Seeds

Dusty Miller

Senecio cineraria (Compositae)

The perfect foil for bright summer bedding

The deeply-cut, silver-grey foliage of this compact and uniform plant is the ideal complement to brightly coloured bedding subjects such as petunia, salvia and geranium. Silver Dust looks as good in containers as it does in beds borders or edging a path, and is so easy to grow from seed.

Cineraria is a half-hardy perennial (strictly a shrub), best grown as a half-hardy annual, producing a fine show in the year of sowing. Small yellow flowers may appear during the summer, but these are best removed.  In milder areas it may survive the winter unprotected.

Height: 25cm(10in)
Plant Class: Half Hardy Perennial (Treat as HHA).
Habit: Bushy, Dwarf, Ground Cover.

As with several nicotianas, this grows perfectly in sun or shade, which is where we often have it, in pots by our shady, north-facing house door. I love it in containers and cut as a delicate hovering butterfly above a contrasting bunch of summer cut flowers.

GENUS: Nicotiana
GROUP/SPECIES: Langsdorffii
TYPE: Half-Hardy Annual
COMMON NAME: Langsdorff’s Tobacco Plant
BORDER POSITION: Container Garden
SOIL TYPE: Broad Tolerance
SCENT: Yes
SITE: Part Shade
MOISTURE: Moist But Well-Drained
HEIGHT: 1.5m (5ft)
SPACING: 45cm (18in)
SOWING, SEEDS, PLANTING: Sow under cover from late winter to early spring. Sow thinly into trays of seed compost, cover lightly. Keep moist and warm. Prick out and pot on into individual pots to grow on. Half-hardy annuals will require protection until after the last frosts when they can be planted outside. Gradually acclimatise plants to outdoor conditions for 7-10 days before moving to their final position. May be sown direct in early May. Choose a spot in dappled or light shade, ideally with moist but well-drained soil. Prepare the final planting area well by adding plenty of organic matter (such as Orgro or home-made compost) and forking it through your topsoil. Dig holes deep and wide enough so that the roots are covered and the crown (or base) of the plant is level with the soil surface. Backfill around each plant and firm the soil gently. Water in well. For growing in pots, use as large a container as possible, as this won’t dry out so quickly and will require less watering.
CARE TIPS: Deadhead spent blooms regularly to prolong flowering. Handle with care as nicotiana may cause a skin or eye irritation. Harmful if ingested.
FLOWERING: July – October
VASE LIFE: Strip the bottom leaves and sear stem ends in boiling water for 10 seconds and then leave in cool water, ideally overnight before arranging.