| I am pretty much a beginner as far as gardening is concerned. I would like to start some annuals inside from seeds. Can you recommend some that are easy to grow from seed? Basically foolproof. Any that flower all summer? |
| Some of the easiest seeds to start indoors include; Bachelor's Button; A charming annual that blooms in shades of blue, pink, and purple, bachelor's button is a great choice for hot, dry sites. The flowers are perfect for cut- and dried-flower bouquets. Plant the seed about 1/8 inch deep; they typically sprout in one to three weeks. You can start it early indoors or sow it directly outdoors in the garden. Cleome; A perfect cottage-garden plant, cleome bears spikes of fragrant flowers in shades of white, pink, magenta, and purple. It's so easy, it practically starts itself -- in fact, in many gardens it self-seeds year after year. Spread seeds over the ground directly outdoors; they usually don't need to be covered. Cleome seeds typically sprout in one to two weeks. Cosmos; Another must-have annual for sunny cottage gardens, cosmos offers ferny foliage and daisy-like flowers in shades of pink, magenta, white, yellow, and orange. The plants don't mind hot, dry locations, so they're ideal for low-maintenance gardens, too. And they often self-seed. Spread seeds over the ground and just barely cover them; seeds usually sprout in one to three weeks. Hyacinth Bean; This spectacular but underused vine is a snap to start. Grow it in a sunny spot and be sure to give it a sturdy support on which to climb. Hyacinth bean can grow more than 10 feet by the end of the season. Because the seeds are protected by a tough coat, soak the seeds in water for 12 hours before sowing or file away or nick off a small piece of the coat before planting. Sow seed 1/4 inch deep; they sprout in one to two weeks. Larkspur; Larkspur lights up the spring or fall garden with its spikes of blue, lavender, pink, or white flowers. This garden beauty often self-seeds, coming back each year all on its own. The easiest way to grow larkspur is to sprinkle the seeds in the garden in late winter or very early spring. The cool-season plants will sprout on their own. If you start seeds indoors, sow seed 1/8 inch deep. They sprout in three to four weeks. Marigold; It's hard not to love a marigold's bright yellow, orange, and red flowers. Happily, this is one of the easiest seeds to grow. You can sow marigolds directly into the garden. If you start seeds indoors, sow seed 1/8 inch deep. They usually sprout in less than a week. Morning Glory; One of the best annual vines, morning glory blooms in shades of blue, pink, white, and red. It's earned its common name because the flowers tend to close by noon, especially in hot weather. Morning glory seeds are protected by a tough coat. Soak the seeds in water for 12 to 24 hours before sowing or file away or nick off a small piece of the coat before planting. Sow seed 1/4 inch deep; they usually sprout in about a week. Best wishes with your seed starting adventure! |
