Nine garden seed varieties to look out for in 2019

That’s where I come in – here are the flower seeds that caught my eye for 2019. Themes inevitably emerge- this year, sweet peas, climbers and vivid colours. Enjoy!

Sweet pea Duvet Mix

Bred especially for blanketing the ground with fragrant colour.

Easy to grow and longer flowering than most – ideal for baskets for a different summer container display. Height: 30cm (12”). Spread: 38cm (15”), £2.49, www.thompson-morgan.co.ukNasturtium Bloody Mary

Blood red blooms with a flecked colour pattern and peppery, watercress taste.

Flowers July-August. Height 20-30cm (8-12”); spread 20-30cm (8-12”), £2.99, www.suttons.co.ukPoppy Black Swan

Double and semi-double frilled blooms on burgundy and black flowers have finely cut petals that will dance in the breeze, £2.

Rob Smith Collection, www.dobies.co.ukSweet pea Chiltern Seeds Pink Champagne Mix

This is a new creamy, blush, corally mix (includes Juliet, Heaven Scent and Valerie Harrod), 8ft (2.4m), £2.75, www.chilternseeds.co.ukErysimum Jumbo Orange

Bred by Plant World Seeds, these wallflowers should produce unique, enormous, hardy perennial plants with stout stems, almost trunks, in their second year.

They will produce a long-lasting display of fragrant flowers, predominantly orange, deeper-veined in red, but you will invariably discover plants with other colour shades, £2.95, www.plant-world-seeds.comMorning Glory Party Dress

Large flowers, noticeably earlier than other varieties.

Vigorous climber, ideal for covering trellis or fences. Flowers the same year as sown, height 10ft, £2.35, www.mr-fothergills.co.ukCornflower Classic Magic

A quick and easy-to-grow mixture in a highly unusual, harmonious blend of colours.

An ideal filler for the border and for cut flower displays.

Height 90cm, £2.35, www.johnsons-seeds.comSunflower Suntastic F1

A dwarf sunflower at just 18” tall with a branching habit producing numerous large golden yellow flowers each with contrasting, black centres.

The perfect centrepiece for large containers, £2.89, www.dtbrownseeds.co.ukSweet pea Timeless

A white, classic sweet pea which has frills in abundance and a sweetly scented perfume.

These are available from Matthewmans, £3, www.sweetpeasonline.co.ukGET IN TOUCH

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jobs to do this weekend

Pruning and renovation of many deciduous trees, shrubs, and hedges can be carried out from now throughout the dormant season. It is easier to see what you are doing when the branches have no leaves. A suitable example is beech. Exceptions are tender plants, and also Prunus species (e.g. ornamental cherries, plums, and almonds), as these are vulnerable to silver leaf if pruned in the autumn or winter. Evergreens are best left until the spring.

If there is snow in your area, then you may need to brush this off the branches of conifers. Heavy snowfall can splay branches and spoil the shape of the tree.

Phytophthora root rots can cause dieback on mature trees and shrubs. Wet winter weather and poorly drained soils are likely to encourage this problem on susceptible woody plants.

Rabbits, deer, and squirrels can be a nuisance as the weather gets colder, gnawing the bark from shrubs and trees. Placing guards around new woody plants is advisable.

Cyclamen can be sown now, with a bottom heat of 12-15°C (54-60°F). They will need about 14 months to produce flowers.

Maintaining some air movement in the greenhouse or conservatory, even when the weather is cold, will help to reduce problems with fungal diseases such as Botrytis (grey mould). Opening vents slightly (but not enough to create damaging draughts) in the morning, and then closing them in the early afternoon to conserve heat, will offer enough ventilation to help keep fungal problems at bay.

This is a good time to clean all your old pots and seed trays so that they are ready for next spring’s flurry of activity. Thorough cleaning will cut pest and disease problems and will make your propagation and sowing yield much greater.

Now is a good time to consider installing garden lighting, water pipes, and drainage, and to make plans for garden projects.