[Ruthie]

Anyone ever grown lavender or buddelja from seed? I'm trying it but don't know what to expect. Will they only grow using a heated propagator? Thanks

[Sive]

I planted some lavender seed this spring/summer ( my first time ever ) and I've only got 3 tiny little plants out of the 40 seeds...but that may well be my fault, I may have just done something wrong at some stage. I'm surprised at how slowly the seedlings are developing though, in spite of being in a glasshouse.

[Her Outdoors]

I had a go at at this about three years ago. I saved some seed from brooms and sowed them in Spring. They were very slow to start but did get going (in a cold frame). I planted them out the following year, and they are now about 3ft tall and the colours came through as well.

I bought 30 Leycesteria Formosa plants last year to form a hedge on a windy hill. They were quite small, in 3" pots. I wanted to continue with the hedge down the side of the site - about twice as long as the top. I thought this would be rather expensive, so I purchased a packet of seed from Ebay for £4 sterling includiing postage. When they arrived they looked like salt grains! I sowed them anyway in the greenhouse. They were quite slow to germinate, but they did eventually. They were a slow, painful job to prick out and were potted on a number of times. Eventually, having lost a few, we left the survivors over the Winter in a cold frame. We planted out 72 of these small weak plants in March and after a shaky start they now seem to bew thriving and range between 9" & 18" high, a nice spread and quite strong. We had about 50 plants left over, and I have replaced 8 of the original plants that I bought with these and they seem to be healthier than the first lot bought in pots. I have planted a few more in the mixed borders and still have some left. Although they took a bit of coaxing, they worked out very reasonable at £4 sterling and a couple of bags of compost. I have had a few failures too, but like everything in gardening, you always get back more than you put in.

[michael brenock]

many shrubs can be grown from seed but the real difficulty is getting seed from the shrubs as very many of them need a much warmer climate to set the seed. Any of the shrubs that set seed here are worth trying eg Cotoneaster, Crinodendron, Callistemon, Bay Laurel, Pittosporum, Crataegus, Pyracantha and many others. Save the seed when it is fully ripe and store until Spring.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

[Ruthie]

Thanks guys this gives me some hope!

[Her Outdoors]

Thanks for the list Michael, will now watch them like a hawk to set seed! I tried a fuschia seed head last year and got about 20 lottle plants. I have put a couple in tubs with summer bedding plants. Will I need to take them in in Winter? They are healthy looking, albeit a bit weak.

[michael brenock]

keep them under glass for the first year until the stems become woody or if they are planted out cover them with straw or mulch over the Winter.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)