Plant this The pretty pincushion flowers of astrantias start blooming this month. They tolerate sun or partial shade if the soil is moist, reaching 50-90cm tall and self-seeding if happy. The breeders have had a field day with this plant: try deep pink ‘Roma’, dark red ‘Hadspen Blood’ or pale pink ‘Buckland’.
Visit this British Flowers Week celebrates the flowers and foliage produced in the UK for the cut flower trade, including an exhibition of photographs by Tessa Bunney at Ryedale Folk Museum in Yorkshire from 16 June until 15 July and an open day at Chambers Farm Flowers in Marden, Kent, on 24 June.
Sow this It’s late to be sowing annual flower seed, but if gaps need filling in veg beds or flower borders, there are some quick wins to be had from a generous sprinkling of pot marigold, which still has time to flower before summer’s over. Try the dusky orange ‘Sherbet Fizz’ or lemon-yellow ‘Snow Princess’.
