Sow some winter sunshine

Yellow and orange are the predominant colours of winter flowers, and those are just the colours we need to brighten and warm up our cold gardens. Like white, yellow is a luminous colour that reflects light, and that is why such flowers stand out. While shades of yellow and orange might feel too hot for summer gardens, they are almost indispensable for winter gardens.

What would we do without cheerful pansies and violas? Early April into May is the season for sowing winter bedding colour. Namaqualand daisies, winter vygies, Iceland poppies, calendulas, nasturtiums and winter sunflowers can be sown where they are to grow, while pansies are easier to start in seed trays.

Namaqualand daisies are not just for large gardens. They are just as effective in smaller spaces, like a narrow bed lining a driveway, or as a border, especially for roses that are reduced to bare pruned stems in July. Or why not grow them in a pot?

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Namaqualand daisies grow very easily from seed. Kirchhoffs has small as well as bumper packs of Namaqualand daisies and their Namaqualand mix, called ‘Scatterings of Africa’ includes other Namaqualand flowers. To sow, dig over the soil, mix in compost, scatter the seed over and rake in lightly.

Keep the area moist during germination and soon there will be a mass of tiny seedlings. Very important; don’t weed until the daisies are well established and identifiable from the weeds. Once established they are very drought tolerant.

No winter garden is complete without pansies, and open pollinated varieties grow easily from seed and are very free flowering. Kirchhoffs ‘Engelmann’s Giants Mixed’ is an heirloom variety with very large, blotched blooms, while ‘Clear Crystal Mixed’ (also heirloom) has clear coloured blooms. They are ideal for colour blocking.

Sow the seed in seed trays rather than direct sowing. Fill a seed tray with seedling mix and dampen it. Sprinkle the pansy seed evenly over the surface and cover with a fine layer of seedling mix, firm down and water gently.

Cover the seed tray with plastic to create a microclimate during germination which can take up to14days. Once the seedlings have two true leaves they can be planted out. Calendulas offer bright orange, yellow and white flowers in winter.

The heirloom variety, ‘Pacific Beauty Mixed’ has bright yellow, apricot or orange double daisy like blooms. They flower best when grown in full sun. Dig over the soil, rake it level and sprinkle over a packet of seed.

Cover with a light layer of soil, firm down and water. They are frost hardy and will flower into early summer. Iceland Poppies ‘ Super Giant Art’ are spectacular in late winter through to early spring.

The enormous papery flowers look like crinkled silk in gold, lemon, apricot and salmon. The pickable flowers are carried on sturdy stems. Grow in full sun and sow directly where they are to grow or in seed trays.

For in-situ sowing, sprinkle the seeds thinly and lightly cover with shallow soil. Gently firm down the soil and use a mist spray to moisten the surface. Keep the soil moist during germination and when the seedlings are a few centimetres high, thin them out about 20cm apart or to 30cm apart if interplanting with other flowers.

Winter vygies (Mesembryanthemum) also known as Ice Plants, are spectacular winter flowering succulents. Their satin textured daisy-like blooms are a mix of dazzling colours including yellow.

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