GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

12-08-2005, 11:44 PM

In article ,
says...
I just found that collecting seeds of honesty when ripe (i.e. when the pods
go shiny and see through) and then scattering the seed on our clay soil
worked fine. What time of year are you sowing? Are you using bought (dried)
seed? What are you sowing it in? Maybe it is one of those things that (a)
needs light and (b) is better sown ripe that from packets? All I know is
that I had loads and loads after simply scattering one ripe seed stalk over
the garden one year. Also it is biannual so you will not get flowers the
first year, just leaves. This means that if you want it to just appear year
after year you do need to sow it two years in succession.
Hayley

I've tried all sorts. I've never bought the seed since it grows like a
weed locally and in my SIL's garden and my mother's. I get ripe seed and
I'll admit that I've never just chucked it on the garden so that will be
this year's tactic. I've tended to be much more 'raising plants' about
things. So seed trays have happened. As the seed trays tend to get
incorporated into the ground at the end of the year/growing season/long
time with nothing appearing it is entirely possible that I've had
honesty growing and ended up with it being weeded out. I'll pay
attention to the small ones coming up in our neighbour's garden next
spring so I can spot what not to weed.

My garden has a history of SWMBO weeding a little bit too helpfully[1]
so I'll show her pictures too.

Warwick

[1]Finally I had success with Sea Holly this year. They started to
flower, were tall and gaining colour and prettiness. It was not to be.
The 'thistles' were removed.