Sowing seeds for colour next year

It is common belief that once summer comes we can relax and enjoy our garden, avoiding anything more taxing than watering and the odd bit of weeding and dead heading. The thoughts of sowing seeds may be the last thing on our minds, taking comfort in the seasonal routine of frantically planning what to grow as spring approaches. This however, can be easily avoided. Sowing perennial and biennial flower seeds now (late summer into Autumn) will not only prove less stressful next year but means that what you do sow will flower earlier and last for longer in your garden, creating the most vibrant of flower borders and hanging baskets well ahead of the rest.

 

Although a colourful garden may be the desired effect it is wise to put some thought into which colours to choose. Opting for primary colours can be a safe bet to create a plenitude of shades but seeing as there is plenty of planning time why not analyse the specific colours needed to get the most out of your outdoor space. Blue and white flowers will create a sense of distance, while pastel colours are best suited to low light conditions. Orange and red can be perfect to warm up an otherwise cool corner. Advanced thought can give your garden that je ne sais quoi with only matching furniture and lighting to worry about come spring. Calendula seeds come in a variety of eye-catching colours. Some of the varieties Kablouana and Snow Princess can be sown September, kept in a cold frame and their stunning double flowers will complement the dullest of borders early next year. With violas offering a magnificent choice of colours from red with blotch to sky blue they are a perfect choice to sow now. Other species to sow late summer are Lupins, Hardy Geraniums, Hollyhocks, Aquilegia and Verbascum. And if a Victorian cottage garden is your desired look don’t hesitate to sow some biennials seeds and overwinter until spring.  Sow outdoors Ammi Majus, Poppies, Nigella and Delphiniums to name but a few.

 

Whatever your preference, all the seeds can be sown in the same way. Half fill a tray with good quality, peat based compost. Avoid using potting compost when sowing seeds as it contains high levels of fertiliser that can damage young roots. Clean all pots and containers thoroughly as old compost can harbour diseases. Sow the seeds in rows, cover lightly with compost and water gently. Pots containing very small seeds should be surface sown and should be watered from the bottom by being left to soak only until the surface is evenly wet and then removed and allowed to drain. You may wish to cover the tray with a transparent cover for the initial stages of germination and if sowing during the summer months store the seeds in a cold frame. You may even be able to find some seeds in your current garden that have been blown from the flowers ready for harvesting. If these are gathered be sure to hang them in paper bags to dry out completely and then store them in manila envelopes until you are ready to use them. Avoid too much handling of these young seeds and maintain the key standard of hygiene when sowing.

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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

Tomato Firecracker

Tomato seeds

 

Trailing Tomato Firecracker

Trailing tomato ideal for hanging baskets, containers, patio and window boxes, showy, elongated red-orange fruits with golden yellow stripes. Fruits weigh approximately 35g and have a good flavour, 7% Brix rating, 63 days.

 

 

Chilli seeds

Sow seeds early as some hot peppers can take 120+ days from transplanting to fruiting. Temp should be maintained at the indicated temp 25-30°C chilli seeds will germinate at 25C but will take longer 30C+ is the preferred temp for hot chillies Jolokia, Morich, Tepin and Habanero chillies they can also be slow and erratic to emerge

Chilli Trinidad Genghis Khan Brain

Capsicum chinense
Extremely hot rare chilli ripening from green to red, pimply skin, fruity tones and rivals the heat of many superhots, believed to be a Trinidad Scorpion cross.

Chilli Trinidad 7 Pot Katie

Capsicum chinense
A Trinidad 7 pot / Naga cross, bred in the UK and coming in at over 1,500,000 SHU. Large pods ripen from green to dark red with a fruity flavour.

Chilli Trinidad Apocalypse Scorpion

C chinense
Fruity tones and rivals the heat of many superhots this chilli was developed by the Italian growing Organisation AIASP. Wrinkled skins and various shaped fruits ripen to bright red in colour.

Chilli Trinidad Sepia Serpent

Capsicum chinense
A Butch T x Douglah, chocolate brown in colour and occasionally a little red in the brown. A sweet earthy flavour and heat level is extremely hot, very large pods with rough pimply skin, plants produce different shaped pods similar to other chocolate varieties.

Chilli Trinidad 7 Pot Chocolate Brain Strain

Capsicum chinense
Very hot Brainstrain chilli, Pods ripen from light green to Brown and have a fruity earthy flavour.

