Novice Gardener

[Donna]

A couple of you have been talking about sowing seeds getting ready for spring etc. I have never done this but would like to try and grow some plants from seed for my garden this year as it is still very early stages for my garden and needs lots more plants.

Can anyone recommend what seeds are best to get for lots of pretty spring and summer flowers and what equipment I would need to start myself off. I dont have a greenhouse or anything of the like and not a great deal of room indoors for tubs of plant seeds everywhere!!

What seeds would you recommend for me who tends to kill everything in sight to do with plants?!!

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

[Jac]

Donna, I just buy what I think is nice. Plant them in trays, cover in cling film to keep moist and lace them on a window cill. Once they get a bit bigger I transfer them into pots (you can get single seedling pots from the garden center. Some you can plant directly into the soil when they are ready to go nto the garden and hey presto!
Other times I just buy trays of plants redy to go into the garden, in other words I cheet

[dinahsmum]

'Easy' flowers to grow from seed
Calenula - marigold
French marigold (the stinky orange ones!)
Impatiens - Busy Lizzie - so colourful and give a real summery feel to the garden
Sunflower - you can get some quite short ones, they don't have to be giants*
All the above just last until the frosts

Poppy - come up year after year once established

Buy trays of plants from the garden centre/nursery - pansies (flower for ever (nearly!) if you keep removing the dead flower heads, primula (primrose type)

*the kids could grow sunflowers. They are huge seed, easily handled singly. Pop two in a pot of compost (or soil), place on a window cill and don't let it dry out. When they've got 2 leaves remove the smaller one (it's just there as an insurance in case one fails). Grow it on to about 4-5" tall, plant at the back of the border when all chance of frost is gone.

Try growing some beans and peas. Sow them directly into the soil - back of the border (not yet - way too early!) and give them something to scramble up - strings/netting/twigs.

The BBC gardening site is good http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/ and Monty Don @ 8.30 BBC2 (but I'm not sure the new season has started yet)

Plant bulbs (daff/narcissi, tulips etc) early autumn for spring colour next year (and they come up year after year.

[dinahsmum]

Sorry Donna - should have said that all seed packets carry 'cultivation instructions' - if there's anything you don't understand, ask away here.
Most of the seed companies do a childrens' range. You could start with them - they are bound to be easy to grow. Then, next year when you are more confident you can progress to some of the less easy plants.

[EmmaG]

I have also found lupins very easy to grow.

[Mags]

Jac and DM have covered the main points of growing from seed Donna....I'd just like to add that the ones I grow from seed for all summer colour are petunias, busy lizzies, lobelia (trailing for the hanging baskets), french marigolds (they are the small ones, African are the bigger ones), begonias, geraniums. I always end up buying plug plants too as I can't resist buying them!

You will need to keep the trays indoors this weather, either, as Jac said, on a window sill or in a spare room.

When the small seedlings are ready to be transplanted, hold them by the lower leaves not the stem.

[smudgley]

I can teach you how to grow, nettles & weeds & how to Kill plants But i guess that is not very helpful, so I will leave the others to help you instead.

I am not a keen gardner.

[Donna]

Thanks for all your tips and thanks to Smudgley for being honest!!! I think a trip to the garden centre is in order just to see what seeds I might want to buy and give it a go!! Will just buy a small amount to practice with this year.

[Mags]

Originally Posted by smudgley

I can teach you how to grow, nettles & weeds & how to Kill plants But i guess that is not very helpful, so I will leave the others to help you instead.

I am not a keen gardner.

Ahhhh but you're good at nurturing lost and lonely cats and kitts Smudgley!

[Mags]

Originally Posted by Donna

Thanks for all your tips and thanks to Smudgley for being honest!!! I think a trip to the garden centre is in order just to see what seeds I might want to buy and give it a go!! Will just buy a small amount to practice with this year.

Don't forget you will need seed trays and compost to grow them in Donna!!