My first experiment with Winter Sowing in Plymouth, UK was a huge success. Out of around 100 bottles, only 5 didn’t end up planted out. A couple of these did germinate but were then lost to pests but the others I suspect poor seed.

I grew a variety of annuals and perennials -from delicate flowers to stunning grasses. I would wholeheartedly recommend this method for easy seed sowing. Many little plants happily waited weeks or months in the bottles until I was ready to plant them out. The results, particularly in a new flowerbed made up largely of winter sown babies, was stunning. The plants seem to produce a good root system in the bottles which allows them to grow away fast in their final homes.

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