 

Grow your vegetables from seed

Vegetable seeds grow your own Vegetables, oriental veg, baby veg, patio container veg, cut and come again, heirloom, Italian range, tomato, pepper, beans, peas, salad and root vegetables. Nothing can compare to harvesting your own vegetables full of freshness and flavour straight from the garden. No matter what the size of your vegetable garden, from containers on the patio to planting vegetables in your flower border or growing vegetables on an allotment.  It’s simple, easy and nothing beats growing your own vegetables, children will enjoy sowing seeds, growing and eating their own home produce.

 

Tomato Seeds grow your own tomato plants

Tomato seeds over 190 varieties, from only £0.75 a pkt, Black Pear, Big Boy, Carbon, Chocolate Cherry, Porterhouse, and Floridity tomato seeds are just a few of our customers favourites. Grow Your Own Magazine top tomato varieties we stock include Sweet Aperitif, Alicante, Green Envy, Sungold, Garden Pearl, Tumbling Tom Red, Big Daddy, Super Marmande, Brandywine, Mountain Magic, Lizzano, Moneymaker, Gardeners Delight and Shirley. Buy Tomato seeds by type i.e for heirloom tomatoes, hanging basket, outdoor, glasshouse, plum, cherry, grape, currant, beefsteak and patio tomato seed varieties. UK Tomato seeds supplier.

Heirloom Tomato seeds

We have many heirloom seed varieties in stock and over 190 tomato varieties to choose from, heirloom, plum, beefsteak, currant and tomato seeds for hanging basket varieties available from Nicky’s Tomato Seeds.

Tomato seeds Black pear
Unusual Heirloom miniature pear shaped tomato, producing an abundance of mahogany brown to black fruits approximately 170 gram with green shoulders, full of flavour with a rich sweet taste. Ideal for salads or for a tomato sauce. Black Russian tomato of Siberian origin (similar to Japanese Black Trifele). Easy to grow tomato seeds. Indeterminate 80 days

Tomato seeds Abraham Lincoln
The original strain of Heirloom tomato Abraham Lincoln. Dark red extra large meaty fruits up to 500g. Crack resistant variety. Excellent flavour for sauces, tomato ketchup, slicing in salads and sandwiches. 87 days Indeterminate.

Tomato seeds Druzba
Mini Beefsteak heirloom variety originating from Bulgaria. Superb flavoured pure red tomato up to 10cm across that is excellent in sandwiches and salads. Indeterminate (cordon) 80 days. Grow your own tomato plants from seeds.

Grow your own Basil

Herb Basil Blue Spice

With purse strings becoming tighter and the opportunity to dine out becoming a treat, why not add a bit of zing to some home cooked food by growing basil in your kitchen or garden. Whether you prefer sweet Blue Spice basil or the more familiar Basil Bush, traditionally used in Italian cuisine these versatile herbs can be the home grown answer to tantalize any taste buds and warm up the dullest of weekends. A perfect companion to any Bolognese basil can also be added to freshen up a home made cocktail on a summer’s day. Not only do such herbs taste better fresh they can also have a soothing effect on the stomach, aiding digestion.

Basil Sweet

In order to enjoy the herb’s full potential, plant basil in March and use it at its best between May and September. Use small pots containing equal amounts of perlite, vermiculite and peat. Dampen the soil and drop two to three seeds into each pot. Sprinkle with soil and using a transparent cover, leave the tray in a warm, sunny spot. Once the seedlings emerge remove the cover and water lightly every day. Basil can be transferred into the garden but it is best to wait until the summer months and to choose a spot well exposed to plenty of sunlight. Be mindful to remove any flowers which may appear from too much sun. The blooms cause a hormone change in the herb and significantly reduce the flavour of the leaves. Once the stalk reaches a reasonable height the herb is ready to be pruned. Carefully remove the top two leaves, avoiding any damage to smaller leaves below. With cultivation a success and fresh herbs at your finger tips the only thing left to do is indulge your culinary skills.
Nicky’s Basil Seeds for a full range of seeds

Tomato Gigantomo seeds

Currently the largest beefsteak tomato available, it has the flavour of the heritage varieties but with the vigour and disease resistance of modern tomatoes. Productive disease resistant hybrid plants, fruits weigh up to 3lbs up to 11 fruits per plant. Just one fruit can feed a family. Recommended to be staked and grown in a greenhouse although they will grow in a sheltered spot outdoors. Indeterminate (cordon) Buy tomato Gigantomo seeds

Tomato Seeds

Heirloom Tomato Cherry Mix

Tomato Heirloom Cherry Mixed

A gourmet mixture of heirloom sweet cherry tomatoes in one seed packet, great for snacking or adding colour and sweetness to a salad, the packet contains some of the following colours creamy white, gold, orange, yellow, green, red and some bicolours. 65 days indeterminate (cordon). Tomato seeds.

Tomato Seeds