Orlaya’s pure white lacy blooms seem to hover over a delicate and much divided fern like foliage. The blooms themselves are made from little florets with a circlet of larger petals – intricate and exquisite.  Think of this as a cut-&come-again flower… the more flowers you cut the more the plant produces, from June to September, often until the first frosts

Height to 60cm

Annual

Price for 25 seeds

SOW: either spring or autumn.  From March to May sow seed on the surface of lightly firmed, moist seed compost in pots or trays and cover with a very lightly, pop into a bag and keep at 15-20°C, light aids germination which can take 21-30 days. Can be sown direct late summer or early autumn alternatively a protected Autumn sowing will give you stronger plants earlier the following year - sow in 15cm pots and keep them in a cold frame or green house over the winter (allows them to develop a larger rootball).

GROW:  harden off pot grown seedlings and young plants before planting out at 30-45cm apart.  Orlaya likes a sunny site, it is reputed to be deer resistant, & it is attractive to pollinating insects (one for the veggie garden perhaps).

ENJOY: think of this as a cut-&come-again flower… the more flowers you cut the more the plant produces, from June to September, often until the first frosts.  Perfect for a cut flower – on its own in a tall thin vase or combined with a deep colour or bunch together for a summer bouquet. 

This native wild flower has edible flowers – scatter the petals over a salad (lovely contrast over red/purple salad leaves).  Lovely grown as a drift in a wild corner or in light dappled shade under trees, happiest in poor soil!  Flowers appear May to August.  Height to 90cm.

  Price for 500 (tiny) seeds. 

Silky blooms of bright orange-red, with classic dark centres, are held up high on erect stems to bob in any passing breeze. Delicate looking yet a good choice for cutting. Blooms from May to early July. Height 60cm. Perennial. Price for 200 seeds.

Maanzaad – produces gorgeous open papery white single flowers with pink markings.  Gorgeous planted as a drift. Pick to keep flowering through the summer and allow some seed pods to develop.  These contain the seed rather than scattering which makes this so good for collection the seed to use on breads (this variety is also known as the Bread Seed Poppy, their name is Dutch for bread), scatter on a salad, stir into a dressing or add to a curry.  Height 90cm   Price for 200 seeds

SOW & GROW: in prepared ground where they are to flower, during March to June.  Just cover the seeds, germination usually takes about 3 weeks and flowering will be in mid-summer.  Alternatively, you can sow August to October (protect these seedlings with cloches over the winter) to flower in the following late spring.  Thin to 20-30cm apart so young plants have room to grow.

ENJOY: cut whilst in bud and sear the stem ends with a match (or in boiling water for 20 seconds), place immediately in fresh clean water helps blooms last for longer. Pods can be used in arrangements or dry & collect the seeds for using in your kitchen.

Alluring tiny white trumpet flowers are produced on spikes above a dense clump of bright green foliage.  This is also known as the obedient plant because the individual flowers can be pushed or turned into different positions and will stay there as they have articulated stalks!  Lovely late summer colour that will grow back year after year. AGM winner. Height to 60cm        Price for 20 seeds.

Rudbeckia Goldstrum is the perfect Black Eyed Susan with masses of cheerful sunshine-yellow flowers bursting into bloom from July to the autumn.  These will attract bees and butterflies to your garden, whilst the seedheads may entice Goldfinches.  They also make a really good cut flower choice.   Height 60-70cm

Price for 50 seeds

Grow Scabiosa Summer Berry Mix for an amazing display from early summer to late autumn: this is our own Mix in shades of raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry.  With pollinator friendly flowers (attracting bees and butterflies), a gentle honey scent and strong, slender stems for cutting this mix ought to find a home in your garden!

Height to 90cm

Annual

Price for 50 seeds

Well known for its pretty blooms made up by many individual florets; scabious atropurpurea is a meadow flower that looks incredible in borders (mid to back), mixed cottage style garden planting, gravel gardens or any wildflower garden.  Planted close to your veggies these flowers will attract bees to your plot.

SOW & GROW:  in March/April sow in small pots, & gently cover the seeds by their own depth, keep the compost damp but not saturated. Leave your pots on a windowsill or in a greenhouse. About 6-8 weeks later, it will be mid-May & your scabiosa plants should be big enough to be hardened off before planting out.

They prefer a sunny spot.  If you are creating a cutting garden then plant in straight rows at 30cm apart to make hoeing easier, and let them dry out a bit between watering.  Otherwise just fit them in around your garden and let them grow (and flower) all summer long - June to October (or November if cut back mid-season)

Now ‘scabiosa’ isn’t really the nicest of names for such a lovely flower… did you know that in times past they were used to treat bleeding wounds!

Grow these for the seed heads: these are silvery and surrounded by unusual maroon and green bracts and ball shaped. They look amazing.  They make a wonderful cut flower and dry extremely well.  The actual flowers are light blue and give no real hint as to the delight to come.  Height to 60cm.

  Price for 25 seeds.

Lots and lots of nectar rich varieties will help to attract bees, other beneficial insects and butterflies to your garden. They will help you will pollination and natural pest control and you will be helping to support native British wildlife.

Sow on weed free soil or grow in large seed trays that you can move around. There are no grasses in this mix, just flowers from May to October.

Sufficient seed for 4 square meters.

The super mix contains. Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum), Bird's Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Borage (Borago officinalis), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), White Clover (Trifolium repens), Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), Dwarf Sunflower (Helianthus gracilentus), Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus), Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra), Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa), Marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Meadow Cranesbil (Geranium pratense), Musk Mallow (Malva moschata), Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), Field Poppy (Papaver rhoes), Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), Sainfoin (Onobrychis viccifolia), Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis), Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria), Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum), Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare),  Wild Clary (Salvia verbenaca) and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)