Beauty to share

Deep in the earth, a tiny seed
Lies dormant, awaiting its chance to feed.
On sunshine, water,
nurturing care
To grow and bloom,
its beauty to share.

This seed of hope,
so small and shy
Contains within it the power
to thrive.
With patience and love,
it will unfold
And flourish into a
vibrant whole…
From The Seed of Hope

– Matt Starking

As I sit here thinking about the summer that has come and gone, I find myself contemplating the joys and the challenges that every season and every year holds.

Each year brings its own mix of weather, and this past year has been no exception.

The summer season realised pleasantly cool temperatures, which were certainly appreciated.

However, we soon faced sudden waves of intense heat that felt designed to catch us and our plants off guard.

And so, it did!

But there is always hope for every garden in every season and this is truly represented in the form of a seed.

Don’t be afraid to give seeds a go, many seeds can be simply broadcast into your garden to give a truly naturalised feel.

Also, by allowing your plants to set seed you are guaranteed not only a cost saving experience, and the opportunity to share seeds with your gardening friends, but also, in many cases, a food source for beneficial insects and birds.

Here are a handful of autumnal seed planting selections:

The flower garden

Alyssum (sweet Alice) – a delightful, fragrant plant available in white, soft pink, lilac and cream flower, favoured by bees.

Bellis (English daisy) – a lovely little annual that will happily grow in sun to part shade.

Calendula (pot marigold) – the cheery orange and yellow flowers brighten any wintery day. The flowers are edible and have healing properties to boot.

Pansies and violas – always a delight in the autumn/winter/spring garden, you may be surprised how long these beauties can remain flowering in the right conditions. The flowers are edible too, looking fabulous on an iced cake or even as a pretty garnish on a home made pizza.

Sweet peas – traditionally planted on St Patrick’s Day (March 17) these fragrant beauties love a sturdy trellis and sunny position to thrive.

The edible garden

Broad beans (Celtic bean) – best planted from April through to July. This hardy plant was staple food for the Celts, along with wheat and barley and is steeped in beliefs, rituals and folklore from all over Europe.

Broccoli – there are some interesting varieties available including Chinese broccoli and Romanesco.

Cabbages – good drainage, plenty of water and a two-weekly feed of nitrogen-rich fertiliser will realise beautiful crisp heads.

Carrots – sow directly where they are to grow in friable soil. Pick out any congested seedlings to ensure room to grow.

Turnips – sow in soil that has a good inclusion of rich organic matter. Fertilise every one to two weeks with a complete liquid fertiliser.

Don’t forget the lovely array of spring flowering bulbs that are available during autumn in nurseries too.

Happy planting.

Until next time,
Sally-Anne