Over the past 4-5 weeks my cinerarias have been delighting me... and the occasional butterfly has stopped by to enjoy them too. Cinerarias are a winter-spring flowering annual, and once they're growing in your garden they will emerge each season with their large, round and very soft leaves.
You can also buy them in the stores - but these have been 'improved' so they don't set seed. Now that the cineraria season is over I won't remove the sad-looking plants to the compost heap just yet.
Each day I'm collecting the seed and while a lot is also being blown around the garden, I'll make sure I scatter some where I would like more plants to grow next season... such as the habitat project in the Blockhouse Bay Recreational Reserve.
It's easy to collect the ripe seed although it's so tiny. When it's ready for collection the flower will die and the seed is attached to silky filaments.
I 'pinch' each little fluffy pompom and transfer the contents to a paper envelope. Job done!
I'm not sure if it would be best to scatter this seed now or next year... but I figure Nature does it now so it probably is the best time to do so.
What's your thoughts?
Hi..tall cinerarias are hard to come by these days, for some strange reason. Only the dwarf varieties are available.
I love the tall ones and have been trying for years to find seeds. Would you please sell some to me??
Yes, have emailed you Helen.