Planting Ideas

The renowned 19th / early 20th Century plantswoman, Gertrude Jekyll, wrote that “every planting should paint a picture.”

Look around you for inspiring combinations of plants growing in gardens or in the wild, and use these to paint pictures in your own garden.

Summer's Bounty

Honesty

Now is the time to start collecting seeds in the garden. Aquilegias, poppies, alliums, honesty, foxgloves, thalictrums are all ripening well. Collect ripe seeds on a dry day and either scatter them straight on to flower beds or sow in pots. When seeds ripen they usually turn brown or black and rattle in the seed pod, which also changes colour.

Seedheads may be picked on their stalks while still green and stood upright in an empty jar or hung upside down with their heads in a paper bag indoors in a cool, dry place till ripe. When ready, clean the seeds by shaking them in a fine sieve to remove plant debris and then gently blow off any that remains. Store in a paper (not plastic) bag and, if you wish to keep the seeds till the spring, keep in a cool, dry place such as a larder or the fridge. If you sprinkle the seeds of aquilegias, poppies and honesty over flowerbeds now, they should come up next spring. Alliums will take longer and need a very well drained position to germinate.

PLANTING IDEAS

Summer's Bounty