Weekend work: Time to sow snapdragons

 

Anna Pavord
Saturday 16 February 2013 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

What to do

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are generally treated as annuals, but by nature they are perennials (though short-lived) and often flower better in their second season. By then, they are big bushy plants and produce a succession of secondary spikes when the main head has finished flowering. I have had good results sowing seeds in pots in a cold frame and then pricking out the seedlings into individual 8cm/3in pots. Sown in multi-purpose compost and covered with a thin layer of vermiculite, seeds germinate in two weeks. 'Crimson Velvet' (Chiltern £1.78) is a gorgeous variety; 'Apple Blossom' (Chiltern £1.75) grows to about a metre, with white flowers flushed with pink.

What to see

Other snowdrop gardens open this weekend include Forde Abbey, Chard TA20 4LU, every day (10am-4.30pm), £5, atfordeabbey.co.uk, 01460 221290; Marks Hall, Coggeshall, Essex CO6 1TG, Fri-Sun (10.30am-dusk), £4.50, markshall.org.uk, 01376 563796; Easton Walled Gardens, Easton, Lincs NG33 5AP, snowdrop week 16-24 Feb (11am-4pm), £6.50, eastonwalledgardens.co.uk, 01476 530063; Kelmarsh Hall, Kelmarsh, Northants NN6 9LY, open tomorrow and 24 Feb (11am-3pm), £3, kelmarsh.com, 01604 686543; East Bergholt Place, East Bergholt, Suffolk CO7 6UP, snowdrop walk with owner Rupert Eley, 21 Feb, starts 10.30am, £10, placeforplants.co.uk, 01206 299 224

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in