Blanketflower – Gaillardia Aristata – Northern Wildflowers

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  Lupine – Russell Mix – West Coast Seeds

  $4.49

  Lupinus polyphyllus. Stunning, brightly-coloured spikes create a strong feature in the early summer garden. Its pea-like flowers grow in dense spires reaching up to 90cm tall. Scatter through cottage or wildflower gardens or mass plant in borders. This variety offers all the lupine colours in one package – purple, deep blue, red, pink, yellow, cream, and white. If you want more of a certain colour, gently separate the little offset at the base of a mature plant and replant. Soak lupine seeds for 24 hours or nick the seed ends and plant. Lupines fix nitrogen in the soil.  Perennial.

  How To Grow, Timing:  Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. If starting indoors, use peat or coir pots to minimize root disturbance. Lupins work equally well direct sown in early spring when some risk of frost is still possible. They can be direct sown in autumn where winters are mild.

  How To Grow, Starting:  If starting indoors, scarify seeds by chipping, or soak in water for 24 hours prior to sowing. Sow shallowly, a couple of millimetres deep, and maintain a coolish soil temperature of 12-18°C. Seeds should germinate in 14-60 days. Be patient.

  How To Grow, Growing:  Space or thin plants to 30-60cm apart to allow for natural spread. After flowering, cut down the stems to the base of the plant. Divide these big plants in early Spring to propagate certain colours. Self-sown plants tend to revert to pale blue.

  Approx: 75 Seeds

  
  

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  Calendula – Pacific Beauty – West Coast Seeds

  $3.49

  Calendula officinalis. Semi-double flowers glow in warm apricot, cream, gold, and shades of yellow offering a brilliant range of coloured blooms. Pacific Beauty Mix have long stems, excellent for cutting. Sun or partial shade works well for these bright annual flowers. Tear the edible petals off and sprinkle them over summer meals. Most Calendula varieties require little care once established, so they are a good candidate for xeriscaping. While they may self sow, they are easy to control, so will not become weedy. Deadhead spent flowers for the tidiest look. This blend grows 30-60cm tall.

  How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow in early spring when light frost is still a possibility, and continue to sow every two to three weeks until early summer for fall flowers. Calendula is easiest from direct sowing, but can also be started indoors late winter for transplanting once daytime temperatures are steadily above 10°C. If starting indoors, maintain darkness and a soil temperature of 21°C until germination occurs in 6-14 days, and then supply bright light to keep seedlings compact. Or direct sow in early autumn in Zones 8-10.

  How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 5mm deep, and aim for a spacing of 15-45cm between plants.

  How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 5.5-7.0.  Calendula grows easily in any regular garden soil. Pinch back young plants to encourage bushy growth. Occasional feeding is rewarded, but unnecessary. Keep plants watered, but try to avoid overhead watering as plants are susceptible to mildew. Deadhead regularly to prevent self-sowing.

  Approx: 80 Seeds.

   

  
  

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• 

  Morning Glory – Heavenly Blue – West Coast Seeds

  $3.99

  Ipomoea tricolor. It is a great shame that so many gardeners confuse this tidy heirloom annual with the invasive bindweed, Convovulus arvensis. Both share the name Morning Glory, and both have trumpet shaped flowers, but the similarities end there. Heavenly Blue morning glory seeds produce short vines bearing copious, huge, intensely blue flowers that open each morning and then fade to pink before closing for good in the evening. Every day more flowers open from mid to late summer. It looks spectacular climbing along a fence or trellis, with really large flowers that can only be described as Heavenly Blue.  Annual.

  Note: This variety is not an invasive weed.

  How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow where they are to grow 1-2 weeks after the last frost date. Or try sowing some indoors in peat or coir pots 3-4 weeks before last frost, but they do not transplant well. If starting indoors, chip the seeds and soak them in warm water for 24 hours, and then provide a constant soil temperature of 21-30°C. The seeds should sprout in 5-21 days, but may be longer outdoors. Be patient.

  How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 5mm deep. Space or thin to 30-45cm between plants.

  How To Grow, Growing:  Make sure to provide some support for these tall vines to climb up. Moist, well drained soil that is not too nitrogen-rich is ideal. Excess nitrogen leads to large, bushy vines with fewer flowers. Dry soil is tolerated. Pinch the tips of the plants as soon as you see them start to climb in order to produce branching growth.

  Approx: 40 Seeds.

  
  

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  Sweet Peas – Old Spice Blend – West Coast Seeds

  $4.69

  Lathyrus odoratus. The best sweet pea choice for warmer climates or gardens, Old Spice Blend sweet pea seeds are a mix of old heirloom varieties that have weathered the test of time. Solid colours and some streaked flowers appear in cream, rose, white, pink, and purple on long stems that you’ll want to bring inside as cut flowers. This is a good climber that deserves a stout trellis to support vines that grow to 120cm tall. Make sure to keep the vines picked of all spent flowers and seed pods, and they will reward you with a very long flower period. Old Spice blooms after Mammoth, but before the Spencers.  Annual.

  How To Grow, Timing:  Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last average frost date for your area. Or direct sow outdoors in early spring, while the soil is still cool and light frost is still possible. Plants are strongest from an early, indoor sowing. Sweet peas can also be direct sown in the fall where winters are mild.

  How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 1cm deep. If starting indoors, chip seeds or soak them in warm water for 24 hours. Use a seed inoculant for the best results. Maintain a soil temperature of 12-18°C. Seeds should germinate in 10-20 days.

  How To Grow, Growing:  For best results, prepare the sweet pea bed the previous fall. Cultivate the soil to 45cm deep, incorporating a generous amount of finished compost. Also dig in bone meal. At transplant time, dig ¼ cup balanced organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each plant. Space vines at 15cm and provide trellis support. Mulch around plants to keep the soil as cool as possible, and water during dry weather. Keep plants picked to prolong the blooming period.

  Approx: 80 Seeds.

  
  

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