Rudbeckia & Anemone seeds.

[Colin]

Hi,

Last year I gathered seeds from Rudbeckia & Anemone plants these being stored in seperate paper envelopes in our very cold extension.

I'd very much appreciate advice and suggestions please how to sow these seeds; I have a shed with south facing window and also a cold frame; I've got lots of new plug trays and plastic plant pots plus potting compost; I'm just unsure what is best; I could simply scatter them in the garden?

The picture below shows the top of the garden I'm trying to prepare for planting; my idea is to have a display of Rudbeckia and Anemone to the rear by the laurels but to plant lots of evergreen ground cover to the front; the soil is absolutely sodden and I hope it dries out to allow being planted? I'm open to any suggestions especially as to ground cover; Alyssum/Aubrieta? This is a big area so would I be better growing from seed or buying plug plants; I'm a novice gardener with a lot to learn.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

If you have tons of seeds, you can try all methods and write down the results please.

If you prepare a bed well, and sprinkle a bit of coffee grounds or woodash to form small square to stop the slugs or snails feasting on your new seedlings and make sure that you have milk bottles of square tops to protect the seeds, they might germinate once the temperature is up. There is no science in it. Make sure the soil is warm and well watered and then sprinkle seeds and bury them in slightly. You will be amazed by how well they do. They will work as they are fresh and viable seeds. Have a go with the other methods. A man with your intellect will find it easy peasy and fun!

 

[alp]

To have an easy life, might I suggest perennials - phlox, penstemons, salvia (might be a bit tender), hellebores, and a few variegated shrubs to add colours and constant fixtures Stipa gigantean is a must, aubretias are much prettier than alyssums - more colourful or lobelias from which you can collect seeds. Foxgloves are lovely too. Might be a good idea to work out a plan with blobs for different plants and different heights. Nice blank canvass you have, Colin. I can see your beloved toy has done a very good job!

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thank you so much alp for your helpful suggestions and advice.

The top half of the bed is definitely well prepared; its where I removed a big snowberry hedge and lots of other foliage; the bottom half though is causing problems it being turned over grass sods that the rotavator hates and at the moment won't touch. Coffee grounds are new to me; the only coffee we have is the little sachets bought in a box that Bron likes; I never drink coffee; Wood ash suggests a bonfire we don't have garden fires and our room fire is gas; sorry I don't understand milk bottles of square tops? The soil warm; mid summer here last year the temperature was around 10C and it poured with rain all year apart from when it hailed or snowed etc it even hailed in August. It really is difficult to do any serious gardening here alp due to the dire climate; it's rained all day today and rained yesterday in fact it just rains and is still raining. I'm not being negative because I do want to make a lovely garden but I'm up against it all the time; I got wet just visiting the wheelie bin a short while ago.

I'll look at your welcome suggestions alp regarding choice of plants; we already have lots of foxgloves all around the garden; can seeds be gathered from these? I did plant quite a few shrubs late last year and these are now looking like they are going to do well; it's a big garden so I've plenty of space to fill. I don't have masses of seeds but money isn't a problem; we have difficulty visiting garden centres because it is so miserable all the time with all the rain. The rotavator does a good job in the top section of the garden as seen but it is very hard graft trying to control it in the clinging wet soil against the slope.

I do understand planted tall at the back and low at the front; I'm interest in ground cover; I had intended to use lots of woodchips as mulch but I think ground cover plants will look better and help prevent soil erosion? If only the soil would dry out it would be a huge help?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

Colin: If you neighbour use wood for fire, you can ask them for some wood ash. And you can gently fashion an area for your seedlings. The smell will deter slugs and snails from eating up your helpless but juicy tender seedlings. Slugs and snails hate burnt smell. The dome or transparent top will be good for protecting the seedlings against cold night and provide a good clean and safe environment for the seedlings to grow in. Any transparent tops will be useful. The warmth will also speed up their growth. You can get some fleece - about £1 in poundshop or go to wilko when they reduce their stuff. Sometimes you can stuff for next to nothing when they reduce their stuff. If you don't want to be bothered about woodash, just use slug pellets.

I am sure someone else will fill you in. Ground over can be ceanothus Ripens they display a sea of blue and is ground hugging. Or heather, or alpine. But I must say I am not familiar with your weather. Another thing you can do is find the poshest garden centre and go straight to the reduced areas. That's my kind of garden shopping. I got a box pyramid for £10 whilst a smaller sells for £19.99 in Lidl. Do go and feast your eyes on the expensive beauties and then you can google ebay for lovely plant such as camellias which are ever green, cornus, and if you want to buy a plant, key in eg. Cornus + AGM and then you learn which cornus is graded good performers. You can also have a soft fruit areas and like Perki and Logan, plant currant or gooseberries (the red one is beautifully sweet). So whenever you think you'd like to buy something, key in the name + AGM to find the best and compare the prices on ebay and then check with price lowest +p and P and then calm down, have a cuppa and sleep over it. If you and Bron still like it the following morning, but it. It might take longer, (a year longer usually), but they are worth it.

