Sowing herbs and flowers
We have some amazing plans for our Community garden this season. We will be sowing a mass of herbs, produce, green manures and pollinator friendly flowers to really provide a diversity of forage for bees as well as a riot of colour and flavours for our volunteers to enjoy.
For the best results it’s important to sow seeds at the right time. Most seeds can be sown in the early spring, once the danger of frost has passed, or indoors in a propagator to get a head start on the growing season. This season we will be sowing the following seeds!
Garden Collection
Growing herbs like borage, chamomile, chives, fennel, lavender, and spearmint gives you fresh flavours for summer food and drinks. Borage adds a cucumber-like taste and it’s blue flowers looks great in salads and drinks. Chamomile is perfect for soothing tea, while chives give a mild onion flavor to dishes. Fennel adds a sweet, licorice-like taste, ideal for fish or salads. Lavender can infuse both sweet and savoury foods, and spearmint is great for a relaxing tea. These herbs can bring fresh flavours right to your kitchen.
Sowing instructions
Borage
Sow direct outdoors after the last frost, thinly and evenly approx 1.5cm deep. Space out when large enough to handle 20 – 30cm apart. Keep well- watered and weed free. Harvest flowers and leaves July – October.
Sow April to June
Harvest July – October
Chamomile
Sow direct outdoors April in a seed bed, cover lightly with fine soil. Keep moist. When large enough, thin to 10cm apart. Alternatively start seeds indoors from March and transplant into containers, borders and beds from May. Remove dead heads to promote flowering.
Sow March to May
Flowers June to August
Chives
Sow outdoors March, 1.5cm deep in groups of three to four seeds. Thin out weaker seedlings to leave one plant in each position, spacing 15cm apart. Perennial herbs will grow year after year, to harvest cut the leaves as close to the ground when required.
Sow March to June
Harvest March to October
Fennel
Sow direct outdoors in growing position at a depth of 1.5cm. Keep moist and if necessary thin out to allow 30cm between plants when large enough to handle. To harvest pick leaves and stems as required. Harvest seeds when ripe and turned brown.
Sow March to May
Harvest June to October
Lavender
For flowers in the first year, start seeds indoors from January to April, cover lightly with compost and use a propagator to encourage germination. Transplant outdoors when large enough to handle from May when ground is warmer. Alternatively, sow direct from April, thinning out plants to final spacing 40cm apart. Late sowings will produce flowers in the second year.
Sow January to June
Harvest June to October
Spearmint
Start seeds indoors from February, cover lightly with fine compost and use a propagator to encourage germination. Transplant seedlings into larger pots when large enough to handle, never direct into the garden as plants can be invasive. Pick mint leaves regularly to encourage further growth.
Sow February to July
Harvest May to September
Our Mini Propagators
Get involved with helping to sow seeds at home for Meadow Orchard, ready to plant out after the first frosts. Click the link below to find out more!
Meadow Orchard Project 
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