Self seeders in the garden
It is a common theme on gardeners world to describe how to propagate extra plants at very little cost.However propagation is often time consuming and can be tricky.Therefore plants that can do the hard work for you are to be encouraged in my humble opinion!
For example when I started my own cottage garden in 2008 I sowed borage(Borago officinalis)in the ground.It comes up in gaps every year providing a attractant to bees,an addition to summer drinks whilst being a beautiful plant in its own right.
Another plant that has always been a prolific seeder is Aquilegia or Grannies bonnets.The flowers look like doves if you look at an individual petal.They dont tend to find spaces very far from the original plant but it is perfectly possible to move them.Furthermore,as they are very promiscuous they will pop up in a variety of different colours.Ones I would recommend on the basis of looks are- 'Black Barlow' a double flowered dark purple aquilegia, 'William Guinness' a black and white conventional aquilegia and 'Mckana hybrids' which are red and yellow.Ofcourse in strict colour schemes pink and white flowered types are also highly desirable.
A good plant for gravel is the cailfornian poppy which I personally think looks best when just orange.It seeds quite readily if left but can get mildew late in life so can look unsightly.The gravel obviously replicates the free draining soil of the californian desert.Two other plants to try in gravel or in any other little gaps in part shade are the poached egg plant Limonathes douglasii and Nigella.They will seed very thickly so cannot be mixed so readily in combination with other plants.
Another plant that suits the moist soil of my garden is Pulmonaria.It is a woodland plant so likes a bit of shade or in full sun quite a lot of moisture.'Sissinghurst White' is my favourite but 'Lewis Palmer' has pink and blue flowers that are most attractive also.
Lavender(Lavandula angustofolia) can also seed quite readily but does not come true which can be a problem.Euphorbias are prolific seeders-once you have them you cant get rid of them and their alien invader heads and architecteral foliage makes them a good value plant in sun and part shade.
Sweet rocket also know as Hesperis seeds readily and has lovely white flowers around april time.Beth chatto reckons it tolerates dry shade.Im certainly going to try it but Im not convinced.
Other seeders in the right enviroment-calendula(will love poor soil and will cluster round their mothers like little ducklings),nasturtium(produces hundreds of seeds and thrives in poor soil so very easy to grow),Anemathele lessoniana(a grass which is a borderline weed once you have it),geranium phaem(I know one shady garden where it has seeded prolifically) and sanguineum(pops up in most sunny spots).
Its incredibly satisfying getting plants for free and especially when you discover them whilst weeding.Whilst weeding we turn into mere reptiles stalking our pray the pernicious weed but in turn finding old friends in the most unlikely of places!
For example when I started my own cottage garden in 2008 I sowed borage(Borago officinalis)in the ground.It comes up in gaps every year providing a attractant to bees,an addition to summer drinks whilst being a beautiful plant in its own right.
Another plant that has always been a prolific seeder is Aquilegia or Grannies bonnets.The flowers look like doves if you look at an individual petal.They dont tend to find spaces very far from the original plant but it is perfectly possible to move them.Furthermore,as they are very promiscuous they will pop up in a variety of different colours.Ones I would recommend on the basis of looks are- 'Black Barlow' a double flowered dark purple aquilegia, 'William Guinness' a black and white conventional aquilegia and 'Mckana hybrids' which are red and yellow.Ofcourse in strict colour schemes pink and white flowered types are also highly desirable.
A good plant for gravel is the cailfornian poppy which I personally think looks best when just orange.It seeds quite readily if left but can get mildew late in life so can look unsightly.The gravel obviously replicates the free draining soil of the californian desert.Two other plants to try in gravel or in any other little gaps in part shade are the poached egg plant Limonathes douglasii and Nigella.They will seed very thickly so cannot be mixed so readily in combination with other plants.
Another plant that suits the moist soil of my garden is Pulmonaria.It is a woodland plant so likes a bit of shade or in full sun quite a lot of moisture.'Sissinghurst White' is my favourite but 'Lewis Palmer' has pink and blue flowers that are most attractive also.
Lavender(Lavandula angustofolia) can also seed quite readily but does not come true which can be a problem.Euphorbias are prolific seeders-once you have them you cant get rid of them and their alien invader heads and architecteral foliage makes them a good value plant in sun and part shade.
Sweet rocket also know as Hesperis seeds readily and has lovely white flowers around april time.Beth chatto reckons it tolerates dry shade.Im certainly going to try it but Im not convinced.
Other seeders in the right enviroment-calendula(will love poor soil and will cluster round their mothers like little ducklings),nasturtium(produces hundreds of seeds and thrives in poor soil so very easy to grow),Anemathele lessoniana(a grass which is a borderline weed once you have it),geranium phaem(I know one shady garden where it has seeded prolifically) and sanguineum(pops up in most sunny spots).
Its incredibly satisfying getting plants for free and especially when you discover them whilst weeding.Whilst weeding we turn into mere reptiles stalking our pray the pernicious weed but in turn finding old friends in the most unlikely of places!