The Gardeners Almanac

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My Back Garden

Lunaria

Common name: Honesty

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Week Numbers

Collect seeds

Compost

Deadheading

Planting out

Pricking out

Seed sowing

Overview:

Masses of slver/white ripe seedpods

Ripe Seed pods

View of translucent seed pods

Unripe seed pods

Plant in flower

Plant in flower

Lunaria - Honesty is an old-fashioned dual purpose biennial, grown partly for its fragrant bright flowers in spring and early summer,and its unique seedheads.

These oval translucent seed pods are coveted by flower arrangers.

It can grow into a large, well-branched plant 750mm-900mm (30"-36") high and spreads to around 300mm (12") in its second year, after which it will seed itself freely around the garden.

Cut down stems when seed heads appear.

The seed can be removed from the seed pod by peeling of the dried membrane that covers them.


Cultivation:

Week 14:

Saved or purchased seed can be sown now in pots/trays of seed compost.

When large enough to handle and potted up into 75mm (3") pots of potting compost and grown on until planting out time.


Self seeded seedlings
Week 20:

Lift self seeded seedlings and pot up into 75mm (3") pots and grow on until planting out time.


Week 35:

Plant out seedlings 300mm (12") apart in any type of garden soil providing it is well drained, in full sun and or a partially shaded.