 

[Upsy Daisy]

@Colin , I protect my direct sown seedlings by placing the top half of either a clear plastic bottle/ or milk container over them ( with lid removed to allow rain to water them). This promotes germination and also protects the young tender seedlings from slug/ snail damage. Not forgetting that the sneaky birds can't gobble up the seeds either!!
Spot the two containers!!!

 

[alp]

Yes, see how well they grow inside Daisy's top, Colin!

It's a joy as they grow faster, healthier and better than those exposed to elements, but the top must be removed when it gets too hot.

AGM stands for Award of Garden Merit. I think you must know what it means. For our foreign contingent, it means the awarded plants have performed well in tests and will generally do well in most gardens. The award could be removed if further tests reveal otherwise.

Ground hugging evergreen could be an advantage as it provides foliage all year round.

You could draw up map / plan and put your proposed plants in form of size and mark them in different colours to see what people think. Show your aspects and if the area is shaded half a day, all day etc..

 

[Colin]

Hi,

WOW alp & Upsy; thank you both so much for all your very useful suggestions and ideas which I'm definitely interested in. It's nice to have you both as friends as well which is a big bonus.

I didn't know what the abbreviation AGM meant in gardening terms so thanks alp for enlightening me (Annual general meeting in my experience). I'm going to need a great many clear domes given the area is about 60' x 20' the only clear plastic bottles we use are vinegar bottles but now I've been made aware no doubt I can scrounge others. We give a neighbour lots of timber for her woodburner so I think I've got the ash covered alp; I'd forgotten about this so we give the neighbour the wood and we recycle the ash; great stuff.

I'm avoiding soft fruit because of our terrible climate; our lovely neighbour Carole next door has small apple trees and last year these were filled with apples that rotted on the tree due to pests and our dire climate; I looked at gooseberry but found they can be troubled by various ailments; this is also why I don't even consider growing vegetables; with just the two of us it's a lot less hassle to buy from the supermarkets; it's not that I'm lazy but I simply can't get into the garden because it's seldom dry; last night in bed we didn't need a bedtime story we just listened to Blackie pounding the bungalow roof with heavy rain; its still raining but then it seldom lets up; it's rained most days here for the last 18 months or more; when I try to use the rotavator it bogs down when I try to dig the soil clings to the spade and I leave a muddy trail wherever I walk; Blackie just won't leave us alone.

I like your idea "cheap" regarding shopping at posh garden centres alp; I'm a tight Yorkshireman so cheap suits me well. All our garden centres are "posh" that's why they are so expensive; Bron and I would love to browse outside the plants at the garden centres but it's forever raining or freezing cold and if we did buy lots of plants it's unpleasant getting into the garden in fact I'm here at the keyboard because it's another wet dismal black hole and I'm struggling to gather enough enthusiasm to put my heavy clothes on to wander down to the workshop; as I say over 18 months at least of this terrible weather and still no let up; I think if the sun comes up to dare show its face I'll shoot it from the sky for tormenting me. Sorry if I sound to be moaning but I want to get out there and get cracking. How many other members are on the forum from Huddersfield?

I'm noting all the names of the plants suggested though and as I'm virtually grounded yet again by rain I'll spend time browsing the plant details on the web. When I do buy plants I have to laugh at the instructions "water well" I bought 6 Viburnum in pots months ago and the poor things have been soaking wet ever since they had the misfortune to arrive here.

Enough about how bad our climate is here on the steep valley side; I'm retired with a lot to be happy about; anyone thinking I'm joking about our weather please book an extended holiday nearby? It felt so cold here yesterday morning Bron put the gas fire on whilst the central heating was already on. I've just taken the picture below; puddles of water everywhere as normal and still raining.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

It is miserable you way! We have had no sun, but very fine drizzle and that's fine by me. You could walk or drive around (I nearly typed dive around!) and see what do well in your vicinity. Neighbours' gardens can be great inspiration.

For such heavy rainfall, hydrangeas, astilbe can be good choices. Astilbe is only £1 in poundshop.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

After another miserable wet day yesterday; WOW the sun is out and no rain so far today. I've been in the shed and had a go at sowing the Rudbeckia and Anemone seed. At the moment I have plug trays and potting compost so used these. The Rudbeckia seeds weren't too bad to handle so I placed a number in each plug and lightly pressed them in; however the Anemone were something else; how could I sow cotton wool; these seeds were only tiny dots on what looked like fluffy cotton wool so I simply removed small sections and pressed these into the compost; I then lightly covered them all and gave them a good watering before placing the trays into the cold frame; if they don't grow nothing lost because these are the first seeds I've ever harvested so they cost nothing but I'm now interested to see what happens; hopefully Bron and I can soon visit our garden centres and have a look at plants outside without getting a soaking from Blackie.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

Yes, Colin. Nice to sow the anemone seeds. Or if you see some neighbours growing them, ask nicely if they can spare a piece or two as they are literally thugs. Some of them any way. If you plant them in the ground, make sure you sink a container in as their roots mat together and will take over your whole hillside. It's one of those plants which are lovely accessories but will take over and lord over you.