Description

Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)

Every year I look forward to our Cow Parsley wildflower meadow under the trees.

Bumper Seed Pack 300 seeds!

Another member of the umbellifer family flowering Early in the season (March), before the trees come into leaf, we have our Daffodils and Narcissus, then the first of the beautiful ferny foliage wakes after winter adding to the display.

Just as the bulbs start to go over, the Cow Parsley stems rise up, followed by a cloud of white flowers that bloom all the way into May, completely disguising the spent bulbs. Without any ugly bulb foliage to look at, we can allow the daffodils to completely die back and naturalise.

Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) provides nectar early in the season attracting many hoverflies, butterflies and many other beneficial insects.

After flowering simply leave plants to set seed for an even bigger patch the following year. Plants are short lived perennials so it’s good to have the next generation growing.

Our super fresh robust seeds germinate brilliantly from an early Autumn sowing. Seeds will only germinate when conditions are right, don’t worry if you have to wait several weeks for the first signs of life. Plants are pre-programmed in nature to remain dormant until conditions are perfect.

How to grow:

Easy to germinate, you can sow in cells or direct, there are plenty of seeds in your packet to try a bit of both. Be careful not to overwater in cells, however rain is fine in the garden.

Pre-chill seeds 1-2 weeks prior to sowing. this is important otherwise they will sit dormant until the cold weather kicks in. Sow seeds earlier in Autumn for best results, started too late they may not flower the first Spring.

For sowing in individual cells, press seeds lightly into the compost, light is needed for germination, don’t cover with compost. Place germinating seeds out of direct sun, seeds prefer a bit of part shade to germinate. Once we move into early winter move trays to full light.

If you would prefer Cow Parsley not to self-seed, simply cut down plants as soon as they finish flowering before the seeds ripen. Water in if dry when direct seeding.

You can see our patch is kept easily under control by Neil running the lawn mower around the boundary of the Cow Parsley patch giving a nice, neat finish.

For more detailed growing instructions join our ‘Grow-A-Long’  and for busy gardeners you can now plan ahead with our Autumn Jump Starter Handbook

Details:
Variety: Anthriscus sylvestris
Type: Hardy biennial / short lived perennial
Position: Part Shade/full sun in moist but free draining soil.
Sow: Early Autumn
Germination: Allow 3 weeks for germination.
Harvest: April/May
Seeds per packet: 300 (counted by weight)

Cutting /Vase Life:

April -May Pick when ¾ of the flowers are open and no sign of pollen drop. stems will feel firmer to the touch. Young stems are at risk from wilting.
Cut when almost all of the flowers on a stem are open. If harvested too early the young sappy stems have a tendency to wilt. You can feel them thicken and become more rigid as stems mature. Place flowers straight into ready buckets of water. We rest our stems for a few hours in water, this is called conditioning.