Sowing from seed
Seeds are one of nature’s wonderful
gifts, containing everything needed to
grow a plant from scratch, all bundled
into a tiny package. Most plants can
be grown from seed, although some
may require extra measures such as
soaking or scarification (weakening
the seed coating) to encourage
germination. Sowing
requirements vary
according to plant
TOP PICKS type, too, so
Bianca Boman of
sunflower, cosmos,
heirloom veges, sweet
pea, billy buttons
Seeing a beautiful bloom
– like this cosmos – grow
from a tiny seed can be one
of gardening’s greatest joys
Mr Fothergill’s recommends following
the instructions on the back of each
seed pack to get the best results.
You can also collect and use your
own seed from most plants. Seed
heads are produced once flowers are
finished – don’t deadhead blooms if
you want to collect seed. The process
varies between plants, so it’s best to
do a little research first – for example,
you can harvest seed from ripe
tomatoes, but you need to wait for the
seedpods to dry on coriander.
Ideally, seed should be collected
from open-pollinated varieties, that
is, plants pollinated by natural means,
as opposed to hybrid plants. Hybrids
have been artificially crossed to
produce plants with desirable traits,
but seeds from hybrids won’t always
grow ‘true-to-type’ and resulting
plants may be different to the parents.
Plant division
Dividing plants involves removing and
replanting a section of the parent
plant that has its own roots. It works
best with evergreen and herbaceous
perennials that have a clumping
habit, such as hostas, clivias, salvias,
asters, Phormium and ornamental
grasses. Over time, as these plants
spread, they can become crowded
and won’t perform or flower as well as
they used to. So dividing them gives
you more stock to fill gaps and keeps
the parent plants looking their best.
To divide a clump, dig around the
edge of the plant and use a garden
fork to gently lift it out of the ground
or pot. Gently tease apart the root
ball; if it’s difficult to work with, use
a sharp knife or spade to divide it,
ensuring each section has viable roots
and shoots. “Replant or repot each
plant in a good-quality mix and water
regularly to keep the mix moist,”
says Bianca. Most perennials and
some ornamental grasses
should be divided in
winter or early
spring, before
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new growth
lamb’s ear, mondo
has started.
grass, dianthus,
dahlia, iris
“There are many ways to propagate.
You can grow from seed, divide
roots or tubers and take cuttings
of stems or even leaves”
Bianca Boman, Mr Fothergill’s
With plants that produce offshoots,
such as primula auricula, propagation
is a simple case of lift and separate
Photography (far left) Anna Robinson, Wild Violet Flower Farm;
(left) Gap Photos/Lynn Keddie; (opposite) Cath Muscat.
A
re there gaps in your
garden that need
filling? For most
gardeners, there’s
always room for
more plants – and the good news
is you can boost your collection
using what you already have.
Propagation is a way of creating
new plants from existing ones. As
gardening editor Rachel Clare
explains, propagating is enjoyable
and economical, allowing you to
share your plants with friends and
family for free. “You end up with more
plants, including types of plants that
can be harder to find, plus it makes
you think of the person who gave it
to you or the place it came from,” she
says. There are several different ways
to do this – read on to find out how.