Growing Annuals

here's a quick oversight of growing annuals by our Gardening and Horticulture Course instructor:

• Hardy annuals plants are cheap to grow from seed, and make a wonderful difference to any garden.   
• Hardy annuals can often be sown in autumn, and overwintered in a cold greenhouse or coldframe. Plant out once the soil has warmed up in spring. Sign of warm soil? Grass starts to grow again.
• Hardy annuals come in all colours, heights, shapes and sizes. There is something for everyone regardless of your garden’s soil and location.
• In a new garden, use hardy annuals to fill in gaps between new plants that have still to grow wider and higher.
• Hardy annuals are often excellent attractants to insects including the beneficial creatures that feed on our garden pests.
• Always choose simple flowers to attract beneficial insects. They need to be able to reach the pollen easily. Double flowers are often difficult to feed from
• Sow hardy annuals in early spring in pots or trays in a cold greenhouse. This protects them from spring winds and rain. Plant out once spring is well-established and the soil is warming up nicely
• You can sow hardy annual seeds directly into open soil, once it starts to warm up in spring. But use fleece to protect seedlings from cats scratching, or heavy rains.
• Before sowing hardy annual seeds, remove weeds that will compete for moisture and nutrients. Always sow at the depth recommended on the packet. In dry spells, remember to keep moist.
• Half-hardy annuals need to be sown in warmth, unless you’re in a suitable climate. Usually they do well on windowsills in warm rooms if you have no heated greenhouse.
• Some half-hardy annuals are in fact perennials in the native country. They can be kept over winter as long as they are kept in a frost-free place with plenty of light
• Always make sure you sow half-hardy annuals at the right time. Some need a long growing period before they flower. If you sow too late, you’ll have flowers too late!
• Some seeds are as fine as dust. Mix these with silver sand, or sieved potting compost, and sow in the compost’s surface. Do not cover.
• Annual flowers are often an excellent food source for bees. And we need to care for our bees as they are under threat at the moment.
• Gardens can be filled very cheaply with a carpet of colour from early summer until the first frosts, just by sowing and growing a good selection of annual seeds.

If you are interested in learning more about caring for annuals, then why not have a look at our range of courses here – Knowing and Growing Annuals Course is a course that will certify your knowledge: identify and grow annuals for seasonal colour in a garden bed, flower pot, tub or hanging basket. Grow them for cut flowers, or to produce a seed crop. Some are even edible! 

Or perhaps you would like to think about doing an online course. If so we offer specialist courses like,  Landscaping Courses, and many more gardening courses, along side our Horticulture Courses and the very popular RHS Courses. 
If you have any questions about the eBooks or our online courses, then please get in touch on via the contact form