Allotments 4 All

Can you recommend any perennials (or biennials) which I can sow now or in July, please?

I've just done some alyssum, lupins, sweet Williams, wallflowers, delphiniums, rudbeckias, foxgloves, hollyhocks and campanulas.

Looking for something to fill gaps permanently!

Aquilegia. Lychnis, Achillia

Are aquilegia best sown fresh? I have several in the garden & also some bought seeds.

I just sow them now or earlier if bought seed but mine seed themselves when they drop from the pod

Any of the standard perennials; you don't have to get them to flowering size this year, after all. As long as they've got time to establish themselves, that's all that matters.

Hesperis matrionalis (Damask flower/Sweet rocket) is lovely and quite easy from seed.

I will have some seed from sweet rocket soon if you want some. I have only 2 plants left now out  of abot 10. 1 white and 1 mauve. They are an early flowerer but mixed in with mixed coloured cornflowers and aqilegia and a few early flowering orange verbascum they look stunning. I had all of these and more in flower on the front of my plot in May

I have lots of Hesperis unfortunately only purple.  It is a biennial and I consider it as a weed.  Lovely colour, nice smell particularly in the evening but a real brute of a plant.  Mine is just going over now and I will have to rush to clear it before it goes on another take over bid.  I cannot tell you how many people think it is honesty. 

It is extremely easy from seed what is more difficult is getting rid of it.

It must be the difference in the soil Digeroo. When I had the plant at home in the garden I had to keep pulling it out(heavy clay). The allotment is sandy.

It is in a very sunny, very well drained position and it obviously feels right at home, especially when I water other plants.  It arrived in a mixed packet of seeds from Lidl.

It is now about 5 feet plus high and clearing it will be quite a job.  Though being a biennial it does not have persistant roots.   Good way I suppose to fill the compost bin but the stems are woody so it take a time to rot down. 

It looks so innocent and then suddenly grows enormous.

Mine is more reserved thank goodness ;D

Just shows difference soil can make - never gets that large in my flinty, chalk based ground and more often white than mauve.

Oh and Digitalis do not forget the digitalis. ;D  I do like pink Achillea.    What about daisies?

Marguerites look lovely if kept in small groups. I have one that has about 15 flowers and thats just large enough. Just adds a white sparkle. You could always get some hardy fuschias.