SUN/SHADE: full sun

FLOWERING PERIOD: Summer

SOIL TYPE: well drained

IDEAL FOR: bedding,border,children,cut flower

SOWING TIME: Just before last spring frost or in autumn in zones 6 and warmer

SOWING DEPTH: sow thinly, 3mm (1/8in) deep in drills 30cm (12in) apart.

SOWING: Sow in well-cultivated soil which has been raked to a fine tilth. Water ground regularly, especially in dry periods. Can also be sown August to September for early summer flowering next year. Sow in pots or trays of moist seed compost and cover with a very fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Keep at between 15-20C (59-68F). After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged; germination will usually take 14-21 days. When large enough to handle, transplant seedlings into 7.5cm (3in) pots or trays. Overwinter plants in cool, light, frost-free conditions before planting out the following spring, or grow on as greenhouse pot plants.