Fothergill's Didiscus Coeruleus Mix Seeds

Details:

• Botanical Name: Trachymene coerulea (formerly Didiscus coeruleus), a premium, highly ornamental laceflower selection. (Please note: While the provided data accidentally lists the genus as Dahlia, this plant belongs to its own distinct botanical family, prized for its unique, lace-like character).
• Plant Class: Half Hardy Annual, establishing with impressive speed from a spring sowing to deliver a high-volume explosion of blooms in the exact same season.
• Intricate Scented Lace Blooms: Bears an abundance of gently curved, umbrella-like umbels made up of dozens of tiny, star-shaped flowers. The blossoms emit a delightful, sweet, and delicate fragrance that gently fills the summer air.
• Enchanting Pastel Palette: Delivers a beautiful color mix featuring three soft, romantic shades: sky blue, lavender-pink, and crisp, pure white.
• Slender Border Framework: Naturally forms a refined, upright, and airy framework reaching a mature height of 60cm (24in) and a narrow spread of 25cm (10in). This slender architecture makes it perfect for interplanting through the middle of cottage borders where it can weave elegantly among heavier plants.
• Elite Florist Cut Flower: Highly sought after by cut flower enthusiasts and floral designers; the long, straight, slender stems and intricate, long-lasting textured heads add an exquisite, airy movement to indoor vase arrangements.
• Optimal Position: Thrives at its absolute best when positioned in Full Sun, enjoying a warm, sheltered location with well-drained, fertile soil.

Care Instructions:

• Sowing Position: Start seeds early indoors from March to May by sowing on the surface of moist, good quality seed compost in pots or cell trays. Lightly cover the seeds with a very thin layer of vermiculite or compost, as they require a dark period to aid optimal germination. Maintain a steady indoor temperature of 15–18°C. Alternatively, sow directly outdoors in late May once the soil has warmed and all risk of frost has passed.
• Planting Out & Spacing: Didiscus hates root disturbance, so handle the young seedlings with care. Once they are large enough to cope and the spring weather has fully warmed, harden them off gradually before planting them out into their final flowering positions. Space individual plants roughly 20–25cm apart to create a beautiful, dense, interwoven grouping.
• Moisture & Maintenance: Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Because this variety features quite slender, elegant stems, it is highly recommended to provide a discrete network of twiggy pea sticks or a matrix of horizontal netting for support, especially in windy or exposed garden areas.
• Harvesting & Deadheading: For the longest vase life, cut the flower stems early in the morning when the blooms are about half-open. In the garden, deadhead faded flower heads regularly to prevent the plant from setting seed, forcing it to continuously push out fresh, scented blooms until September.