Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Ammi visnaga

Family: (Apiaceae)

(A) to 3′.  Khella, Toothpick Plant.  Egypt.  Grown since antiquity for medicinal purposes.  This sophisticated Queen Anne’s Lace relative produces masses of feathery, delicate, aromatic foliage topped with wide, compound, flat umbels of tiny, greenish-white flowers.  An excellent and unusual filler; most desirable for cut flower displays.  Well-drained soil.  Sun.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Onopordum acanthium

Family: (Asteraceae)

(B) to 6′. Scotch Thistle. A very stately, very prickly, and very beautiful plant. Cobweb-like hairs cover broad, silver-grey, deeply lobed, spiny leaves. Light purple thistles are held upright in a tight crown. Self-sows. Sun. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Tinantia erecta

Family: (Commelinaceae)

(A) to 3.5′.  Widow’s Tears.  Mexico to South America.  This exotic beauty unfurls a host of sugar pink, three-petalled flowers all through the heat of summer.  Forms sturdy, upright clumps with fleshy, bright green, ribbed, lanceolate foliage.  Reliable self-sower in place.  Sun/partial shade.  4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Silene armeria

Family: (Caryophyllaceae)

(A) to 8″.  Sweet William Catchfly.  Europe.  Grey-green, glaucous leaves and loose clusters of tubular, bright rose-pink flowers with five notched petals.  Flowers profusely July through August.  A cheerful and easy self-sower.  An old fashioned beauty that is a mainstay in grandmother’s garden.  Sun.  3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Salvia farinacea

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(A) to 3′. Mealy Sage. Native to Texas and Mexico. Tubular, two-lipped, violet-blue flowers are densely congested in whorls along erect stems creating a 4″-8″ spike above the numerous grey-green, lance-shaped leaves. The common name is in reference to the mealy-white (sometimes purple) appearance of the sepals, which are covered with felted hairs. A long-bloomer. Sun/partial shade. 4 & T2

This seed is either sold out or unavailable

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Reseda luteola

Family: (Resedaceae)

(A/B) to 5’. Dyer’s Rocket. Long, meandering, slender spikes of small, yellowish flowers top narrow, lance-shaped leaves. A dyer’s plant yielding flavone, used to colour textiles yellow. Long blooming and self-sows. We just love it. Sun. 4 & T2. Best in situ.

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Persicaria orientalis (syn. Polygonum orientale)

Family: (Polygonaceae)

(A) to 7′. Kiss-Me-Over-The-Garden-Gate. Southeastern Asia and Australia. A spectacular, old-fashioned cottage garden favourite with lush, heart-shaped leaves and fast growing, stout, branching stems bearing in late summer flamboyant, arching, three to four inches long, pendulous, crimson-pink flower clusters. Makes an excellent cut flower too. Self-sows. Prefers moist, rich soil. Flowers from midsummer until frost. Direct sow or 3 & 7 for 3 weeks then T2.

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Perilla frutescens Green Leaf

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(A) to 4′.  Shiso.  Himalayas to East Asia.  A selection of superb, iridescent foliage plants.  Try one, or all of them in the flower border.  Easy to move around the garden to “fill in” when you need a good block of colour.  Self-sows.  Sun.  Best sown in situ or 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Papaver somniferum Mix

Family: (Papaveraceae)

(A) to 3.5′.  Southeast Europe, West Asia.  We are lucky to have a number of showy variants of the classic Opium Poppy that self-sow each year in the Flower Garden.  Stems and leaves are a glaucous, greyish-green and sparsely covered with coarse hairs.  Jaggedly incised and toothed leaves clasp the upright stems at the base.  Tissue paper-like flowers are typically four-petalled, but often double, vary widely in colour and can have dark makings at the petal bases.   Flower centres feature many attractive stamens arranged in multiple whorls.  The beautiful and persistent fruits are hairless, rounded, many-seeded capsules opening by pores just below the apex.  Whilst we cannot promise specific colours, we can assure you great satisfaction in establishing these self sowers in your full sun garden.  Best sown in situ upon receipt.

This year’s colours include: 

Lavender, Magenta, Orange, Pink, Peach, Purple and Red. 

 

This seed is either sold out or unavailable

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Nonea lutea

Family: (Boraginaceae)

(A/B) to 10″. Yellow Monkswort. SW Asia, SW Russia. This early spring bloomer forms large mats of dark green, lanceolate leaves that are rough in texture with a peculiar pustulated surface. The primrose yellow, five-petalled flowers are borne in the leaf axils similar to Pulmonaria. A reliable self-sower. Sun. Best sown in situ or 3 & T1