Information on Seeds
A packet of seeds from one of the variety of choices presented below will be added to your purchase on selection.
These are natural seeds grown in our gardens at the family home in Clare and in the Cottage garden in Adare.
Cottage garden in Adare
Garden in Co Clare
Red Poppy
I find that these are best grown by sprinkling onto the soil and covering lightly with soil and a gentle watering any time from April to September. They won’t probably flower until the following year so watch out not to weed the seedlings out as they start to grow. Don’t sprinkle the seeds too closely together, they become quite big plants.
They flower from May until July and die back over the winter, only appearing again in the New Year (March/April) so be careful not to dig them up. They like full sun and well-drained soil; they will tolerate dry conditions well. The bees and insects love them. You may want to tie the flower head to a stake as they can grow up to 2/3 feet high and can fall down easily.
Columbines
I usually plant these from March/Oct - they won’t flower until the following year but seem to make nice strong plants ready for flowering from the spring. They can be mixed colours from purple to pink as they come from a mixture of plants in my garden. Just sprinkle them directly onto the soil and give a light covering of soil and a gentle watering.
They flower from May to June and will self-seed if you leave the flower heads turn to seed heads and dry on the plant. They will grow in sun and light shade. I don’t find that they need any support as they are quite strong. They grow approx. 2 feet high and you can sprinkle them among your other plants and they will just grow up though them.
They flower from May to June and will self-seed if you leave the flower heads turn to seed heads and dry on the plant. They will grow in sun and light shade. I don’t find that they need any support as they are quite strong. They grow approx. 2 feet high and you can sprinkle them among your other plants and they will just grow up though them.
Purple Poppy
These are a great plant as every part of them looks lovely - the bud, the flower and the seed head. They grow very vigorously – I sprinkle them directly onto the soil any time from April to Sept, they will grow through gravel and sandy places and in good soil, they love the sun and will tolerate dry soil.
They flower from June to Sept and if you leave the seed heads form on the plant and dry them will empty the seeds onto the garden and re-grow the following year. They can grow about 2 foot tall but if they are growing in gravel they can grow smaller.
The insects just love them.
They flower from June to Sept and if you leave the seed heads form on the plant and dry them will empty the seeds onto the garden and re-grow the following year. They can grow about 2 foot tall but if they are growing in gravel they can grow smaller.
The insects just love them.
Poached Egg Plant
This is the best value in plants. It is a brilliant plant for covering the ground and stopping weeds growing. It can flower continuously until it gets really cold. They will start to grow, flower and die back so that they look dead and then the seed starts to sprout again and they start all over again and this could happen 4 times in a year. Just don’t remove the dead looking leaves or you might remove
the next crop of seeds.
They grow about 6 inches high but they completely cover the ground around themselves, they are covered with flowers. I sprinkle the seeds directly onto the soil and give a light cover of soil and water. You can do this anytime from March to September and they will flower the same year. The bees and insects
absolutely love them. They only like a sunny position; they won’t grow in shady places.
the next crop of seeds.
They grow about 6 inches high but they completely cover the ground around themselves, they are covered with flowers. I sprinkle the seeds directly onto the soil and give a light cover of soil and water. You can do this anytime from March to September and they will flower the same year. The bees and insects
absolutely love them. They only like a sunny position; they won’t grow in shady places.
Hollyhocks
I plant these in pots in March/ April to start them off as they make quite big plants, or alternatively I start them in August/Sept to be ready to plant out the following year. When they are about 6 inches high I would plant them wherever I want in the garden, they are tall but narrow so plant where they will show off.
They can grow very tall (4 feet) and will probably need a support. They flower from dark wine to pink as they come from a variety of flowers in my garden.
They will self-seed if you allow the seeds to form on the plant but they have to form seed heads and dry on the plant before you remove them from the stem. Store somewhere dry and cool until you want to plant them.
They like sun and well-drained soil.
They can grow very tall (4 feet) and will probably need a support. They flower from dark wine to pink as they come from a variety of flowers in my garden.
They will self-seed if you allow the seeds to form on the plant but they have to form seed heads and dry on the plant before you remove them from the stem. Store somewhere dry and cool until you want to plant them.
They like sun and well-drained soil.
Cottage Garden Seeds
These are a mixture of some of the most easily grown flowers in our cottage garden - purple and red poppies, poached egg plants, columbines, hollyhocks and stock. They like a sunny position. I often sprinkle them around my other plants so that they provide a random mix of colours in the summer.
Anytime from March to May you can plant these outside straight into your garden.If you loosen some of the soil where you are going to plant them and just try to sprinkle the seeds fairly far apart. You can mix the seeds with sand before you sprinkle them and it helps to spread them out more thinly. The seeds are tiny and there are a lot of them in the pack so this helps to stop them all growing in one clump.
Give them a watering when you have spread them and water them over the next few weeks especially if it gets dry. Once they germinate you can water them more easily but if they don’t get enough water to germinate and grow when they are small they won’t be able to survive.
They are all plants which will seed themselves if you leave the seed heads to dry on the plant or collect the seed heads and save your own seeds for another year.
Anytime from March to May you can plant these outside straight into your garden.If you loosen some of the soil where you are going to plant them and just try to sprinkle the seeds fairly far apart. You can mix the seeds with sand before you sprinkle them and it helps to spread them out more thinly. The seeds are tiny and there are a lot of them in the pack so this helps to stop them all growing in one clump.
Give them a watering when you have spread them and water them over the next few weeks especially if it gets dry. Once they germinate you can water them more easily but if they don’t get enough water to germinate and grow when they are small they won’t be able to survive.
They are all plants which will seed themselves if you leave the seed heads to dry on the plant or collect the seed heads and save your own seeds for another year.