Christmas Day Planting

Today, following on from my success so far with the potted sweetpeas that i've grown from seed, I planted some ornamental thistle seeds. First I made holes in the polystyrene planting containers and then filled with potting mix. Echinops Ruthenicus is a mauve to blue coloured thistle which is an excellent year rounder, and ties together spiky or unfinished looking plantings and foliage. I've covered the seeds lightly about 15cm apart and put the tray containers in a partly sunny spot. I'm told the seeds take 10 to 15 days to germinate, so i'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile the sage is thickening up in the winter cold, and i'm thinking the echinops will make a good border in that area of the garden.