[arugula]

Nothing coming up on a search of the forums to answer my question and as usual I appreciate your knowledge.....

Well OH is always complaining when I choose blue or purple flowers (I like blue flowers  )  so we're going for a bit more colour this year. I have just received my Zinnia elegans and Cosmos bipinnatus seeds and was wondering what people think about planting. Do you recommend starting them now in pots indoors or straight into the ground? I also have Sisyrinchium californicum seeds and the same question applies to these.... which along with the smallest seeds we have ever seen  - Sempervivum - are destined for our copper container. (The Sempervivum are already in pots indoors).

The reason I'm quite keen to bring them on in pots if it isn't a crazy idea, is that we have broadcast thousands of seeds, especially last year, all sorts of bee friendly meadow mixes, poppies, Nigella etc with very limited growth. We tend to blame this on the field mice, voles and shrews eating the seeds before they have a chance to germinate.

What do you flower experts think?

[Hey Jude]

Morning Argyllie, I always start my cosmos and zinnia's off in jiffy 7's (the little peat discs that you soak) end of March/beginning of April, then transplant out after the last frost. Like you, when I sow directly I never seem to get the best results and feel disappointed, so now I sow all my flowers into jiffy's. Afraid I can't answer on the others as I've never grown them! Hey Jude.

[arugula]

Hey there Jude, good morning!

Now there's another way that I hadn't thought of........ 

[mumofstig]

From freecycle I got loads of those trays that plug plants come in, and I sow all my plants in those, if possible only 1 or 2 seeds per cell.
Then when they come up they are easily moved on to bigger cells/pots. I find this a lot easier than sowing a seed tra/pot and pricking out/
I've never grown Zinnia or Sisyrinchium but Cosmos are soooo easy ( lavatera is pretty and easy as well pink and white). But I'm with you on the blue and purple.........have to force myself to do the pink/white thing

[arugula]

Thanks MoS! I'm glad its not just me with the blue flowers  . We already have 3 Lavatera which absolutely love it here and I chose Cosmos and Zinnia because I perceive from reading about them that they will both be reasonably hardy to the wind (as in strong enough not to get blown over too easily).  Hope I'm right....  ..... now if I could only get Sea Holly to grow......

[Trillium]

Cosmos are really tough yet elegant, but if they grow tall, they can get top heavy and blow over in a high wind so I'd recommend staking if you see them reach this point.
Sea holly: I never had luck starting the seeds so I accidentally got one in an iris root my sis gave me so I separated it and let it go on its business. Eventually the seeds spread themselves and now I have several which I've spread around my garden. They obviously have particular needs that I haven't caught onto.
Zinnas are dead easy as well and I'd recommend those be started about 2 months before planting out time. I usually do mine in cell trays so they can get good roots set without competition. Marigolds should do very well in your area and are also dead easy to start indoors about the same time.

[arugula]

Thanks Trillium! I'll keep an eye on the Cosmos. I haven't actually tried Marigolds since we came here so thats another thought, but I used to grow them when we lived in England.

[Spana]

I grow lots of flowers in my veg garden for cutting and find it hard to get away from pink blue and white.  The years when I've tried to get into yellows orange and red have been a disaster, they must know that they are not what i want.
I grow cosmos in just white and the mixed colour, cornflowers and gypsophila.  I also have 6 David Austin English roses in the veg garden for cutting and they are a waste of space.
I start everything off in pots as my land is wet,  and grow on as singles.  I plant out end of May into rows.  
The gyp I sow a pinch of seed to the pot and dont thin.  I do lots of these as they look good with geraniums or what ever in tubs, and give that billowing effect which i like.  I also plant them out unthinned into the ground.  You can make up great big vasefuls of flowers with just these three. Take no notice of what it says on the cosmos packets it all grows massive .

I am going to try Zinnia's this year as they look so good,  but aswell as not instead of

I must have sprinkled pounds of cornflower seed about the place but none of it ever comes up

[arugula]

Well I lied a bit, the Sisyrinchium were ordered as plants  and arrived today, so they are now relaxing in pots before they go to their new permanent home in the copper container. They arrived along with Cerinthe Purpurescens (blue flowers) seeds and Clerodendrum Trichotomum fargesii (Peanut butter tree with blue flowers!) seeds, so if they all grow now ......  :happy:

[Spana]

I love Cerinthe, it looks lovely in a vase with daffs

[arugula]

I love Cerinthe, it looks lovely in a vase with daffs