Hardy annuals thrive in cooler conditions and can withstand cold temperatures and light frosts. Unlike annuals & tender annuals, which are planted in spring and complete their life cycle within a single growing season, hardy annuals are typically sown in autumn.
They establish themselves before winter growings strong roots and then bloom the following year, making them an excellent choice for extending the gardening season. These plants are often the first to bloom in spring or early summer, providing a vibrant display of color when many other plants are still emerging from dormancy.
Hardy annuals can also be grown as annuals and can be started in springtime. This is particularly useful as staggered sowings can also help to extend the season and avoid a glut.
By understanding growing cycles, you can use hardy annuals to create a garden that bursts to life earlier in the season with minimal effort.
Why Sow Hardy Annuals?
In the world of gardening, these cool flowers stand out as the rock stars of the show:
Strong roots: Hardy annuals sown in autumn have bigger and stronger root systems to survive the winter and this gives them an advantage in spring
Size - Beacuse they have already developed a good root system, they can concentrate on growing above the ground. They will be more robust with thicker stems, and will grow larger.
Earlier flowering - Hardy annuals sown in autumn will flower earlier than those sown in spring and be more abundant
Hungry Gap : Hardy annuals will help to fill the gap between spring bulbs and summer blooms.
When to Sow: Timing is Key
The key to successfully growing hardy annuals lies in understanding the optimal timing for sowing and their blooms times. As Hardy Annuals will thrive in cooler temperatures, early spring or late autumn are ideal periods.
Each hardy annual has its own ideal sow time depending on a number of factors and also your individual conditions. Some need a period of cold stratification and others need a longer growing season. Here are a few of my top tips and timings based on my own observations and climate here in the south of England and this is also the order in which I sow some of my Hardy Annuals.
Centaurea
End Aug/ Beg Sep - I sow my cornflower very early, It's doesn't need any cold stratification and it's very hardy so it doesn't need much frost protection. I do cover mine with a lower level hoop if I have one spare if there is a snow forecast but they should survive in most parts of the UK without it. I prick out in October and then plan out into their final flowering positions at the end of Nov.
Snapdragons
I like to sow these early to - Beg Sep. The seeds and seedlings are tiny and are VERY slow growing so they seem to benefit from some extra heat at the beginning to be able to prick them out. I have a real problem with damping off as my greenhouse does not recieve much sunlight in the winter months and the garden is so sheltered that theres not much wind either so by sowing then early I can avoid the worsorst daming off period and get them outside. Ideally they too can be planted into final flowering positions in November. Learn more about growing Antirrhinums in our blog.
Orlaya
I pop the seed packet in the fridge at the beginning of September to give them a head start. They may need several periods of cold stratification to germinate so giving them a helping hand is usefull. They will germiante one by one usually with a few every few days. Gradually, until they all germaite. Leaving them outside over winter will allow this process to happen naturally but i'll be honest I'm impatient! I leave these in their cell trays, bumping them up to pots when necessary and plating out in springtime.
Larkspur
Beg Sep - These seeds go in the fridge along with the orlaya until beg Oct. They also need several periods of cold stratification and will sometime take a couple of months to show any progress at all. Then a few seeds will appear. Which is honestly a relief, and then all of a sudden they will all germinate within a week - when the conditions are just right.
Daucus
Another seed packet for the fridge at the beginning of September . They also may need a couple of periods of cold stratification but aften just the one is enough. These also stay in cell trays until the new year if possible and then get bumped up to pots.
Sweetpeas
These are usually my last seeds to sow in mid to late October. They don't need any cold stratification but they are so quick to germinate and put on growth that by the end of January they are too tall for my greenhouse bench and are hitting the sloped roof. This is usually my sign to give them a trim and get some canes in the pots to support them. The trimmings can also be used as cuttings - learn all about taking sweepea cuttings in our blog. I will usually plant them out in March as they are screaming to go out and have grown so big.
Wishing you a successful sowing Autumn season ....... If you would like to read more about growing for a beautiful bloom filled garden then check out our growing guides for more hints & tips
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