It's a great time to plan on some important tasks in the garden if any of these plants apply in your green space.
The Salvia involucrata is really in its prime right now, and catches the eye, with any luck it could flower until November, depending on the first frosts, how hard that is, and the location in the UK. But well before those frosts arrive, I’ll be taking cuttings to grow on in 1 or 2 litre pots in the cool unheated glasshouse over the winter at the Lakeside garden. I just drape fleece over on really cold nights, and previous trials have resulted in approximately 50% rooting to pot off for continued growth next spring, possibly to plant out next summer. Minus temperatures will be detrimental in an unheated glasshouse though.
The second task is starting some seed collection to propagate from, just a drop of a few stems of Digitalis lutea (Straw Foxglove) into this plastic trough reveals an incredible amount of small seeds. I'll keep these in the shed for a few weeks until I'm ready to sow in September.
I sow this fine seed over a modular tray and just cover with a sprinkling of vermiculite or perlite. I have learned through experience that these seeds can germinate in a cool glasshouse, most likely with the onset of spring after the seeds have undergone colder temperatures, as physiological seed dormancy occurs and cold stratification breaks that process during the winter months.
My last task for now is collecting and sowing the seeds of Phormium species, New Zealand Flax.
I split open the amazing looking pods by hand in September, having stored them in the potting shed for a few weeks to dry a touch more after collecting. The seeds are shiny, black, and glossy, with a papery texture. I sow these into modular trays of seed compost; I insert them gently beneath the surface and then apply a fine sprinkle of horticultural grit sand. Previous experience has enlightened me that the seedlings establish well in this contrast of the two growing media.
Germination can be erratic, but I've experienced results in about 3 months from sowing the seeds, approx. 20% germination. The trick then with time constraints as a Head Gardener is to nurture forth the young plants.
Kevin Line, Head Gardener, Lakeside Hotel, Cumbria.
Also writes for the Professional Gardeners ‘Guild.
Member of HPS since 2013 and has written his blog for nearly 11 and a half years.
