Buying seeds can turn into a rather expensive habit which, all things considered from a gardener’s point of view, is worth it as long as you get what you think you are paying for. But this, sadly, is not always the case, especially since internet shopping has become the popular way of sourcing seeds for ‘something different’.

Seeds need to be as fresh as possible when you buy them, as the older the seed, the less likely it is to germinate. Also, the buyer really needs to have some idea of how many seeds a packet contains.

It is also important to know exactly what type of seed is on offer, especially if you are growing sustainably. Is it a prized and a wonderful heritage from which you can save your own seed in future? Is it F1 or F2 hybrid, from which saving seed is a pretty pointless exercise? Is it GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) and thus to be completely avoided if local flora and local fruit, vegetable and herbs are to be saved from cross-contamination?

Buying seeds online could be disappointing so they are best purchased from a local nursery or supplier

Many online seed suppliers fail to provide the above information — particularly newer ones looking for maximum profit — and sell even expired seed to unsuspecting customers. They also fail to provide climatic guidance relevant to the species.

If a buyer wants it, they will happily sell it as highly priced as possible and, over the internet, the buyer has little, if any, recourse.

Please try to source your seeds from tried and tested local suppliers: they know what grows in your area and dispense advice freely.

As is sometimes the case, if the only source for that special something is the internet, then be very wary indeed!

Seed sowing ideas for May

It’s still all go in the flower garden, although — be warned — most of the following seeds are best sown before temperatures really go through the roof after the second half of the month. Run amok with sun-loving, heat-tolerant Zinnias which germinate fast, grow rapidly and provide masses of eye-catching colour for weeks on end. Zinnias may be dwarf, medium height or back-of-the-border tall and are available in colours to make your eyes cross and mouth drop open in sheer astonishment. They can be started off in seed trays/pots or directly where they are to flower and are equally at home in pots or other containers or in the garden itself. Pinching their growing tips out when they are about four to six inches tall, encourages them to bush out and smother themselves with bloom.

Brilliant orange and yellow cosmos take the heat, too, and make a striking show, while more regular cosmos now do better in a spot with direct sun for no more than four hours or in lightly dappled shade, such as beneath the edge of tree canopies. Amaranthus, celosia, cockscomb, gompherena, portulaca, tithonia (Mexican sunflowers) and sunflowers can also all be sown now. Annual chrysanthemums provide whirls of colour in direct sun or partial shade, as do gerberas, matricaria, tagetes, French marigolds, rudbeckia, gazanias and gaillardias. Petunias are great for hanging baskets on balconies, verandas and even hung in low tree branches where shade is dappled not dense, and highly perfumed ‘nicotiana’, as long as it gets plenty of water, is an evening delight.

In the vegetable garden: Give a patch of chickpeas a try this summer. As long as you keep them watered, they do surprisingly well and the result is so scrumptious that you will want to sow more next time around. Chillies, capsicums and sweet pimentos can all be sown now, as can more versatile aubergines and, preferably in partial shade, lots of cucumbers for eating fresh, for cooking with or for crunchy pickles.

Tomatoes can be sown all year round in the plains and coastal regions but, at this time of year, with intense heat moving in any day, concentrate on cherry tomatoes as these are far more heat-resilient than beefsteak varieties which, in high humidity and heat, have a tendency to attract problems such as blight, mildew and other fungal diseases.

Salad greens can be sown in partial shade with lettuce, Swiss chard, endive, mesclun and baby leaf mixes, along with red radish and white mooli, being on top of the list. Seasonal cabbage and cauliflower are still a good bet, as are fenugreek and karelas which thrive in warmth and humidity. Climbing beans and bush beans enjoy a spot that gets morning sun only, but heat-loving lady fingers will enjoy sunshine all day long.

Fresh fruit: In addition to fruiting trees and vines, if you are lucky enough to have them, augment your fruit selection by sowing some more watermelons, sweet melons, Chinese gooseberries and start rooting more pineapple tops to increase the household supply of what was once considered a very luxurious fruit indeed.

On the herb front: Heat-loving basil is great in pots or directly in the ground, as are coriander, dill, arugula/rocket, aniseed, nasturtiums, calendulas and borage, providing it gets plenty of water.

Herb of the month: Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). This useful herb — widely claimed to cure depression, along with a number of other ills — is simple and fast to cultivate from seed. Sow just under the surface of good quality, well-draining compost and place seed trays/pots out of midday sun. I have found that placing the seed trays/pots and then the actual plants around the base of fruit trees seems to be beneficial for both. Seedlings should be transplanted when two to four inches high and planted one per 10-inch pot or 18 inches apart in the garden. Reaching a height of two to three feet, freshly plucked leaves have many culinary uses, plus they make an excellent tea to be drunk hot or iced.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to provide your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 5th, 2019