How to Grow Flowers from Seed
Good preparation is key to everything in the garden. This sentiment could not be more relevant than when you are talking about seed sand growing plants from seed.
You also need to take your time. You never want to rush yourself when it comes to sowing seeds. If you rush through the process, you will find the results just won’t be as good.
We have just taken delivery of all our seeds here in the CountryLife Garden Centre and as one customer said to me the other day ‘You know it is spring when you seed the walls of seed back’. The arrival of the seeds in store seems to have put a spark under customers and they are busy preparing for the growing season ahead.
My favorite customers to see coming in to the CountryLife Garden Centre are those that have a shopping list with them. Just like with food shopping, you should never go seed shopping without a list. Otherwise you will buy things you don’t want. I always tell people to do a bit of research beforehand and work out what you need to buy.
Plant These For The Bees
Over the last few years I have noticed a distinct trend in people buying perennials and annual flower seeds to grow at home. In particular, a lot of people are thinking about bees when they are choosing their flowers and going for ones that will either attract them to the garden or offer the bees a good source of food. Everything from Rudbeckia, Clarkia, to lavender seem very popular and of course sweet pea will always be a firm favourite with Irish gardeners.
It’s easy to create your own wildflower meadow
Create a WildflowerMeadow
Another popular choice when planting for the bees is to create your own wildflower meadow.
A Floral Meadow in my Garden contains 100 seed balls with a selection off bee-friendly flower seeds.
For wildflowers that will come back every year choose a perennial mix
If you have a problem area in your garden that other plants don’t thrive in then try The Miracle Gro Flower Magic Shady Mix. It contains a mix of bee-friendly flowers that grow well in harsh conditions of dry soil and shade.
Before You Start
It is not just seeds you should be thinking about buying now. You should also be stocking up on your potting compost as well as seed trays and pots for planting up in. We have a wide range of different options in terms of pot and seed tray sizes so it is easy to pick up ones that will work for you and what you are growing.
Growing Your Own Plants
At CountryLife we also stock a number of small plastic greenhouses and seed propagators that you can buy to help you along your way to growing your own plants. Many people think you need a purpose-built greenhouse or cold frame to grow your own plants. But in reality with these smaller plastic options you get just as good of results. The Windowsill Growing Kit is only €3.95 and works just as well as the more expensive kit.
Best of luck! As always, if you need any advice ask us in store or on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/countrylifegc
