Beginner Plants: Non-Native Flowers

Read time: 3 minutes

I've covered native flowers, and now it's the turn of the non-native flowers. While it is good to plant native, provided you choose non-natives carefully and don't let them take over, these plants can be beneficial too. Some of the below plants have been naturalised, meaning that it grows on its own in nature in its new environment.

Other Flowers

Pot Marigold

Annual.

Sow seeds between late March and late June, or between late September and late December.

Grows up to 8 - 24 inches tall and spreads up to 1 - 2 ft.

Grows best in full sun.

Flowers between June and September if sown in spring, or May to July if sown in autumn.

They are great companions for many plants as they repel many different pests, and can attract pollinators.

The petals are edible.

Pot marigold flower

Nasturtium

Annual.

Sow seeds between March and June.

Grows up to 5 - 8 ft, and is a climber, meaning it will spread on the ground or grow up a support. 

Grows best in full sun.

Flowers between late July and your first frost.

They are great companions for many plants as they attract pollinators and can act as a trap crop, luring pests to them instead of other plants.

All parts of the plant are edible. 

Nasturtium flower

Snowdrops

Perennial.

Plant snowdrop bulbs immediately after buying, in late April or May. Divide clumps as the leaves are turning yellow. Collect and sow seeds as soon as they ripen, around mid May - mid June.

Grows up to 5 inches tall and spreads up to 8 inches.

Grows best in partial shade.

Flowers from January to March.

They are a great early source of pollen for pollinators. 

They have been naturalised after being brought to the UK in the 15th or 16th century.

Snowdrops

California poppy

Annual.

Sow seeds in March, April, May, August or September.

Grows up to 1 1/2 ft tall and spreads up to 1 1/2 ft.

Grows best in full sun.

Flowers between June and October.

They have been naturalised in the UK.

The flowers and seeds are edible. 

California Poppy

Lupin

Usually perennial.

If you are buying them as plants, then plant them as they become available, between March and July. If you are sowing seeds, then do so between late March and late April.

Grows up to 1 1/2 - 4 ft tall, depending on variety. Spreads 1 1/2 - 3 ft.

Grows best in full sun.

Flowers in May and June.

They are very good at attracting pollinators.

Naturalised to the UK. They readily self-seed and grow big roots, so keep them under control.

Lupins

Borage

Annual.

Best to sow seeds or plant young plants in April or May, but can be done at other times of the year.

Grows up to 1 1/2 - 2 ft tall and spreads up to 3/4 ft.

Grows best in full sun, but can grow in light shade too.

Flowers between June and September.

Leaves and flowers are edible.

Good for attracting pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Readily self-seeds.

Borage

Rose Campion

Hardy biennial or short-lived perennial.

You can sow seeds between late February and late April or between late September and late December.

Grows up to 1 - 2 ft tall and spreads up to 1 1/2 ft.

Grows best in full sun.

Flowers from June to October.

It has been naturalised to the UK in some areas.

Readily self-seeds.

Love-in-a-Mist

Annual.

You can sow seeds outside between April and September.

Grows up to 16 - 24 inches tall and spreads 8 inches.

Grows best in full sun.

Flowers between July and September.

Naturalised in the UK after being introduced in the 16th century.

Readily self-seeds.

Love-in-a-mist flower

Sunflowers

More of a typical 'crop' plant than the other flowers here.

Usually annual, but some varieties are perennials.

Sow seeds inside from mid April to late May, or sow outside after your last frost.

Depending on variety, they can grow up to 13 ft tall, but most varieties won't be as tall as that.

Grow best in full sun.

Typically flower from late July to early October. 

They will self-seed.

Good at attracting pollinators and other beneficial insects that prey on insect pests.

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ

Beginner Plants: Native Flowers

Read time: 5 minutes

The flowers I'm going to list here are native to the UK, for various pollinators, and can be grown with minimum effort, mostly being able to just leave them once the seeds have been sown or planted. There are many more flowers to choose from.

