Guest Author - Nicola Jane Soen

What flowers would you plant if you wanted a traditional English cottage garden? How would you help them grow, or grow them from seed?

One of the mainstays of a traditional English garden is the hollyhock. Not the fancy hybrid doubles one, with its modern carnation lookalike blooms; but the humble single. With its spire of single flowers on a tall stem that can easily reach 6 feet.

You do not have to buy seed if you have a kind gardener who will let you have a few seedlings. (Hollyhocks seed easily, everywhere!) For free, or may give you some seeds from the hock when it has finished flowering.

Sown in February, indoors or in a warm greenhouse, or under glass, fill trays with good compost, plant seeds cover lightly with compost and water gently. When seedlings come up, thin out carefully if you need too. Harden off (this means put out in the sun for a few hours a day; till the seedlings are used to the sun and out side conditions.)

Plant out where you want them to flower in May, when all threat of frost is past. Put down slug pellets or slug preventions, as slugs LOVE the baby seedlings. I use an excellent organic one.

Do not for get, that although the seedlings are TINY at first, this plant grows very, very BIG! So leave at least a foot between each one; if not more! Stake if in a windy position and plant at the back of the border.

Delphiniums are another absolute beauty. Tall stately spires of iridescent blue (also pink or white, but these are not so common) with black or white centres, their magnificence defies description. Do NOT be put off by being told these are hard to grow! If I can grow them anyone can! Follow the same rule for the hollyhocks, if you can; for free seed or plantlets, or offer the gardener maybe a plant cutting or plantlet you have in exchange; that he/she may want. If not, buy the seed. Suttons are good. The seeds are not that expensive to be honest, and grown plants do not cost the earth. With care and management, one packet will last you for ages, because you can divide the plants.

Sow indoors, green house or under glass in February, in compost. Thin if necessary. Follow the same rules for planting as the hollyhocks. As with hollyhocks, don’t expect flowers in the first year. These plants establish themselves and their roots in the first year and flower in the second. You may get flowers in the first year, but do not bank on it.

You can sow them directly where you want them to flower; in finely raked soil in May if you prefer too. Make sure you sow them thinly, or thin then out if needed. Put slug protection down and water gently.

Also do not be worried in autumn when your hollyhocks and delphiniums disappear underground completely. They go underground to sleep. They will pop back up in spring. If however they begin to disappear in spring it may be due to pests like slugs. Put down pellets, they may grow back that year, they may not! Prevention is better than cure. Stop those slugs before they enjoy your flowers; if at all possible!

After hardening off; plant out the seedlings in May, when all danger of frost is past. Plant them where you want them to grow and stake them, they are vulnerable to winds. As with holly hocks, these are big plants, so leave a good amount of space between each one. After a few years they get poorer, so divide them and replant the strong part. Collect the seeds after flowering if you want to grow more. These do not self seed easily (mine have not) but you can always plant the seed next year.

Above all enjoy the experience of growing. It truly does not matter if it goes wrong, because garden centres sell them if you get really desperate!