Here we are, post-Autumn equinox; the mornings are getting hazier and the dew is properly wet underfoot. For some of us, this is a favourite time of year; for others, even if we prefer the summer season, any sadness at the departure of the sun can be counteracted by all that optimism which we pour into planning what to do in the garden. We might be doing some things all over again; we might be tackling other things for the first time ever. In Saturday’s How to Garden, in the second part of our gardening Store Cupboard Basics, we’re going to be looking at some simple ideas to get us started in the garden, and some the things I truly enjoy doing. Mood-busting gardening - what’s not to like?
We all love a freebie, as we talked about in our chat here where we shared our favourite plants that seed themselves around, (nearly a year ago, can you believe?) One of the other things I’ll be taking a very simple look at in the Store Cupboard Basics is seed-sowing, and today, here’s one plant that I can heartily recommend putting on your seed shopping list, partly because it will provide you with hundreds, if not thousands, of free plants.
I’ve been meaning for a while to tell you about this fabulous plant, which self-seeds like anything. It’s so beautiful that I don’t think you’d ever tire of it, and once you’ve planted a few, it’s pretty much a sure thing that if it’s happy, you’ll be able to enjoy it forever. The effects it creates move from pretty through to magical, misty through to mysterious, and always charming - basically it goes through the whole range of total satisfaction. All for the price of a packet of seeds. Somehow, this stunner seems to go with absolutely everything - as happy in a flowerbed as it is in a gravel area, I can highly recommend it for creating an absolute WOW in your garden. Everyone loves it; everyone asks its name and how to grow it. It’s one of those plants.