This year, I said. This year will be the year I adopt a policy of both frugality and prudence in the seed department. No seed profligacy. Epic fail! Unlike last year, I am now a member of the RHS so can take advantage of their members-only seed scheme. I remain a member of the Hardy Plants Society so awaited eagerly the opening of their seed scheme towards the end of last month.
RHS Scheme
To be perfectly honest, I was a little underwhelmed by the choice, perhaps a couple of hundred varieties. One might think that those enormous gardens might yield more, and more interesting, varieties. Still, there was enough to pique my interest. I decided on the following:
- Amsonia hubrichtii (Arkansas blue star)
- Actaea pachypoda (white baneberry)
- Actaea simplex atropurpurea (purple baneberry)
- Kirengeshoma palmata (yellow wax-bells)
- Alstroemeria aurea (Peruvian lily)
- Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane)
- Cosmos bipinnatus
- Libertia chilensis (New Zealand satin flower)
- Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon)
- Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelain berry)
- Digitalis collection (foxgloves)
I have an amsonia hubrichtii plant, bought recently, so I ought to get my own seeds next year, but I was always impatient. This plant looked the business at Wisley earlier this year, it turns a fantastic colour in the autumn, really quite fetching.
Perhaps the seeds came from these very plants!
There aren’t enough foxgloves in my life so I completed my allocation of 15 seed varieties with a mixed batch of various foxgloves.
HPS Scheme
This is my third crack at the HPS Seed Distribution Scheme. The seeds are donated by members from around the world and compiled by seed elves into a huge selection, usually around 2000 to choose from. Most are hardy plants, but there are always annuals, shrubs and even some vegetables too. The normal allocation is 20 packets per order (one order per person), 30 if one is also a seed donor. Naturally I am, so my personal order was for 30 packets. I may not get all of my choices, but I was quick off the mark – members orders are fulfilled first, and in order of receipt. I am thus hopeful.
- Acanthus spinosus L.
- Acer davidii
- Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. lycoctonum
- Actaea mixed species
- Alcea rosea dark purple flowers
- Angelica archangelica
- Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’
- Astrantia ‘Dark Shiny Eyes’
- Astrantia ‘Hadspen Blood’
- Canna (poss. ‘Striata’ or ‘Durban’)
- Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Candy Stripe’
- Crocosmia pottsii ‘Culzean Pink’
- Eryngium bourgatii Graham Stuart Thomas’s selection
- Eupatorium purpureum
- Gaillardia ‘Burgundy Red’
- Geranium ‘Elke’
- Geranium phaeum
- Geranium pratense (Victor Reiter Group) ‘Purple-haze’
- Geranium sanguineum
- Geranium × magnificum
- Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’
- Heuchera ‘Metallica’
- Lupinus ‘The Governor’
- Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’
- Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Fontäne’
- Paeonia mlokosewitschii
- Pennisetum × advena ‘Rubrum’
- Ricinus communis ‘Impala’
- Tricyrtis hirta
- Zinnia ‘Red Spider’
I seem to have gone large on the geraniums. I did grow some from seed this year but can’t find the pots! I have bought quite a few hardy geraniums this year, I am fast developing a thing for them. I am intrigued by the peony ‘molly the witch’. This is a right bugger to grow, apparently, and could be 5 years before it gets to a worthwhile size.
In a sign of growth and development, I was able to resist the temptation to pile on a further order of 20 packets as Mrs P is technically also a member. In a sign of continuing affliction, I was not able to resist the temptation to order a lucky dip selection of 20 random packets, nor a packet of mixed seeds, the sweepings from the bottom of the seed drawers. It’s a game of two halves. My next job is to research sowing requirements – some will need a period of cold, some will require warmth, some will require other treatments to germinate.
I’ll be back in the new year with tales of seed sowing.
Nice! Please tell what happened then with Actaea, amsonia and geranium Purple haze? The former I managed to grow from seed, but the plants are weaker and less vigorous than regular geranium. Still, happy with them.
Actaea and amsonia I sow this March, and not one has germinated… 😦 Tried to do all according to manuals, cold period, etc. Did you find them tricky to germinate too?
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Yep, no joy with acteae, nor with amsonia. I ended up buying one of each as plants. Geranium I seem to have more luck with, have severalnlittlw geranium plants around the garden.
