

Vegetable seeds  sowing calendar

Climbing French Beans
Dawrf French Beans
Runner Beans
Beetroot
Leaf Beet
Kale
Broccoli
Broccoli Raab
Cabbage
Calabrese
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Celtuce
Chicory
Cucumber
Kohl Rabi
Leek
Lettuce
Salad onions
Chinese Cabbage
Pak Choi
Parsley
Peas
Radish
Rocket
Spinach
Pumpkin
Swede
Sweet Corn
Turnip
Watercress
Oriental Vegetables
Salad Leaf
Baby Leaf Mixtures

Baby leaf vegetables grow your own for sandwiches, salads or stir frying. You cannot beat fresh mixed salad leaf you have grown yourself from seeds rather than buying from the supermarket. A cut and come again crop they can be sown in the vegetable garden all year round in milder climates or raised in glasshouses or polytunnels in cooler areas for winter early spring crops. Sow in pots or trays and grow in the greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill. Sow every two weeks for a continual supply of tender young leaf.
Sowing outdoors sprinkle seeds 1/2″ apart in a 2-4″ wide row covering lightly or broadcast sow at up to 10gram per square metre. Indoors broadcast in prepared beds or trays.
Harvest after approx 3 weeks by clipping with scissors, most plants in the mix will re grow

Garden Seeds, chilli seeds and Plants whats new

Nickys Garden Seeds and Plants Gardening Blogs will show over the coming months what
is new for next season in Flower Seeds, Vegetable Seeds and
Young Plants for hanging baskets, containers and garden borders.

What Flower seeds can be sown throughout the months

Flower Seed Germination guides for borders, containers and baskets.

A month by month guide to what vegetable seeds to sow.

Seed Sowing Guide

How to sow Chilli Pepper seeds

Planting a hanging basket

Sowing Grass Seed

Gazania Seeds Gazania Orange Flame. Excellent garden performance from this new variety, flowers on short stems and compact habit with superb flower quality and multi flowering plants that can be grown from seeds

Chocolate Bhut Jolokia Seeds A chocolate version of the World’s hottest chilli Capsicum chinense Jacq. Chocolate Bhut Jolokia is thought to be a natural variant of Bhut jolokia. Extremely Hot

Bhut Jolokia from seeds Dried Pods of Bhut Jolokia the 'Blistering Hot' Indian Chilli Pepper grown and dried in Assam, India.

 

New for 2009 Cutting raised plants  

 

Impatiens Fusion

High Voltage colours that spark up shaded gardens
Exotic flower form with intriguing colours. Well branched and mounded habit ideal for hanging baskets and containers. Performa well in the shade. 

Seeds

Impatiens Fusion Sunset

Impatiens Fusion Infrared

Begonia Million Kisses

A stunning semi-trailing Begonia, free flowering from April to October. Each plant is covered with 100’s of flowers throughout the growing season. Begonia Million Kisses does not require deadheading or trimming. The Begonia Million Kisses Devotion and Elegance are new for 2009 and should be available from your local Nursery or Garden Centre. Images show Begonia Million Kisses Elegance.

Not available from Seeds

Begonia Million Kisses Elegance

Not available from seeds

Begonia Million Kisses Elegance

Ipomoea Black Tone

Wonderful trailing, spreading foliage with an attractive leaf shape and colour. Ideal for mixed containers or baskets. Grow in full sun or semi shade.

Ipomoea Black Tone

Lofos Wine Red

Lophospermum
An unusual and exotic looking trailing basket plant which really catches the eye. Ideal for late spring/summer hanging basket sales.

Currently not available from seeds

Lofos Wine Red

Green Manures

Green manure is used to improve the soil fertility, increases the humus content, help to keep down weeds, loosen the soil, a covering for ground when not in use. Ideal to use when ground is not used for a period of 6 weeks or more or used in crop rotation. Some of the common green manures seed currently available

 Green manure Winter Field Bean
Sow September to late November for turning in spring prior to flowering, deep roots that fix nitrogen, suited to most soil types especially heavy soils.

Green manure Forage Rye
Sow August to November for turning in early April to May, suited to most soil types. The strong root system is especially suitable to heavy soils

Green manure General Mix
A mix of green manure products designed to provide a short term green manure mix for use throughout the year. Mix consists of Rye, Minerva Maple Peas and English Early Common Vetch

Green manure Winter Mix
A mix of green manure products tailored for use in the winter. Mix includes Crimson Clover, Broad Leaf Red Clover and White Tilney Mustard

Green manure Phacelia
Beautiful mauve flowers, very attractive plant with fern like foliage and masses of flowers, loved by the bees. Quite dense foliage, takes approx 8 weeks to flower during growing season, Sow March to September, Broadcast sow, rate 3 grams/sq m. Turn in before flowers open.

 For a complete list of Green Manure seeds

All text and Images © Nickys Nursery Ltd - Seeds and Garden Games