They’ll all grow in light shade, but you’ll get more growth if you put them somewhere that gets full sun.
Keep the soil well watered to help the seeds germinate and grow. Check pots daily in very hot weather.
Chop off parsley as and when you need it. It will just keep growing back. For the Rudbeckia and Nigella, pinch off any wilted flowers to encourage new blooms.
Botanical name
Rudbeckia - Rudbeckia ‘goldsturm’
Nigella - Nigella damascena
Parsley - Petroselinum crispum
Nickname
Rudbeckia - Black-eyed Susan
Nigella - Blue nigella; Love-in-a-mist
Parsley - Flat parsley; Flat-leaf parsley
Seed quantity
Rudbeckia - around 200
Nigella - around 200
Parsley - around 400
Plant type
Rudbeckia - Flowering annual
Nigella - Flowering annual
Parsley - Herb
Pet/Baby safe
Rudbeckia - Yes
Nigella - Mildly toxic to humans if ingested
Parsley - Yes
Sowing seeds is a really fun and rewarding way to fill your outdoor space with flowers. Rudbeckia and nigella are easy to grow and can give you bright flowers for a long time. Flat parsley is useful in all sorts of cooking, from soups to salads, adding warm fragrance and a slight sharpness. No need to buy packs of chopped parsley every time you need it when it’s so easy to grow from seed.
To grow your plants, sow the seeds about 5cm apart in potting trays and put them somewhere warm and bright. Keep the soil moist. When sprouts appear, transfer the plants to 8cm pots and wait for them to grow. It should take about 10-14 days for sprouts to appear, then you’ll have mature plants within 90 days.
You can pick the mature flowers of Rudbeckia and Nigella whenever you like, cutting them at the base of the stem. They’re lovely in floral arrangements. Cutting off mature flowers will encourage new ones to replace them. You can chop off parsley as and when you need it. Both the leaves and stalks are edible.
As a considerable bonus, rudbeckia and nigella are very attractive to bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
