There is nothing half so much worth doing as messing about with bulbs. Indoors or outdoors it doesn't matter.
Seeds 2024
Seeds sown 2024
in alphabetical order
Centaurea americana / Basket Flower
Dystaenia takesimana Perennial Korean Celery
Echium vulgare / viper's bugloss
I collected seed from one I had in my garden. The seeds didn't look too good but thought I'd plant them and see what happens, 24-4-2024
after weeks without any sign of germination and reading that acanthus seeds need soaking, I took the seeds out and soaked them for 48 hours and replanted them
suddenly this appeared a week ago, not where it should have been but I'm guessing it is an acanthus but I need to wait and see
24-7-2024
I found another seedling which I think is acanthus, not sure why one is shiny and one is not.
that one seedling is actually 2
14-8-2024 a new green shoot is emerging
31-8-2024 both pots looking good
Asphodelus albus / white asphodel
seeds sown 22-3-2024, 3 fibre pots in photo below, not many seeds in the packet so sowed 3 to a pot and I've had the seeds for a couple years so wanted to get them all sown
8-4-2024 no germination so I'm reusing the pots but I am being impatient as the seed packet says germination takes 1 to 3 months but that's ok if one day they sprout up next to the milk thistle or sea holly that I've sown there
28-6-2024 I tried again with fresher seed (8 seeds in the packet)
29-6-2024 trying again
26-7-2024 I got the 2 asphodels mixed up, 7 seedlings from the 2 packets of seeds
29-7-2024 I repotted those that have seedlings growing
25-9-2024
Asphodeline lutea / King's Spear / asphodel
seeds sown 22-3-2024 in 5 fibre pots shown above, I've had the seeds for a couple years so wanted to get them all sown
8-4-2024 no germination so I'm reusing the pots but I am being impatient as the seed packet says germination takes 1 to 3 months but that's ok if one day they sprout up next to the milk thistle or sea holly that I've sown there
28-6-2024 I tried again with fresher seed (20 seeds)
24-3-2025
these pots were filled with self-seeders but I removed them the other day to leave the asphodel (not even sure which) seedlings to thrive
20-9-2025
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. this one is badly slug-eaten
2-11-2025
1.
2.
3.
4. on the right and 5. on the left
6.
new Asphodeline lutea plants from Beth Chatto
Aster scaber seeds sown 27-7-2024
a few seedlings in a few pots
18-8-2024
31-8-2024
22-9-2024
Blessed Thistle / Centaurea benedicta (Cnicus benedictus)
seeds sown 4-4-2024, wait up to end of May for germination
4-5-2024 a month later only 3 seedlings
25-5-2024 I still have just the 3 seedlings, looks like all I'm going to get but at least it's something and they look pretty good
29-5-2024 looking at these seedlings more closely, pleased with them just wish I had more
3-7-2024
7-7-2024
15-7-2024 a week later decided to platn them in the ground, Japanese thistle on the left
27-7-2024 first flower, 16 weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
31-7-2024 more buds are appearing
5-8-2024 mulitple stems and buds now
Borage J Parkers sown 16-3-2024
28-3-2024 a few seedlings have appeared
4-4-2024
borage seedlings on the left, monkshood sown in pots on the right
4-5-2024
4-6-2024 the repotted seedlings are not looking very good
worst borage seedlings/plants I've ever grown, extremely small
first bloom is white, doesn't help that my photos are not good, next photo is the same plants
another try to photograph the white borage flower and other small plants with buds
these seedlings have not grown properly but getting buds
27-6-2024 first blue borage flower, 15 weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
another blue borage
4-5-2024
13-5-2024
25-5-2024
15-6-2024
26-6-2024 buds just opening
29-6-2024 first flowers, 8 weeks from sowing seeds to first flowers
3-7-2024
3-7-2024
Centaurea americana / Basket Flower
15-5-2024 seeds sown
4-6-2024 3 seedlings
22-6-2024 only 5 seedlings but seems all I'm going to get
3-7-2024
9-8-2024
31-8-2024
19-9-2024 I put the surviving seedlings into a large pot together
12-10-2024 I was surprised to see a bud
all 3 plants, the one bottom left is not looking good (also self-seeders ox-eye daisies and water figwort)
I think the basket flowers have died as I found the pot I think must be the one above - larger water figwort and ox-eye daisies but no sign of basket flowers
seeds sown 24-5-2024, see photo under Sweet Sultan, 2 columns of fibre pots
4-6-2024 a few seedlings in 2 weeks
20-6-2024 with the weather turning so hot and dry, wanted to repot the small fibre pots
7-7-2024
26-7-2024
31-8-2024
26-3-2025 I finally planted out the pots of chicory seedlings but I really should have thinned them. I will try to do that soon.