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There are several cultivars, varieties and hybrids on the list. It seems to me that cultivars are cultivars because they must be cloned to get copies of the same thing. If they are listed here here, is it because their seed are true-to-type, or is the potential for variation part of the fun? (I know there are a few plants that are propagated vegetatively merely because it is easier than growing them from seed.) Hybrids are sort of unexpected because so many hybrids do not produce viable seed.
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Yes realise any named cvs will be unlikely to come true, part of of the fun.
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Ha! I SO get it! I grow the canna seed just because the seed are there. I never know what I will get, and am actually disappointed when the babies are just like the parents.
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Very little overlap between your HPS list and mine. I’m mostly interested in edibles, so the Angelica was on my list. I had Canna last year and have a few nice plants surviving so far in the polytunnel. The one I was pleased to see this year was Fritillaria camschatcensis, the bulbs are edible and as a pacific NW native it may well like Skye….finger crossed.
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I almost (but not quite) don’t mind what I get. I enjoy the process of growing almost as much as the end result.
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You will defiantly be eating into that lawn……
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You may think that, I couldn’t possibly comment…
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But I was under the illusion Gx magnificum was a sterile hybrid ie does not produce seed division only.. Also G pratense amazing lovely foliage grew from seed several times dead easy…However, its a complete martyr for getting mildew. Wishing you every success , look forward to your post about your endevors.
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There is always a risk in these seed lists that something is mislabeled, so if you are right about the sterile one it probably isn’t that, but some other ger. Never mind. Noted about the mildew, shame. I mostly enjoy growing the plants, honestly i don’t have room for more than about 20% of them. If that!
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Sounds like the lawn is going to have to go!
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Some of it..
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As usual, you intrigue me! Seed scheme? Not a concept I readily know in America. I’ve now done a little reading on both RHS and HPS. Interesting! Truly, trying to make a decision would be agony. I rather like the ‘lucky dip’ and ‘packet of mixed seed’ options. Always fun to be surprised! I also did a quick Google search and found nothing by the name of ‘seed scheme’ in the US. Perhaps the concept goes by a different name. Keep up the fantastic work!
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I aim to please. I think the HPS can ship to the US, about 7 bucks gets you 25 packets. 2000 to choose from!
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Here’s a question. What would you take as success for each seed variety, a couple raised to planting size? And overall, how many non-shows to start to nibble at your self esteem? There’s no overlap between your HPS order and mine.
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Given I can’t be sure of seed quality I have low expectations. I have learnt to only prick out 5 or 6 of each kind and end up with maybe 3 plants of garden size. If i have more I’ll move them on. I usually have a bunch of seed pots that have done nothing, I just stash them in the corner of the cold frame till the next year. Usually something will just have needed another cold spell. Tbh if some don’t germinate that’s more of a relief than anything else!
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I’ve loads of seeds from RHS and elsewhere plus an order of special offer plug plants arriving in March. Guess what my new year’s resolution is! My problem is what do with them after germination and potting on. I don’t like to out my babies out in the cold.
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Just remember linda, there’s no such thing as too many plants.
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Hunted around all the trappings of Xmas here and eventually found my list of seeds ordered from the HPS scheme. We’ve both ordered the Ricinus impala. I’ll be interested to know how you get on with that one, it’s new to me. Have you grown it from seed before?
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Excellent. No i haven’t. Not difficult, i gather.
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I stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, in overordering seed from both these schemes! Bring it on.
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I appreciate the solidarity.
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The late Christopher Lloyd was less than complimenatary about Molly the Wtich. Although he praised the flower, he said it only bloomed for five days and “looked its best for about 20 minutes.” A trifle harsh I think
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Tbh I’m more interested in the process of growing it from seed. I might not like it when/if it grows to garden size.
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If you don’t like it, there will be many people willing to take it off your hands – it’s a bit special
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I’m sure I will. If it germinates. And grows. And i don’t kill it!
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I had more success than you in the resistance department (no RHS but I’ve avoided HPS/CGS/AGS schemes). Just 15 packets of hardy annuals that I bought to fill spaces between young plants and one unusual perennial of which some seed was a gift. I’ve even limited the cuttings. At the end of the day, there is only so much ground in which to plant things!
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You and your pesky rational assessment of available space. I refuse to be oppressed by the tyranny of reality.
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