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Lobelia seeds are fine as dust AG’s Val Bourne will give a talk on snowdrops at Hever Castle on 8 February
Crumble lumps of compost
Lobelia is a trailing star of pots and rockeries, says Ruth
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OOKING out at winter’s slategrey skies, it’s hard to recall the blue skies of summer. They may still seem a long way off, but you can lift the seasonal blues by preparing for warmer days, including sowing seeds for summer colour. This week’s free seeds from Mr Fothergill’s are for Lobelia ‘Sapphire Trailing’, a joyful half-hardy annual that produces rivers of cobalt-blue blooms. The plants are perfect for containers, hanging baskets and rockeries, and
will thrive in sun and light shade. Get them going in pots or seed trays in a heated propagator or warm windowsill, or wait until later in spring (though they will still need to be sown undercover as they are only half-hardy). Tiny lobelia seeds are as fine as dust. Large clumps of compost hinder germination, so sieve or crumble it first. Sowing is easier if you mix the seeds with a little horticultural sand before sprinkling. Alternatively, lift and tap the seeds with a damp fingertip or matchstick.
Fill a pot or tray with fresh seed compost, sieving it first if you find lumps or breaking the lumps up between your fingers.
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Dampen the compost with tap water. Always use fresh water to avoid contaminating the seeds and compost with pests or fungal spores.
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Sprinkle the seeds as thinly as possible over the compost. Because they are so small, don’t cover them with compost or vermiculite.
Add a lid to the seed tray or seal the pot in a plastic bag and place it somewhere light and warm. Uncover when seeds germinate.
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12 AMATEUR GARDENING 8 FEBRUARY 2020
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8: Snowdrop Trail Walk and Talk with Val Bourne: Hever Castle, Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG. ✆ 01732 865224; hevercastle.co.uk 8: British Iris Society Early Spring Show: RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. ✆ 0845 6121 253, rhs.org.uk/ gardens/wisley 8: Designing with Plants: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. ✆ 0845 265 8071, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 8-9: Early Spring Show: RHS Garden Hyde Hall 9: Lawn Care: RHS Garden Wisley 10: RHS Member’s Gardening Advice: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 11-28: Sumptuous Snowdrops: Barnsdale Gardens, Barnsdale Ave, Exton, Oakham LE15 8AH. ✆ 01572 813200, barnsdalegardens.co.uk 13: Success with Houseplants: RHS Garden Wisley 14: Compost Clinic: Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HS. ✆ 020 7352 5646, chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk 14: RHS Member’s Gardening Advice: RHS Garden Harlow Carr 15-23: February Half Term – Whatever the Weather: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 15-23: Half-term Family Fun: RHS Garden Harlow Carr ■ Send details and images of events to ruth.hayes@ti-media.com ■ All details are subject to change without our knowledge, so please check that the event is still going ahead before leaving home.
