Sowing for Spring

If you have a spare corner or border on your allotment after harvesting crops you might consider sowing some hardy annual flowers for a splash of early colour next spring.

Simply clear the area of weeds, then scatter a handful of seeds thinly over the ground. Rake lightly to cover them with soil and water in.

Cornflowers, nigella, corn cockle and Californian poppies are just some of the hardy annuals which can be sown in September. They will develop into seedlings within a few weeks and will stand through the winter ready to burst into flower as soon as spring appears.

The reason for growing flowers on the allotment, apart from their beauty of course, is to provide nectar for bees and other beneficial insects - particularly important early in the season when there is little else in flower. See also the blog post on planting bulbs for bees here.

Hardy annuals produce masses of fabulous flowers in spring and summer. Pull them up when they have finished flowering or they will self-seed. Whilst this may be fine in your garden at home we don't want wind-borne flower seeds all over the allotments!