Thanks to Janet Draper, horticulturist at the Smithsonian’s Ripley Garden on the National Mall, I’m CRAVING these flowering annuals, all super-easy to grow from seed outdoors. Yes, I was much relieved to hear Janet dismiss the notion of growing seed indoors as waaay too much trouble. I hear ya! But these beauties can be just tossed about for that wild, cottage-garden look – once, and you never have to buy them again. Then to "design" them, just edit out the ones you don’t want. Oh, and the tossing about can start now, in late winter as the snows melt.
Upper left are Sweet Asyllum (Lobularia maritima) in rose pink.
Upper right the very cool seeds pods of Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum). Gotta have it.
Lower right – nice mix of Forget-Me-Nots (Myosostis)
Lower left, gorgeous mix of larkspur, lillies, achillea, and echinops.
Photos courtesy Janet and the Smithsonian.
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I sowed larkspur and poppies in the late fall here in NC and they’re looking great. I just bought a lot more seeds.
Cameron
Wonder if I can do that now, here in the PNW, with cosmos and rudbekia? On the poppy, mine never die back entirely. They keep their leaves all winter long. A nice treat.
Beautiful shots of these easy care plants. I have inherited quite a few different kinds of lilies from my father’s garden, but had to fence them in to protect them. I live in a rural part of Wisconsin where we have a lot of deer. Can you tell me if these four-legged critters would stay away from those plants you have pictured? If not, do you have any suggestions?
I’m big into self-sowing — but I’ve learned my lesson on Alyssum, Forget-Me-Nots, and Cleome – to grab the seedheads beforethey open and spill EVERYwhere – unless you want a whole garden of them.
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