Topic: newbie with so many questions!

[eastybeasty1]

hi everyone :)

well my first post here so hopefully i dont say anything too daft!  :D ;D

right well a bit of background, my husbands been a member on the forum here for a while but hes a frequenter of the veggie forum. im a bit of a newbie to veg growing (this is our first proper year growing edibles) and i decided i wanted to add a bit of colour in the form of flowers and attempt to grow ones that would be bee and wildlife friendly.

i planted pansies, violas and marigolds in modules and they are starting to make their way to various places in the garden as fairly big seedlings so its nice to see some reward for our efforts.

anyway theres been a few problems. We have 3 narrow borders in the front garden (roughly north facing with a clay loam soil) which i sowed some seed directly to each bit about 6 weeks ago and theres been pretty much no show. im not sure if this is due to the soil, the horrible weather we've been having or a bit of both. we're in grangemouth, central scotland to anyone that doesnt know, about half an hour from edinburgh.

ive got a bit of a dilemma and hoping that people more wise than me can help! I sowed the following seeds outside and I dont know if theres any point resowing due to the lack of success already and also am i getting too late in the year?

(suttons) linaria
(suttons) summer long flowering mix
(johnsons) ladybird poppy (havent sown these already but would like to if its not too late)
(johnsons) cornfield mixture

i wouldnt mind sowing into modules and then potting outside if this would make a difference but pretty cluless so any help would be great! can give more info about the seeds i mentioned above if needed :)

[small]

Hi, welcome.
I've never found sowing annuals direct very successful, heaven knows what gets them but something does, so I start off in modules and plant out. This year I sowed cosmos, linaria, godetia, flax, and although they germinated they are growing so slowly in this cold weather. Nowhere near big enough to plant out yet. Stuff that reliably self-seeds in my veg plot, californian poppy, marigold, poached aggs, they are only just reluctantly coming through as well.
What I'm saying is, it's not just you! I'd pop a few in modules to bring them on, what have you got to lose? We might get a long hot Autumn!

[eastybeasty1]

hi small and thanks :)

my husband said that actually that people on the edibles forums have been consoling each other over the weather. you're right actually dont have much to lose so think tomorrow night me and some modules will have a date! its a learning curve all this stuff and i doubt ill ever learn all there is but this is all lessons learned for next year! :)

[eastybeasty1]

ok well i grabbed a some seeds, seed trays and modules and sowed more while sitting in the sun having a nice after work cocktail, so hopefully the weather will work its magic and i'll actually get some plants this time  ;D

[pumkinlover]

Good luck! and welcome.  :)
I have the same problem. It always looks so easy on the television, however the weather ma not have helped you.

[eastybeasty1]

thanks! yeah i think the weather had a hand in it but had a good couple of days so fingers crossed :)