Autumn sown seedlings and Larkspur failure!

A week ago I sowed some hardy annuals for the cut flower border next year.  Germination has been quick. The cornflower ‘Black ball’ were up first closely followed by godetia and sweet peas; which I chipped a small section of skin from the seed with a sharp knife, the result a 100% germination. The nigellas, cerinthe, wild carrot, ammi, florists dill, bupleurum rotundifolium were close behind. My only failure larkspar, this is a re-occurring problem, I have tried to sow larkspur seed in a variety of ways including; freezing the seed prior to sowing, in and out of propagators and at different times of year. On average I manage one plant a season, an appalling result which would generally result in me accepting defeat and not bothering again. But not larkspar, I am dazzled by the dark blue aura it emits, reminiscent of Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech that I long to visit. So yet again I try my luck with larkspar seeds. Any tips for success would be very much appreciated.

Autumn sown seedlingsAutumn sown seedlings

How to get an earlier cut flower crop next year

Autumn is the time to sow hardy annual flowers. They can of course be sown in Spring, but, sowing now enables you to bring the flowering season forward, you can enjoy cut flowers weeks if not a month early. Sow directly into the soil where they will flower, or as I’ve done sow in pots and over winter in a cold frame. I like to sow a green manure over winter in the cut flower bed. My October cut flower sowings have included, Nigella, Ammi, Cerinthe, Godetia, Cornflower Sweet Peas, Bupleurum rotundifolium, Anethum ‘Graveolens Mariska’ also know as Florists Dill, Larkspur and Calendula.

Hardy annual flower seeds