How to grow Sweet Williams – Get them in the ground now for next year!
So, the Sweet Williams that I planted from seed last year are finally up and about. Sweet Williams have been available for a few weeks now from markets and shops but chances are they were grown indoors or in a poly- tunnel, so don’t ever worry if you think that yours are coming up a little late.
I put these wonderful creatures into the ground last June and when I was at the old house and when I realised that I wouldn’t be around to seem them come up “good un proper like” I decided to bring them with me. I carefully dug them out and then even more carefully re-planted them a different bed at this house.
This is a real testament to the sturdy nature of this plant and yet it produces such pretty flowers. Much like many of you I’m sure. You may look as beautiful and as pretty as can be but “DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT messin’ with me buddy, or I’ll have to eat you!!!” Cx
So, to get your seeds sown, which you need to do right now in order to have bunches of flowers for the house this time next year you have to have a nicely prepared bed.
I sowed four beds in total yesterday as I want them all along the edge of the garden but this illustrates how I prepped one of them.
It’s important to have a soft soil that isn’t full of large hard lumps or small rocks and stones. I used my current favourite garden tool to bash up and make this soil a lot finer and I also sieved the soil in order to get the last remaining stones outta there!
I then added a top layer of a very nice soil/compost mix and trimmed the edge of the bed to make it look super neat.
It got a good dousing of water so it was really pretty wet and this made the bed ready for the seeds to go in.
Here they are. I used a packet for each bed, which is a lot, but I can always thin them out if it gets too crowded in there and plant any extras in other places. This, as we know can be done, as I transplanted my current crop from one county to another!
When it looks like I’ll have to thin mine out I’ll write a post about it as then you can follow it if you need to do the same to yours. Cx
Once the seeds are in, rake over it very gently. I used Mo, my hand rake …….
….Robert the Husband “Stop naming your equipment, it’s weird!!!!!”….
….but to be honest you can use a dining fork to do this as it only needs a very gentle turning over.
Sprinkle another handful of the soil over the top and you’re all set.
If you think this all takes up a wee bit too much time than you have to spare then just take a quick leap forward to next year when you’ll be cutting them to go in to vases all over your house.
I put my first bunch in a vase this morning (I like the smell in the air in the morning so I get out there as soon as I can before it disappears) and popped it into the guest room as we have Robert’s mama staying with us this weekend and I think she likes Sweet Will’s.
Boo popped up to take a look at them.
v>
“Come on Boo, love, you can’t stand there looking all wistful, I need to photograph the flowers, pet “
And that’s where she stayed, people. At which point I went and took a shower. For all I know she’s STILL there….waiting for her close up.
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