Spring Flowering

Bluebells

Perennial.

Propagate by sowing seeds in September or October. 

Grows up to 1 1/2 ft tall and spreads up to 4 inches. 

Grows well in partial shade.

Flowers from late March to early May.

The plants can spread rapidly.

Daffodil

Perennial.

Propagate by planting bulbs in September, or plant potted bulbs in March, April or May before they flower. Plant bulbs in clumps for best results. 

They can self-seed, and can also produce bulblets, which can be separated from the main bulb. 

Grows up to 8 to 20 inches tall, depending on variety. 

Grows best in full sun, but can grow in light shade.

Flowers from February to May.

If you are going to cut down the leaves, wait until they turn yellow first (around 6 weeks after flowering). If you do it too early, the bulb won't store as much energy and the flowers the following year will be worse.

Daffodil flowers

Grape Hyacinth

Perennial.

Propagate by planting bulbs between September and November.

Grows 6 -9 inches tall and spreads 3 - 6 inches.

Grows best in full sun, but can grow in light shade.

Usually flowers between March and May. 

Grape hyacinth flowers

Wood Anemone 

Perennial.

Propagate by division after the leaves have died down and the plant is dormant between late May and late September.

Grows up to 1 1/2 ft tall and spreads up to 1 1/2 ft.

Grows well in partial shade. 

Flowers from March to May.

Spring &  Summer Flowering

Bugle

Perennial.

Propagate by division or planting seeds in late March, early April, or between late September and mid December.

Grows up to 1 1/2 ft tall and can spread up to 3 ft.

Partial shade is preferred, but it can grow in full sun. 

Flowers from late April to late August.

Acts as a good ground cover if you keep it under control. Can become invasive if not controlled.

Deadhead (cut off flowers when fading or dead) if you don't want it to seed.

You can cut down to the ground between late December and late March.

My 'ground cover' bugle flowering

Common Columbine

Perennial.

Propagate by sowing seeds between late March and late June, or between late August and late October.

Grows up to 3 ft tall and spreads up to 1 1/2 ft.

Grows best in full sun or partial shade.

Flowers in May and June. 

Columbine flowers

Dog Rose

Perennial.

Propagate by softwood cuttings between late March and mid May. Or with hardwood cuttings between late August to late December.

Grows up to between 8 and 13 ft tall, and spreads up to between 5 and 8 ft.

Grows best in full sun or partial shade.

Flowers in May and June. 

Forget-me-not

Perennial.

Propagate by sowing seeds in May or June. Plants will self-seed easily.

Grows up to 1 1/2 ft tall and can spread up to 1 1/2 ft.

Grows best in partial shade.

Can flower from March to September, but usually from April to June.

Remove or cut back old flowers if you don't want them to seed.

Summer Flowering

Campion

Biennial or short-lived Perennial.

Propagate by seeds. For red, yellow or white campion, do so in October or between late March and late June.

Grows up to 3 ft tall and spreads up to 1 1/2 ft.

Plant in full sun or light shade.

Flowers from May to September. 

You can deadhead to prolong flowering. 

Foxglove

Biennial or short-lived Perennial.

Propagate by seeds in May, June, September or October. Or plant bought plants between late March and late June, or between late September and late December.

Grow up to between 1 ft and 8 ft tall, depending on variety.  

Grow best in light shade.

Flowers (usually the year after planting) from June to September.

Deadhead if you don't want them to seed, or if you want to try to make them live for an extra year. It's a good idea to leave at least a few flower stems so that you have a yearly supply of new flowers.

Foxglove flowers

Loosestrife

Perennial. 

Propagate by division between late March and late June.

Grows up to 5 ft tall and spreads up to 1 1/2 ft.

Grows best in full sun. 

Flowers from June to August.

Deadhead after flowering if you want to prevent self-seeding. 

Musk Mallow

Perennial.

