Armeria Ballerina Lilac

Like the red and white, an outstanding plant. Flowers in the first year with drumstick like heads in true shades of lilac.

How to Grow Armeria from Seed

Armeria, or Thrift, can be found in coastal areas around Europe, growing in dry, sandy conditions such as beaches and salt marshes, but is also a very popular garden flower and rockery plant.

Easy to grow, un-demanding , attractive to bees and butterflies and long lived, it is little wonder that Armeria has become so popular. Thrift is an excellent ground cover plant perfect for gravel or coastal gardens and provides a neat, decorative edge along the garden path.

Armeria seeds can be sown from early spring through to early summer or in early autumn for over-wintering.

Prior to sowing, soak the seeds in warm water for 6 to 8 hours then sow at temperatures of around 16 to 18°C or 60 to 70°F.

Fill pots or trays with a well drained compost then surface sow the pre-soaked seeds, just covering with a very light sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Place in a propagator out of direct sunlight and keep moist. Germination normally takes 14 to 28 days but can occasionally be erratic.

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into individual 3 inch pots and grow them on in cooler conditions until large enough to plant outdoors.

Move the young plants to a cold frame or sheltered site outdoors, and grow them on before planting out in the autumn spaced 30cm or 12 inches apart in a sunny well drained position.