Chinese Lanterns J Parkers sown 16-3-2024
9-5-2024
26 5 2024
6-6-2024 Chinese lantern seedlings repotted into this trough
26-7-2024 savagely eaten by slugs, noticeable gaps, a few plants hanging on, lots of tiny self-seeders that are nothing to do with the Chinese lanterns
1-8-2024 badly slug-eaten, some seedlings completely but still a few left
18-8-2024
31-8-2024
looking good but I guess they won't bloom this year so hopefully next year
26-3-2025 Chinese lanterns completely overwhelmed by forget-me-nots self-seeding in that trough
29-3-2025 I removed the forget-me-nots and see how savagely the Chinese lanterns have been eatenby the slugs. The good news is that they survived the winter of lots have grown but the bad news is that every leaf has been eaten. I don't know if they can regrow from that and I don't know if I can remove the slugs. I must go out at night and pick them off.
Cirsium aomorense ex. Japan seeds sown 27-7-2024
9-8-2024 at least 1 seedling has appeared
18-8-2024
31-8-2024
2 weeks later a few more seedlings
22-9-2024
Cirsium botryodes seeds sown 22-9-2024
2024 had 3 packets of seeds but too old so no results (note to self: use seed when still viable)
seeds sown 5-6-2024, it's been so cold not sure how long germination will take, I have another pot of cornflowers seedlings so I guess I wasn't in such a hurry to sow these
20-6-2024 it's getting so hot and dry, wanted to repot from the small fibre pots into larger pots
18-7-2024 the empty pots are because of slug damage
31-7-2024 a few buds ready to open, in spite of a number of plants having been eaten by slugs
4-8-2024 cornflowers in bloom, 8 and a half weeks from sowing seeds to first flowers
next year's cornflowers, Centaurea cyanus Black Ball sown 20-9-2024
28-9-2024
16-1-2025 repotted the seedlings
a few more cornflower seedlings left after repotting
a few days before they were in ice
I repotted those few final seedlings in the black pot on the left, in addition to the seedlings in the white pot shown above
24-3-2025
the 3 pots of cornflowers from above
Centaurea montana seeds sown 22-9-2024
4-5-2024
9-5-2024 in only a few days of warm weather the cosmos have germinated well
13-5-2024
17-5-2024
3-6-2024 repotted the cosmos seedlings into the pots around the summer savory pot
22-6-2024 the smallest cosmos I've replanted into this very large pot, leaves me more in the larger pots to replant elsewhere
30-6-2024
30-7-2024 first flower (but white not pink), 12 weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
5-8-2024 first pink flower
Cotton thistle (Onopordum bracteatum) seeds sown 29-6-2024, only 3 seedlings survived
30-9-2024 those 3 cotton thistle seedlings in the ground, attacked by slugs but hanging on
Deadly Nightshade / Atropa bella-donna seeds sown 4-5-2024
4-5-2024
19-6-2024
I see a few tiny seedlings, not all the same so not sure if all the deadly nightshade, after almost 7 weeks not sure I'm going to get any more
as the weather is so hot and dry now, not sure seedlings can survive in these very small fibre pots so repotting them together in a larger pots (3 in one pot, 2 in another) so at least they won't dry out so quickly
3-7-2024 looks like 5 seedlings, not sure what that one is on the left but obviously not like the others
26-7-2024
these tiny seedlings in one of the pots above look like more deadly nightshade but I'll have to wait and see
6-8-2024 one seedling was broken, I stuck it in the pot but it's wilting, also a verbascum seedling I must remove, so 3 reasonable seedlings and 1 tiny new one
31-8-2024 that broken one seems to have rooted and is looking ok
18-9-2024
seeds say 2015 but thought I'd try them and see if anything happens. I grew some in the past but they never got past the seedling stage as the slugs got them. zero germination, too old
Echium vulgare / vipers bugloss
seeds sown 11-8-2024 see photo below under Erigeron, 6 columns of coir pellets
18-8-2024 they seemed a bit slow to get going but after about 3 weeks looking much better
so repotted them
Erigeron speciosus Azure Fairy
seeds sown 11-8-2024, 15 coir pellets, 3 columns on the right (Echium vulgare on the left)
18-8-2024
31-8-2024 Erigeron speciosus on the left, Echium vulgare on the right
6-9-2024
18-9-2024
24-3-2025
I have lost track of which seedlings are which. These and the next photo look like Echium vulgare to me.
