Help please!

[babysnowman]

I'm new to gardening and find it a bit confusing but am looking to create a border and hoping for some advice please.

Are there any hardy perennial seeds that I can plant straight into the ground without having to grow them in pots first? I'd love a pink/white/purple colour scheme

Yes but the reason they are grown in pots first is that it can take years to get to a reasonable size.

Also, would you know what they looked like when they germinate, as often by the time they do, the weeds have germinated, flowered, set seed and a new generation of weeds is already up and running so you might end up weeding them out thinking they are weeds?

If it was that easy, we'd all do it.

Things that are direct sown are usually annual wildflowers as they germinate pretty quickly, and are up and growing to flower and set seed in one year.

No I probably wouldn't know the difference to be fair! Maybe the annual wildflowers is the answer, thanks

In all honesty you need alot of patience to grow any perennials from scratch. Alot.

As pp have said, growing perennials from seed isn't the easiest option (some short lived perennials flower in the first year but better started in pots than direct sown I would think).

You could try one of these annual mixes from Pictorial Meadows

www.pictorialmeadows.co.uk/collections/gift-collections

You need to plan. what you want your borders to look like before you start.
You'll probably have some sort of idea.

If you are planting things, take into account the spread and height of the mature plant.

You will want some sort of interest all year round. If you can have something flowering in the winter, you will appreciate it. I have some bulbs looking like they'll bloom soon, and it's a reminder that the days are lengthening.

I wouldn't sow annual wildflowers. Annuals but not wildflowers.

OP, sow some perennial seeds in pots, accepting that they probably won't do much in the first year, but you can look forward to planting them out in 2025.

In the meantime, sow lots of annuals in pots and start them off on window sills indoors, unless you have a heated greenhouse.

Thompson and Morgan have cheap deals on perennial plug plants ar the moment. It's a much easier and faster way to do it...

www.thompson-morgan.com/p/best-value-perennial-collection/wkc0440TM

Foxgloves, while biennial are very easy from seed....

As pp have said, growing perennials from seed isn't the easiest option (some short lived perennials flower in the first year but better started in pots than direct sown I would think).

Try some lychnis coronaria for pinks and whites. You could sow some in pots and scatter the rest of the seeds.

There are various biennials you might want to try too for instance honesty (purple and white ) - self seeds like mad! and foxgloves - though I've never had luck any luck growing them from a packet, I've found that after buying one or two they self seed thereafter.

I wouldn't sow annual wildflowers. Annuals but not wildflowers.

Yes... I made the mistake of sowing some red campion and herb Robert. Charming woodland plants turn into invasive thugs in garden soil!

Verbena bonariensis is a good doer that is quite easy to grow from seed.

You don't say if the border is sunny or shady, that will dictate what you can grow, along with soil type.

Only once did I sow the forget-me-nots. They are called that for a reason.
Do not plant muscari bulbs. You'll never get rid of them.

If you know any gardeners, get them to offer you their cuttings or any root divisions.

Roses are generally easy and reward you with months of blooms. The cheap supermarket ones are great but check the colour of the blooms. I have some that fade to a colour I don't like so I have to deadhead before they turn to that colour. I'd get rid but it seems a shame to dig up such a hard worker.
The posh roses don't like my garden wretched snobs.

Lilies are poisonous to cats.

Grow some edibles. There are attractive edibles that will be happy in a border. Only plant mint in a container.

Only plant mint in a container.

Same goes for lemon grass.
Chives propagate themselves and can look very nice as an edging

When you say create a border, what is there already? What sort of soil do you have? Sunny or Shady?
You absolutely can create a border of perennials from seed, but if your soil isn’t great quality they can struggle to get hold before weeds take over.

Depending on budget & soil/aspect I would get a couple of big things like roses, infill with a few perennial plugs like hardy geranium, astrantia, Japanese anemone. First year I would add a wildflower seed mix, and then add other perennials I liked the following year.

Thanks everyone, lots of great advice here!

The border would get the sun most of the day, not sure about the soil type - I am really am clueless 😂. I would just love a dreamy cottage garden.

The reason I wasn't keen to start off growing in pots was not knowing when and how to move them without damaging them but there's no harm in giving it a try!

I would just love a dreamy cottage garden.

You'll be wanting some aquilegias then, they're the colours you want and self seed.

Chives are pretty and attract bees. The flowers are either a lightish purple or white depending on variety.

If you buy plug plants, you'll probably not damage them when you put them in the ground.

When planting seeds direct into the ground, sow them in patterns like noughts and crosses, or letters of the alphabet. That way, you can tell where they are when they germinate, and you are less likely to mistake them for weeds. Once they have grown a bit, you can't see the shape anyway. Oh, and use plant marker labels. Wooden stirrers from coffee shops are good, rather than plastic ones.

@aitchteeaitch that's a brilliant idea!!

Worth looking at gardens round about to see what grows well. I’ve learnt the hard way trying to grow acid loving plants in chalky soil just doesn’t work. Go with what your garden soil suits and they’ll thrive

I have been learning as I go along but find a mixture of plug plants that you can grow on a bit before planting out can be very cheap. Plant several together so you can recognise them. Get it know what your weeds look like before putting seeds in so you can distinguish
I tend to plant a mix of seeds in between the bigger plants. I find Cosmos grows brilliantly from seed