Half-hardy Annual

• Flowers in : Summer
• Germination : Easy
• Aftercare : Easy
• Ideal for : Borders, Cottage Gardens, Cut Flowers
• Height : 4 feet

Description

Highly attractive erect fat spikes in deep purplish red, from 3 inch thick tapering to 1 inch, as if standing guard. Ideal as a border filler, and for flower arranging.

Height: 90-100cm (3-4ft)

Sowing Instructions

Sow February to March in pots or trays of moist seed compost and cover with a very fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Keep at a constant temperature of between 20-25C (68-77F). During germination, allow the temperature to reduce at night. This will occur naturally if using a heated propagator is avoided. After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged; germination will usually take 3-15 days.

Aftercare

The cut flowers last well in water and can also be dried. If this is done carefully the flowers keep their colour for some time. For pot plants provide a humid atmosphere.