I think these are the Erigeron speciosus Azure Fairy.
seeds sown 8-4-2024
4-5-2024 finally a few seedlings after 4 weeks
25-5-2024 asphodel in the same pots
3-6-2024 I decided to repot the sea holly, the 8 asphodel seedlings are in the same pots, rather than try to separate them, I decided to repot them together
3-6-2024 sea holly and asphodel repotted
3-7-2024
15-7-2024 sea holly (and asphodel) planted in the ground, one bottom right was eaten by slugs but the dierama survived
26-7-2024
18-8-2024 looking good but not seeing any signs of flowering stems
24-3-2025
these sea holly seedlings / small plants have survived the winter - and the slugs, only about 5 of the plants left
False Indigo / Baptisia australis
soaked seeds for 48 hours after trying to knick / scarify (not sure if successful), sowing now to see if anything happens although haven't given cold treatment, I just can't mess with that, forgot grit on top, that I can do, will add that, that's easy
seeds sown 13-6-2024
4 seedlings
6-8-2024 these were badly slug-eaten, just hanging on, hoping at least 2 will survive
seeds sown 4-4-2024
25-5-2024 I see a few seedlings but whether those are really henbane or self-seeders, I don't know, will have to wait and see (and I think that round pot top centre may not be one of the henbane pots but I'm not sure what it is)
3-6-2024 a few pots with what I think are the henbane seedlings but some others as well
I think 2 henbane seedlings, bottom right not sure
only top left is henbane I think, 3 unknown
4 henbane seedlings in the centre, left is sow thistle? far right unknown
top is henbane, not sure about the others
some henbane, some others
left henbane, right unknown?
15-6-2024
3-7-2024 good number of seedlings - impressed with their germination and survival - probably more than I need
7-7-2024 17 seedlings doing well
23-7-2024 16 weeks from sowing seeds to first flower
5-8-2024
18-8-2024 reasonable number of flowers but plants not even needing repotting
seeds sown 11-5-2024, 12 pots on the right (larkspur 6 pots on the left)
25-5-2024 good germination, bottom left looks like an intruder, will wait and see
22-6-2024 with hot dry weather starting, I had to repot the small fibre pots which dry out so quickly but running out of reasonable pots to use so the hollyhocks are in these very tall pots together but no hurry as they won't bloom this year - next year if I'm lucky, everything is so slow this year with such a cold spring but now it's hotting up
18-8-2024 must try to get them in the ground
4-5-2024
25-5-2024 I'm not sure if these are the honeyweed but will have to wait and see
3-7-2024
22-7-2024 seedlings planted in the ground
31-7-2024
18-8-2024 looks like some buds
23-8-2024 first flower, 16 weeks after sowing seeds
31-8-2024 lots of flowers, lots of visits by bees
30-9-2024 really coming into their own, sadly too much rain for bees
Japanese teasel (Dipsacus asperoides) seeds sown 29-6-2024
28-7-2024 I think these are the Japanese teasel seedlings although the latest seedlings have gotten rather confused. What I can say is that these all seem to be the same plant and the leaves do look similar to my small teasel.
