Lobelia Cascade Mixed (L. erinus)
Half Hardy Annual
All the splendid ‘Cascade’ colours – superb planted alone in a basket for shimmering colour, or with Petunias and Impatiens.
Seeds from Mr. Fothergills
Sow indoors
Sow outdoors
Plant out
Flowers
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
Suitable for hanging baskets
Suitable for containers
30cm
Bushy, trailing
Sow indoors, January-April. A warm kitchen windowsill is all you need for starting these seeds. Sow thinly on the surface of a small tray of pre-watered compost. Place in a warm, light position. A temperature of 15-20°C (60-68°F) is ideal. Keep the compost moist. The tray can be covered with clingfilm to preserve humidity, but remove when seedlings appear, usually in 14-21 days. Transplant them, in tiny clumps, 5cm (2″) apart, to other trays when large enough to handle. Grow on in cooler, but not cold conditions. Gradually accustom young plants to outside conditions (avoid frosts), before planting out, May-June, 15cm (6″) apart, into well-drained soil, when frosts are over. Flowers: June-October.
Trim back plants, after the first flush of blooms fades, to encourage further flowering.
This is a new one for me. I had lobelia in wall baskets in 2020 and they did well, but they were not a trailing cultivar so hung out of the basket and then went up again. It did look a little odd. I planted them alongside Bacopa (Snowtopia) and the bacopa couldn’t keep up. Not a combo I’d try again.