Gaura are a brilliant summer flower, they give a floaty air to a border, adding height without smothering other plants. They’re great paired with Verbenas, Salvias or roses, and they’re also really easy to grow from seed. Sow now to get a stock of garden ready plants come late spring. Last year I sowed “The Bride”, this year I’m trying “Summer Breeze”, a variety that’s supposed to be especially good for the UK climate. Get sowing now and you’ll have gaura like the below come the summer!
Gaura seeds germinate really easily, all you need to do is place them on some compost in a pot or tray and leave them to germinate. If you’re sowing them in Jan I’d recommend using a propagator, or if you don’t have one of these put the pot in a clear plastic bag and tie it shut, see photos below. Give it a couple of weeks and they’ll have germinated, once you’ve got four or more leaves on each seedling then carefully pot on to an individual pot. Come late spring you can then plant them out where you want them in your borders or pots!