Propagate by softwood cuttings from the stems or basal roots between late June and late July. Or plant seeds between late September and late October, or between late March and late June.

Grows up to 3 ft tall and spreads up to 1 1/2 ft.

Grows best in full sun.

Flowers in July and August. 

White musk mallow

Oxeye Daisy

Perennial.

Propagate by seed outside in April, May, August or September. Or propagate by division between late March and late April, or between late September and late October.

Grows up to 3 ft tall and spreads up to 1 1/2 ft.

Grow in full sun to partial shade.

Flowers from June to August.

Can become invasive if not controlled. 

Deadhead (cut off flowers when fading or dead) if you don't want it to seed.

Cut down to the ground between late December and late March.

Viper's Bugloss

Biennial.

Propagate by planting seeds between late March and late June, or between late September and late October.

Grows up to 3 ft tall and spreads up to 1 1/2 ft.

Grow in full sun. 

Flowers from May to September.

You can deadhead to encourage more flowers and a longer flowering period.   

Summer & Autumn Flowering

 Geranium

Annual, biennial or perennial.

Propagate by taking softwood cuttings from late March to late December. Plant seedlings out after your last frost.

Grows up to 2 - 4 ft tall, and can spread up to 1/2 - 3 ft.

Grows best in full sun.

Flowers from June to October. 

Geranium flowers

Winter & Spring Flowering

Primrose

Perennial.

Propagate by division or planting seeds between late March and late April, or between late September and late December. 

Grows up to 1 1/2 ft tall and can spread up to 1 1/2 ft.

Can grow in full sun or partial shade.

Flowers from December to May.

Deadheading flowers can promote more flowers.

Red and white primrose flowers

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ

Beginner Plants: Berries

Read time: 5 minutes

For this category, I am referring to the culinary use of the word 'berry', and not the botanical term. The botanical definition is a fleshy fruit that grows from a single ovary, and includes fruits like bananas, cucumbers, tomatoes, aubergines, and grapes.

Strawberries

When to plant

If you are getting young plants, you can usually get these from late spring onwards.

If you are planting from runners, you can usually get these in late summer, early autumn, or early spring. Runners look like roots, and will have a few leaves on them. 

Plant strawberries to their final position in mid spring or in late summer, by the end of September. 

Where to plant

You can grow strawberries in dedicated rows, plant as a border for your crop beds or flower beds, or grow in containers, pots, hanging baskets, or window boxes. 

You want to avoid growing them near nightshades, including tomatoes and potatoes, due to the possibility of disease spread. They also do not do well planted too close to brassicas.

Because they are a perennial plant and they don't want to be planted too close to nightshades or brassicas, it's probably a good idea to avoid planting them in one of the main plots in a crop rotation plan. You can plant them with alliums, salad leaves, legumes, marigolds and mint if you want to.

Growing

Plants will usually last 4 years, but you can replace the plants more often, planting from runners.

Water plants frequently while they are establishing, and afterwards water during dry periods. 

Make sure to protect fruits from pigeons and squirrels. You can use a cage or netting for this.

Mulching around strawberry plants can be a good idea, as they are small plants that grow low to the ground, so weeds or other plants can cause problems.

Harvesting

Strawberries may start to ripen from early summer until early autumn. Wait until they are red all over before harvesting.

After you have harvested your strawberries, you can remove the netting or cage to allow birds to eat pests, like slugs. 

A strawberry still on the plant

Raspberries

When to plant

You can get plants either in containers or with bare roots. Bare rooted plants are usually a lot cheaper. If you are getting bare root plants, they will be available during the dormant season, which is autumn to early spring. They can be planted at any time during this dormant period, providing the ground is not frozen. If you are getting container plants, they will be available for a slightly longer time.

You can also dig up suckers (shoots from the roots of raspberry plants) that are 12 inches or more away from the main plant. Dig it up, being careful to not damage the roots of the main plant. You can do this at any time of year, but between spring and autumn is going to be best.