18-8-2024 must plant them out, not too much slug damage sow so hopefully will survive
24-3-2025
the winter has not been kind to the seedlings above but repotted them all into this large pot, I hope they revive
seeds sown 4-4-2024
3 pots at the top of giant knapweed seedlings (photo above)
4-5-2024 about 12 seedlings
25-5-2024 reasonable germination
11-6-2024
3-7-2024 3 round pots above (verbascum self-seeded in pot on left)
15-7-2024 planted in the ground on the left (blessed thistle on the right)
26-7-2024
18-8-2024 this one seems to be getting enough light, two other plants over-shadowed by the blessed thistle, but no sign of flowering stems yet
31-8-2024
Knapweed
Giant Knapweed / Centaurea macrocephala
seeds sown 18-3-2024
2 columns of fibre pots on the left
30-3-2024 a few seedlings have appeared
4-4-2024
4-5-2024
repotted 18-5-2024
25-5-2024 I've had a setback, discovering slugs had eaten a number of the seedlings
I planted the giant knapweed in the ground
2-8-2024 these were attacked by slugs - again - so down to 2 in the ground and 2 in a pot (in hindsight I would have kept them in their pots longer)
18-8-2024 one of two in the ground
second one in the ground, both slug-eaten but surviving
not looking as good as that first one in the ground but was trying to save them from the slugs but looks like they still got to them
29-8-2024 largest plant, still surviving despite slug damage
24-3-2025
badly slug-eaten, not sure if it will survive
the one in the pot is doing great
Russian knapweed (Rhaponticum repens / Centaurea ruthenica), seeds sown 15-5-2024
4-6-2024 2 seedlings after 3 weeks
6-8-2024 just two hanging on
Korean bellflower (Campanula takesimana) seeds sown 27-7-2024
9-8-2024 a few seedlings have appeared
18-8-2024
2-9-2024
Perennial Korean Celery (Dystaenia takesimana) seeds sown 22-9-2024
Korean dandelion (Taraxacum coreanum) seeds sown 22-9-2024
Korean geranium (Geranium koraiense) Growild Nursery seeds sown 29-6-2024
I *think* these are Korean geranium. This latest lot of seedlings got rather confused. There were only 6 seeds in the packet and these do seem to be the same plant and only 5 seedlings unlike the other seedlings I have which are a lot more of each. I will need to wait and see.
I think those all turned out to be willowherb
seeds sown 11-5-2024, see photo under Hollyhocks
29-5-2024
I found I had half packet of seeds left so sowed them 15-6-2024
22-6-2024 with the hot day weather starting, I couldn't leave seedlings in the small fibre pots, the larkspur are in an inner circle surrounded by sweet sultan in an outer circle
18-8-2024 the slugs savagely ate the larkspur seedlings, I think I'm going to get 1 flower
this was the pot 13-8-2024 with the larkspur (they're tiny), and few remaining sweet sultan, also savagely slug-eaten
Liquorice / Glycyrrihza glabra
sowed seeds 13-6-2024 after scarifying and soaking for 48 hours
19-6-2024 after all that (soaking and scarifying), surprised to see 4 seeds have germinated after only 6 days, I guess the scarifying worked
3-7-2024 amazed to get 11 seedlings after the fiddly soaking and scarifying after only 20 days
9-8-2024
22-9-2024
Livingstone Daisy / Mesembryanthemum seeds sown 4-5-2024
4-5-2024
13-5-2024
25-5-2024 I've sown them too thickly, need to thin out
3-7-2024
9-7-2024
I repotted the seedlings in the container above as it had no drainage holes and with recent rain, they were drowing
17-7-2024 first bud
19-7-2024 first flower, 11 weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
seeds sown 8-4-2024
4-5-2024
26-5-2024
6-6-2024 repotted the milk thistle seedlings from the small fibre pots into a larger plastic pot, totalling 5 pots of seedlings (Japanese thistle seedlings in the pots to the left)
3-7-2024
first milk thistle flower 5-7-2024, 12 and a half weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
