Planting Seeds in June: DIY Guide
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As the weather warms up, it's time to think about sowing some new seeds in your garden. One plant that is easy to grow and provides beautiful blue blooms is the cornflower (Centaurea cyanus). Here's a guide on how to grow these charming flowers in your garden.
Planting Time and Method
Sow cornflower seeds directly outdoors in well-drained soil after the last frost, ideally in spring or even in late summer for a fall bloom next year. The seeds should be lightly covered, about half an inch deep, and spaced around 12–18 inches apart to allow room for growth.
Sunlight Requirements
Cornflowers thrive in full sun, requiring at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily for best flowering.
Soil
They grow well in poor or average soil, which makes them easy to care for. Well-drained soil is important as they do not like to sit in waterlogged conditions.
Watering
Water moderately, ensuring the soil is moist but not soggy. Once established, cornflowers are fairly drought tolerant, but regular watering encourages better blooms.
Maintenance
Cornflowers are low-maintenance and benefit from being left alone to self-seed for recurring blooms each year. Deadheading spent flowers can prolong the flowering season, but it is not strictly necessary if you want the plants to reseed.
Harvesting Seeds
To save seeds for next year, wait until the flower heads have died and dried out completely. Then collect and store the seeds in a cool, dry place.
Companion Planting
Cornflowers combine nicely with other perennials and wildflowers such as black-eyed Susans, Russian sage, and Shasta daisies, adding useful height and vivid blue color to mixed beds or borders.
These tips highlight cornflowers as an easy-to-grow, low-effort flower that provides beautiful blue blooms and self-seeds readily, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced gardeners. So why not give them a try in your garden this year?
Other Vegetables and Flowers to Sow in June
June is also the perfect time to sow a variety of vegetables and flowers. For vegetables, consider sowing radish, beetroot, French beans, summer squash, pak choi, Florence fennel, and lettuce like 'Lollo Rossa', a loose-leaf lettuce with frilled red leaves. For flowers, consider sowing zinnias, which can be sown thinly at a depth of 3mm in a sheltered, sunny spot, or forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) which can be sown in-situ this month and will readily self-seed once established.
[1] The Spruce [2] Garden Myths [3] BBC Gardeners World [4] Gardeners' World [5] BHG
Enjoy cultivating raised beds this summer, as they offer excellent drainage and are easy to manage. With the inclusion of cornflowers in your home-and-garden, you can enhance your lifestyle by incorporating this low-maintenance, easy-to-grow flower that provides beautiful blue blooms and self-seeds readily. By planting a variety of vegetables and flowers such as cornflowers, zinnias, forget-me-nots, radish, beetroot, and more in your raised beds, you'll create a vibrant home-and-garden that's both aesthetically pleasing and rewarding.
