I may work with freshly cut flowers as a florist but that doesn’t mean I have a clue when it comes to growing my own blooms from seed. What started as an idea to keep the boys entertained during lockdown has actually turned into my own little personal project and i’m eagerly awaiting the fruits of my labour.
Charlie and I planted some Cosmos seeds back in March before lockdown alongside some cress (I thought the quick results would grab his interest) and when the Cosmos seeds germinated and we could see little green shoots appearing we got very excited and decided to start some Zinnia seeds off too. Having nurtured them for a few weeks, making sure they had the right light and enough water I decided it was time to plant them out in the garden.
I know advice says to slowly introduce the outside elements to the seedlings over the course of two weeks, but I gave them two days (see it as a crash course!) as I felt they had grown so big the minimal soil I planted them with (something I will change next time) wasn’t enough to nourish them.
So at the weekend I took some time to decide where in the garden I wanted each variety of flower to grow and went about transferring the seedlings to the ground. I definitely think they’re happier in more soil so i’m keeping my fingers crossed they continue to thrive (I’m hoping the epic rain forecast this week will help rather than hinder them) and in a few weeks i’ll see the first buds appearing.
I think i’ve definitely caught the bug for growing my own flowers in the garden, not only is it really cost effective, it’s super satisfying too. Next on my list are sweetpeas and Nigella, hopefully my beginners luck will continue.
Here are the seedlings in situ. Zinnias in the first picture and Cosmos in the second. I’ll keep you updated on the progress.