seeds sown 4-4-2024, see photo above
20-6-2024 only a couple of seedlings, not sure either is monkshood, it's getting so hot and dry wanted to repot the small fibre pots
trying again with fresh seed, sown 3-7-2024
Morning Glory Grandpa Ott seeds sown 30-3-2024, see photo under Nasturtium Jewel
11-5-2024 finally some seedlings have appeared
25-5-2024 they were growing but the slugs got to them, hope I have enough left
3-7-2024
23-7-2024 16 weeks from sowing seeds to first flower
Morning Glory Heavenly Blue seeds sown 30-3-2024, see photo under Anise Hyssop, I only had a few seeds left from previous years, beautiful flowers but not very plentiful
26-5-2024
all died or eaten by slugs
Nasturtium Jewel seeds sown 30-3-2024
4-5-2024
25-5-2024
Nasturtium Trailing seeds sown 30-3-2024
4-5-2024
25-5-2024
29-5-2024 both the Nasturtium Jewel and Trailing seedlings planted in two large pots
14-6-2024 first nasturtium flowers, 11 weeks from sowing seed to flowers
seeds sown 24-5-2024, see photo under Sweet Sultan
20-6-2024 it's so hot and dry I wanted to repot the small fibre pots
13-7-2024
26-7-2024
31-8-2024
25-9-2024, 7 pots, I shared some with other cat lovers
Catmint / Nepeta nervosa
seeds sown 2-4-2024, no germination but the seeds were old
Hairless Catmint / Nepeta nuda
seeds sown 2-4-2024, no germination but the seeds were old
Nodding thistle (Carduus nutans) Growild Nursery seeds sown 29-6-2024
17-7-2024
4-9-2024
25-9-2024
25-6-2025
30-6-2025
29-6-2025
3-7-2025
seeds sown 1-6-2024, 29-6-2024 zero germination but does say takes 30 to 40 days
3-7-2024
looks like 2 seedlings at last (after 33 days, hopefully more)
7-7-2024 about 10 seedlings now
17-7-2024 these had been looking pretty good but had a downpour the other day and some slug and / or fox damage so I've lost some, a few of the falling apart fibre pots had to go into that plastic pot
1-8-2024 I've been very up and down with these. The slugs got to them - again - they are growing slowly not sure they'll reach flowering but maybe eventually.
31-8-2024
25-9-2024 have not done well, slug damage hasn't helped, obviously not flowering this year, will they survive the winter and flower next year?
Black Magic
not many seeds in the packet so just using this medium pot, if they actually grow I can transfer the seedlings to small pots, sown 24-4-2024
25-5-2024 there was one seedling there but looks like the top was eaten off, not sure that was even a poppy
lots of different seedlings, top looks like poppy, centre looks like lupin - no idea where that could have come from, others no idea
7-7-2024
first (and probably only) flower 18-7-2024, 12 weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
Blue Poppy
seeds sown 8-6-2024 in 6 fibre pots on the right
Laurens Grape Poppy
not as many seeds in the packet as I would have expected so just using these 6 small pots, sown 24-4-2024
13-5-2024
a few actually looking like poppy - but very slowly
27-7-2024 I repotted all those small poppy seedlings - not that they really needed it, the roots had not filled the pots and weren't coming out the bottom, most seem to have buds even in their small state, the tall one on the right I think is the giant poppy
first Lauren's Grape poppy flower 31-7-2024, 14 weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
Giant Poppy
sown 24-4-2024
only giant poppy seedlings I can find now or may have gotten confused with the Lauren's Grape
30-7-2024 first and only giant poppy flower with a hoverfly, 14 weeks from sowing seed to flowering
another view of the giant poppy
5-8-2024 another Laurens Grape and I'm not sure what the other is
Prickly Blue Poppy seeds sown 27-7-2024
9-8-2024 a few seedlings have appeared
2-9-2024
Safflower / Carthamus tinctorius Zanzibar
18-3-2024 I had to leave my seedlings/small plants behind when I moved (they hadn't flowered yet) so wanted to get more of these going asap.