You can also divide large clumps. This is best done in autumn or early spring, when the plants are dormant.

Where to plant

Raspberries are best planted in the ground, but they can be planted in containers if you want. Full sun will provide you with the best crop, but they can still produce in light shade. A sheltered location will also be preferred. 18 - 24 inches between plants, and don't plant very deep.

They grow well near alliums. But try to avoid growing them near to nightshades and currants.

Growing

Water during dry spells.

It's a good idea to support raspberry canes so that they don't break in the wind. You can tie them to any sort of support, including posts or fencing.

Prune summer-fruiting varieties after you finish harvesting the fruit. Cut old woody (or dead) stems down to ground level.

Prune autumn-fruiting varieties in February. Cut back all of the old fruited stems to ground level, as new ones will start growing in spring.

Harvesting

Summer-fruiting varieties will be ready to harvest between June and September, depending on variety.

Autumn-fruiting varieties will be ready to harvest from mid-August, possibly until the first frosts. 

Blackcurrants

When to plant

Blackcurrants are usually sold as 2-year old plants. Either bare-rooted or in pots. The best time to plant either is between October and March, during the dormant season. Avoid planting if the soil is very wet or frozen. Potted plants can be planted year-round.

Plant in a hole twice as big as the root ball, 2 inches deeper than previously planted. 

Where to plant

They do best in full sun, but can be planted in light shade. 5 - 6 ft between plants is ideal.

Garlic, nasturtiums, marigolds can all help blackcurrants if grown near them.

Growing

Water plants during their first summer. After this they will only need watering during dry spells.

Cover with fleece at night if frost is forecast while the plants are still flowering. 

Prune established bushes (4 years or older) in winter. Blackcurrants fruit best on plants a few years old or less, so prune older branches (darker in colour and thicker). 

If the plant is newly bought and you've planted it between autumn and early spring, while dormant, then prune straight after planting. You can cut all of the stems down to about an inch or two from the ground, which should give you a better plant long-term. But if you aren't comfortable doing this, then you can leave it or just do a light pruning.

If the plant is up to 3 years old, then in autumn or winter you can lightly prune them by removing any weak or low-lying shoots. If it isn't growing well, you can prune it harder, cutting half of the shoots down to the base in order to stimulate new stem growth.

Harvesting

Blackcurrants can ripen from July onwards, but exactly when will depend on the variety.

Gooseberries

When to plant

Gooseberries can be bought as bare-root plants or in containers between late autumn and early spring, when the plants are dormant. You can plant bare-root plants when dormant, and container plants at any time, just avoid doing so if the ground is frozen or very wet. 

Try to plant them in late autumn if you can, as this will give them the most time to settle in before spring, when the growing season starts.

Where to plant

They prefer full sun, but will grow in light shade. Choose somewhere sheltered so that the stems don't snap in the wind.

If they are bush plants, then space them 4 - 5 ft apart. If you are growing them vertically up a permanent support, then space them 12 - 15 inches apart. If you are growing them up against a permanent support in a fan shape, then space them 3 - 5 ft apart.

Growing

Protect from birds with a cage or netting. They will eat the buds and also the berries.

Bush plants won't need any growing support, but other varieties will. 

Water plants during their first summer. Afterwards, they will only need watering occasionally during dry spells. 

Gooseberries grow well with garlic, legumes, nasturtiums, marigolds and oregano. 

Avoid growing them too near to blackberries and nightshades. 

Harvesting

You can harvest all of the gooseberries when they are fully ripe, around July to August.

Or you can harvest half of them in June (when they are still green), trying to pick alternate berries, or close to, and then harvest the remaining in July or August, when they are fully ripe. The plant will be able to put more effort into those remaining berries, allowing them to grow larger than they otherwise would.

You can use unripe gooseberries for jams, sauces or pies. And you can use ripe gooseberries for the same things, as well as eating them fresh. 

Gooseberries after harvesting

Raspberries, blackcurrants and strawberries after harvesting

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