Silene Coronaria

Commonly known as Rose Campion, Silene Coronaria gives vibrant, vivacious rose pink flowers which persist for months on end from June to October, held above felty, silvery foliage. A perfect border filler and unsurprisingly, winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit, its plentiful blooms are also a popular with pollinating insects. A short-lived perennial, that happily self-seeds - so some ‘editing’ may be required!

Sow Silene seeds indoors from February to May, or in October, on the surface of a good quality seed compost and gently firm down. Initially, water the seeds from below and keep the soil damp but not wet and do not exclude light. Place in a propagator or seal the seed tray inside a polythene bag until after germination. When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant and grow them on in cooler conditions until large enough to plant outdoors.

When Silene plants are well grown and all risk of frost has passed, acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days and plant out.

As Silene does self-seed, you may also sow seed direct in the autumn. Thin autumn sown seeds before they cease growth for the winter.

Apply a generous mulch after cutting back the faded flowerheads and stems to the basal rosette of leaves in late summer and autumn. Deadheading, and removing seed heads will encourage new flowers to form.

TOP TIP

Will hppily grow as a boggy/marginal aquatic plant. Plant out in reliably moist or boggy soil, or pot up into a pond basket and place at the margins of a pond at a depth of 0-10cm.