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Also known as ‘Lunaria’, the honesty plant is easy to incorporate into any outdoor space thanks to its delicate yet striking appearance. While there are different types of Lunaria, including biennials and perennials, they are also all easy to grow from small seeds into a blossoming display. According to gardening experts, winter is a great time to sow them.
British gardener and author, Sarah Raven said: “Common-or-garden honesty is one of my favourite plants.
“It is an easy biennial to grow, will gently self-sow but not invade, and thrives almost anywhere – in the sun or even in the shade of a hedge.
“Honesty also has a faint scent and gives a great splash of colour when there isn’t much around.”
While most gardeners recommend sowing directly outdoors in spring, Sarah explained that December is an ideal time to sow honesty seeds indoors.
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‘Thrives almost anywhere!’ Best time to sow honesty seeds for a flourishing summer display (Image: GETTY)
Honesty flowers come in various shades of white and purple (Image: GETTY)
Sowing biennial Lunaria requires just one “vast” seed tray and some compost.
Using specific seed compost is unnecessary as the seedlings won’t be in the tray for long.
Fill the tray up and scatter the seeds over the soil.
Sarah recommended taking some care to space out the seeds to allow plenty of room for the roots to establish.
Honesty seeds should germinate in around 10 days before they are ready to be transplanted.
According to Sarah, seeds that have been widely spaced in the tray are easier to move into the final growing spot in the garden.
While honesty seeds can be started indoors now, they are best planted outside in the late summer and autumn so they can get their roots well established over the winter.
However, an expert at Horticulture Magazine noted that seeds sown in the colder months can be planted into pots and kept warm until the winter has passed.
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Honesty flower seeds can be saved in autumn (Image: GETTY)
It is best to wait until March to sow Lunaria seeds directly outdoors.
Horticulture Magazine recommended planting perennial varieties between March and May,
Biennials cannot be sown outdoors until early summer – around June.
The gardening expert said: “Sow the seeds into a seed tray and cover them lightly – these seeds too will germinate readily.
“Since most Lunaria are biennials, you will need to sow two years in a row to secure flowers every year.”
Honesty flowers are loved for their moon-shaped petals (Image: GETTY)
It is best to wait until March to sow Lunaria seeds directly outdoors.
Horticulture Magazine recommended planting perennial varieties between March and May,
Biennials cannot be sown outdoors until early summer – around June.
The gardening expert said: “Sow the seeds into a seed tray and cover them lightly – these seeds too will germinate readily.
“Since most Lunaria are biennials, you will need to sow two years in a row to secure flowers every year.”
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