THE only way to obtain polyanthus par excellence is to provide them with every possible advantage, and the advantage ranking far above all others is a long period of leisurely growth before their first flowering season, which will be 20 months after an August sowing this year. Long experience has taught me that August is the very best time for sowing with the aim of producing multi-crowned plants of substance and vigour to be planted out in mid-September.
Seed that is freshly harvested and sown now will probably give about 90% germination – the longer polyanthus seed is stored, the less viable it will be. There
