Classic hardy annuals for kids and grown-ups

At the very start of our gardening lives, often as our parents try to get us interested in gardening for the first time, we’re encouraged to sow seeds of hardy annuals. Flowers whose seeds you can sow outside and in the garden and which will flower in a few months’ time.

My mum took a different approach starting me off with radishes because they’re ready to eat so quickly. Bad move. I spat them out – put me off gardening for years. She should have tried hardy annuals instead. They take a little longer but the reward is far far greater.

But whether you’re trying to tempt your kids or grandkids into the joys of plants or are looking for some easy and economical flowers to grow yourself – these three hardy annuals are ideal. And now’s the time to sow the seeds.

I won’t repeat all the how-to-sow guidance here – it’s on the seed packet.

Calendula
Big bright orange or yellow daisies, some with masses of extra petals for a longer display, calendulas also now come in some delightful peachy and apricot and coppery tones. The flowers are edible and their colourful petals look great sprinkled on a salad.

The seeds are large very distinctive in shape and easy to sow. Some make very small and neat plants other are much taller. Look out for:
‘Daisy’- mixed and single colours, 20cm.
‘Indian Prince’ – orange and chestnut bicolour, 75cm.
‘Playtime’ – mix of new beige and buff apricot and chestnut shades, 60cm.
‘Snow Princess’ – creamy white double flowers, 70cm.

Nigella
Pretty feathery foliage carries intriguing upward facing flowers mainly in blue and purple shades, but also in white. Both flowers and seed pods are good to cut. Once you have nigellas they will usually self-sow to give you more flowers next year. Look out for:
‘Midnight’ – deep purple-blue, 90cm
‘Miss Jekyll’ – classic soft sky blue, 45cm
‘Miss Jekyll Alba – white, 45cm 
‘Black Caraway’ – white with blue tinge, seeds are used in cooking. 30cm

Sunflowers
From knee-high to tall-as-your house sunflowers come in every height and in a surprising range of red orange mahogany gold yellow and cream flowers – single or tightly double. Look out for:
‘Claret’ – wine red blooms on multi-headed branching plants, 180cm.
‘Solar Flash’ – dwarf, bicoloured flowers in gold and bronzed orange, 60cm.
‘Sun King’ – fluffy, frilly double flowers in warm yellow, 180cm.
‘Titan’ – broad single golden orange flowers on huge plants, up to 3.5m.

Hardy annuals enjoy sunshine all day but are easy, low maintainance and not at all fussy about soils.