There’s nothing more satisfying than sowing seeds of hope for the months ahead! In this video, from our Creativity & Calm in the Garden series with The Wellbeing Network, Kloe shows you how to sow & grow two of our favoruites – Calendula & Sweet Pea. By sowing them now they’ll be ready for planting out into your garden as soon as the soil has warmed up in about May for enjoying this Summer.
Just in-case you missed any of the details, here’s a step by step on how to sow & grow Calendula & Sweet Pea!
Sweet Pea
The sweetest Summer-long scent, sure to put a smile on anyones face!
Gather together:
- 6 x Plant pots (9cm)
- 2 x old plastic mushroom trays (no holes) to sit pots into. 1 half filled with fresh tap water.
- Peat-free seed sowing compost
- Sweet pea seeds (pre-soaked in a jar of water overnight)
- Labels (homemade wooden or make using old yoghurt pots)
- Permanent marker
How to sow:
- Fill plant pot with compost 2cm from top
- Put three seeds on surface of compost in triangle shape allowing space in between each
- Sprinkle 1cm soil over the top to cover & push down lightly
- Sit pot in tray of water for 5mins or until wet through & then remove & place in empty, dry tray.
- Label & then set on a warm, sunny windowsill to germinate.
- Water using tray method above whenever the pot feels v.light to lift.
Growing tips:
- Pinch out shoots once 10cm tall to encourage stronger, more bushy plants
- Plant out into sunny spot in garden once soil is warmed in about May into improved ground (hungry plants) – add manure or compost to area in prep.
- Plant at base of trellis or obelisk – need some support & tie in using twine as plants grow in height.
- Then pick, pick pick to keep flowering! We leave 2-3 strong plants to go to seed for next year. Collect when pods are dry and brown & store in a sealed container until Feb.
- Make posies for gifting to friends & family – sure to brighter up their days!
Calendula
These golden blooms tick all the boxes with open flowers to nourish pollinators, make great picked blooms & the edible petals can be stirred into cookie dough, sprinkled into salads & used to decorate cakes!
Gather together:
Same as above for sweet pea except 1 x pack Calendula seeds (no need to soak).
How to sow:
Instructions the same as per sweet pea, except if multiple plants germinate in each pot, these can be teased apart & potted on ready for eventually planting out once the soil has warmed.
Growing tips:
- Keep picking the flowers to encourage more blooms. Calendula will keep going, potentially right through Winter if there aren’t any very hard frosts.
- Even if older plants make it to the second year they can become sickly with fungal problems so it’s worth collecting the seed once dry & brown on the plant & growing a fresh batch.
- You’ll find Calendula will self-seed too so you also carefully dig up & move any spare plants to fill in any gaps in your garden.
Want some extra advice or help sowing, growing or maintaining your garden!? We offer 1-2-1 Garden Advice Sessions to answer all your questions & give you the confidence to get the most out of your green space! For more information & to book a session click the button below:
