Sowing seeds of blind hope
Sowing seeds is s a funny old business. Most of them are so small you have no idea how many you've popped into each pot of soil or if you have watered them into oblivion when they needed to stay on the surface.
You learn terms like propagate and germinate and how much light they need versus how much water. The temperature they need to start and then to thrive. To feed or not to feed to direct sow or to nurture in trays in the cold frame. Don't get us started on root trainers.
It's a lot. But it is kinda fun to have this whole new vocabulary and when you can have a conversation with all the technical terms you've recently learned with a fellow plant lover then there is a level of smugness that ensues.
One big thing we've learned, and had to learn fast, is that sowing certain crops in the autumn before they flower (as in sow in 2026 for flowers in 2027) means you can potentially have stronger plans and earlier blooms. They over winter putting energy into growing down and then when that spring sunshine hits they're strong and robust and ready to spurt upwards.
We nearly missed this window but thankfully the September sunshine meant we could crack on at record speed and start as many seeds as possible. We did have to panic buy some cold frames as we thought maybe the greenhouses would be too warm...it's been a real guessing game as we have never done this before. That is the way to learn though isn't it? A good old fashioned bit of trial and error.
What's been sown so far
If you are interested in what we are trialling then here is a list of what we have sown so far and where we've put it. Some of the seeds have already sprouted which feels very exciting and some will go into the ground from their trays before it gets really cold. Then it will be a case of holding our nerve!
Anyway, here's what we have so far:
In trays or single pots:
Astrantia
Achilliea various (yarrow)
Orlaya
Various antirrhinums (snapdragons)
Scabiosa atropurpurea
Scabiosa caucasica
Lunaria annua (honesty)
Anemone hupehensis japonica
Direct sown into the ground
Calendula
Larkspur
Nigella
Gyposophelia
Bupleurum
More mature plants we've divided
Alchamilla molla (ladysmantel)
Feverfew
Oxeye daisies (in pots as they SPREAD!)
Next steps...
Well the biggest jobis to keep the little seedlings alive over winter and see how they do. We will most likely move them all from the cold frames into the greenhouses so they are easier to manage and we can fit more in. Some will need barely any assistance, some may need extra protection with garden fleece once those temperatures drop.
We're really fortunate though that the walled garden provides shelter and warmth so in this first year it will be very interesting to watch and record what happens with the temperature and the weather in general and adjust our methods accordingly.
We are soon to start our sweet peas too so we can aim for nice long stems for bouquets. We've been told overwintering them is the best way to achieve this otherwise they are likely to be a bit short and stubby to be truly useful. Then it's on the corms - ranunculus and anemones, and then tulip bulbs. Phew!
Who knew autumn was so busy with the prep and the planting. Not us! But we are loving every minute :)
. 
. 
. 