29-3-2024 first seedlings have appeared
4-5-2024
11-5-2024 seedlings repotted
30-6-2024 seedlings planted out
1-8-2024 the slugs have eaten these a lot but a few are hanging on
6-8-2024
10-8-2024 first flower, 20 weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
29-7-2024 I *think* these are sheepsbit seedlings. Another wait and see.
6-8-2024
25-9-2024
28-3-2025 the sheepsbit pots (lower round pots) have been overwhelmed with self-seeders
29-3-2025 I found it was only 4 pots that had sheepsbit and again, too difficult to separate at this point
seeds sown 11-8-2024
18-8-2024
20-8-2024 very good germination, just about every cell has a seedling
31-8-2024
6-9-2024
23-9-2024
16-1-2025
some of the stock seedlings
some of the remaining stock seedlings, so much slug damage but a few are surviving
I repotted a second large pot of the stock seedlings with those seedlings, can't believe how few I had left after all the slug damage
29-3-2025
the other pot of stocks, I can't believe how few I have left after the slugs
4-4-2025
seeds sown 2-4-2024, 12 fibre pots to the right in the Nepeta nervosa / nuda tray shown above
25-5-2024
3-6-2024 I repotted all the summer savory seedlings into one large pot
15-6-2024
3-7-2024
first flower 9-7-2024, 14 weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
17-7-2024
5-8-2024 the plants are now full of flowers
and the smell is amazing
Sunflower seeds sown 30-3-2024, I reused the coltsfoot pots as I've seen no germination of seeds that were rather old but if they should come through I'll have both in the pots
24-4-2024, 7 seedlings (from packet of 25 seeds)
4-5-2024
26-5-2024
repotted some of the sunflower seedlings into this larger pot
Sweet Sultan / Amberboa moschata
seeds sown 24-5-2024, 2 columns to the right
4-6-2024
22-6-2024 with the hot day weather starting, I couldn't leave seedlings in the small fibre pots, the larkspur are in an inner circle surrounded by sweet sultan in an outer circle (same photo under larkspur)
27-7-2024 savagely eaten by slugs, only a few plants left
a couple plants actually have buds
12-8-2024 first flower, 12 weeks from sowing seeds to flowering
there seem to be about 6 buds, so many have been eaten my slugs
17-10-2024
after the few flowers I got, I'm left with this plant, larger than the other plants and did not bloom, is it a sweet sultan?? if so, why didn't it bloom, if it's something else, coincidentally quite simialr, I will leave it and see what happens with it
11-5-2024 I put all the viola seeds (following 3 varieties) into this pot
26-5-2024
4-6-2024
15-6-2024
10-7-2024
13-7-2024
17-7-2024 first bud appearing
20-7-2024 first flower, 10 weeks from sowing seeds to first flower
first flower with the rest of the seedlings / small plants
26-7-2024 this flower got damaged, I think maybe by a bird
27-7-2024 more flowers in bloom
close-up of that small flower in the middle
Viola Arkwright Ruby
Viola Chicky Chicks
Viola Tiger Eye Red
Woolly thistle (Cirsium eriophorum) (Growild Nursery) seeds sown 29-6-2024
4-9-2024 I got the thistle seedlings confused. I think these are the woolly thistle seedlings
25-9-2024 (cotton thistle top centre).
Yellow Chamomile / Cota tinctoria
seeds sown 24-5-2024, see photo under Sweet Sultan, 2 columns of fibre pots
4-6-2024
20-6-2024
25-6-2024 Cota tinctoria seedlings repotted, last small fibre pots repotted
5-8-2024 planted seedlings in the ground, I discovered they were very pot-bound and difficult to get out of the pots, I should have planted them out before
20-1-2025 the seedlings above at the front (the seedlings at the back were completely eaten by slugs)
first flower, end of May 2025
lots of buds
14-8-2024 seeds sown
Garden Withindoors
