WE all have our own personal approach to sowing seeds and every gardener has his or her own habitual method.
They may be sprinkled straight from the packet, tapped kindly over its torn edge or emptied into the palm and then, cautiously, pinched between the index finger and thumb of the free hand and sprinkled from a height of around two inches.
Some gardeners use what is known as a "pro-seeder" which picks up fine seeds and deposits each seed where you want it.
I have such a contraption, but I have never used it. To me, it takes away the joy of feeling the seeds, the initial process towards germinating them, for they won't do so in their packets!
Watching my seeds, these small, dry, humble things, germinate and develop into thrilling plants never fails to give me immense satisfaction and a feeling of immeasurable fulfilment - and wonder at the sheer, miraculous mystery of it all.
Whichever method you use, sowing seeds is most therapeutic. First, shake the seeds to the bottom of the packet or sachet. Seeds are fragile, so take care not to crush them.
The all-important thing is that you sow thinly and evenly, otherwise thinning and pricking out will be made more arduous than it need be.
I sow annuals directly at growing site. However, should you rather not risk such a method, you don't need a lot of expensive equipment to germinate your seeds. Seeds need water, oxygen, light and a suitable temperature.
Sow the seeds in a seed rearing compost in pots or plastic trays. If you haven't a seed rearing compost, then mix some vermiculite or perlite in with your potting compost to open-up the compost.
I should suggest two parts potting compost to one part vermiculite or perlite.
The Bahrain garden nursery Janusan Exotics will probably have in stock a seed rearing compost. You can purchase vermiculite and perlite from Agricultural Services on Janabiya Highway.
Make sure that you break up any lumps as you fill each tray with the compost. Once a tray is full and has an even surface, gently press the compost to aid the seedlings in producing a strong root system.
Do not compress it - otherwise you will deny the growing medium any oxygen. Oxygen is vital to developing seedlings, assisting them in converting sugar to starch.
Water the trays using a fine hose and allow them to drain prior to sowing. Adding fungicide to the water will assist in preventing damping off.
Finally, sow the seeds. If the seeds are not to be surface sown (which usually applies to tiny, dust-like seeds) then either cover the seeds with some vermiculite or sieve some compost over the seeds to the depth recommended on the seed packet.
If need be, lightly spray the top soil using a small hand spray (a well washed-out domestic glass spray container is useful for this) and place either in a plastic bag or cover with cling film.
Some gardeners are not fond of grasses but, for me, ornamental grasses flatter so many other flowering plants. They also look stupendous in flower arrangements and are fabulous gap-fillers in spring and summer beds and borders.
When sowing grasses directly in situ - which is the method I recommend for grasses - rake the soil and provide a firm, even surface. Sow the seeds thinly in a pre-watered soil, lightly covering them with a little more soil, vermiculite or compost.
Sow in semi-circular lines or sweeping moon shapes to create a natural "drift" effect. Maintain a moist soil - but not wet - until the seedlings appear and thereafter keep an eye on the soil's moisture levels.
It doesn't matter if the top few centimetres are dry, in fact, by allowing this to happen between each watering will force the seedling to search deeper for water, thus developing a stronger root system.
When the seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them out to around six inches apart to allow their development and to prevent overcrowding.
Pennisetum "Purple Majesty" is one that is being well exploited in flower borders in England. It is simply stunning. Its rich, purple foliage makes it the perfect planting companion for pulsating summer annuals adding height and appeal to your garden in late spring into summer. This majesty of grasses also looks great when used as a feature plant in a large patio container.
Pennisetum villosum - known as the feather-top grass forms a loose clump of six-inch leaves with 24-inch soft greenish-white to brownish flower plumes.
The lovely fox-tail-like plumes of Setaria italica macrocheata "Hylander" thrives in any reasonably moist, well-drained soil in full sun. The stems carrying the eye-catching, bushy-tailed-brushes attain a height of 60 inches. It is commonly known as the "fox-tail-grass".
Masses of soft, feathery plumes are produced from the large, tufting grass Stipa tenuissima. Its slender whippy-stems are up to 24 inches long, with almost translucent, angelic plumes. That's how it earned it common name "angel hair".
The remarkable purple-red spikes produced by Melica transilvanica are a must in the border to the fore, for the plant attains a mere height of six inches.
In the past, all plants that were perceived as being transparent, as in the case of grasses (and astoundingly in the case of one of my most favourite annual returnees Verbena bonariensis) were brushed aside, regarded with disdain.
Thank heavens that such plants are now in vogue - their transparent quality is now regarded as a virtue, blending harmoniously together with flowering annuals, and perennials, to permit views to plantings beyond.
A comprehensive chapter on propagation, in general, features in my book Tropical Trees and Shrubs of Bahrain.
