Blog: Little rays of sunshine to help the pollinators
Brighten up your garden or patio with the pick of the new flower seeds. Sunflowers and nasturtiums are in the spotlight, with a focus on pollinator-friendly varieties.
Arctotis fastuosa Formula Mixed (African Daisy) – Chiltern Seeds
A new mix with brilliant flowers in white, gold and orange, all with dramatic contrasting rings. These South African plants produce flowers in profusion during the summer. With silvery-white, deeply lobed leaves, these have large flowers with contrasting black central rings. They are tender perennials so best grown as annuals in the UK. Excellent for cutting. Height 60cm, price £2.25.
Calendula officinalis Double Lemon – Suttons
A dwarf variety, but one with large and abundant double and semi-double flowers that come in an unusual shade for Calendula. The soft lemon colour has a deeper yellow heart. Unlike taller varieties that tend to sprawl, Double Lemon remains a tidy, bushy mound, ideal for sunny borders, containers or companion planting for vegetable beds.
The edible petals are perfect for adding a sprinkle of colour to salads. Reliable and easy to grow, they thrive on almost any soil. They can be sown in the autumn for the very earliest flowers. Height: 40cm. Spread: 20cm. 50 seeds per packet, £2.49.
Coreopsis x hybrida, Incredible Series, Incredible Swirl (Tickseed) – Chiltern Seeds
Intensive breeding of the popular Tickseed has given us this series in a range of new colours – a lovely mixture of bicolors in very dark red with cream or yellow. Fast growing and very easy. They’re an unusual addition to the border, flowering from June to October. Height 1m. 220 seeds per packet, price £2.25.
Dahlia, Mixed Varieties (not pictured) – Chiltern Seeds
A unique mix, made up of interesting dahlias that are in too small a quantity to offer alone. Includes varieties such as Fashion Monger, Twyning’s After Eight and Glorie of Heemstede and many others. Height 1.2m. All can be very easily grown as half-hardy annuals and flower the first year from seed. 32 seeds per packet, price £2.65
Pick of the new flower seeds – Delphinium grandiflorum Hunky Dory Mix F1 – Suttons
A vigorous F1 hybrid much improved over older types, germinating more readily, flowering earlier and producing more flowers over a longer period. Hunky Dory Mix is a dwarf perennial delphinium forming ultra-branched plants with multiple, shorter flower stems that provide continuous blooms all summer.
Hunky Dory Mix comes in three harmonising colours: rich blue, sky blue and white. The large flowers are borne on compact, bushy plants that suit the front of borders or containers. Height and spread: 30-40cm. 10 seeds per packet, £4.49.
Ligularia dentata Midnight Lady (Leopard Plant, not pictured) – Chiltern Seeds
An outstanding hardy perennial to add darkness and light to the border with tidy mounds of purple-bronze foliage (black-purple in spring). In summer and early autumn, bright golden ray flowers with dark sturdy stems appear. Ideal for cutting. Height 90cm. 15 seeds per packet, price £2.95.
Nasturtium Baby Yellow – Suttons
Petite and mounding, Nasturtium Baby Yellow will not flop like other varieties. The pale yellow blooms are held well above contrasting dark green foliage, blooming abundantly throughout the summer. Plants demonstrate excellent heat tolerance, sailing through hot summers.
The magic of Baby Yellow lies in its harmonious display – the size of the flowers perfectly matches the size of its lily-pad foliage. Height: 30cm. Spread: 45cm. 20 seeds per packet, £3.49.
Nasturtium Crime Scene – Thompson & Morgan
A half-hardy annual that’s perfect for pollinators. Each large flower carries a pattern of blood-red splashes on a gold background. An arresting display along border edges and cascading from containers. Here are my favourite nasturtiums to grow from seed.
Height: 30cm. Spread: 120cm. Sow March to May, flowers June to September. Seed fill: 20 seeds in packet, price £3.49.
Pick of the new flower seeds – Sunflower Astra Rose – Thompson & Morgan
This hardy annual is a twist on a customer favourite, a unique variety with a distinctive flower form and colour. Emerging in soft cream and changing colour to apricot/pink, it boosts the back of borders with subtle semi-double flowers with fluffy chocolate-brown centres.
Producing lots of heads over a long flowering season, multi-branching Astra Rose enhances cottage gardens with its vintage hues. Height: 120cm. Spread: 60cm. Sow March to June, flowers July to September. 25 seeds in packet, price £2.99. Check my choice of the best multi-branching sunflowers.
Pick of the new flower seeds – Sunflower Soluna Bronze – Thompson & Morgan
A hardy annual sunflower with deep bronze and orange tones to garden – a warmer choice than the soft yellows of other Helianthus debilis cultivars. It pairs well with perennials in herbaceous borders, this light and airy multi-stemmed sunflower carries three-inch blooms with a dark chocolate centre.
This graceful variety blooms freely all summer long with masses of flowerheads – great for cutting. Height: 120cm. Spread: 60cm. Sow March to June, flowers July to September. 20 seeds per packet, price £2.99.
