How to Grow Forget-Me-Nots

In short: Sow forget-me-not seeds in June into a warm seedbed or trays, then plant the seedlings into beds in September. As a biennial, they flower the following spring, blooming from May to September. Wood forget-me-not reaches 10 to 40 cm and prefers partial shade to shade with slightly moist, nutrient-rich soil.

How to Grow Forget-Me-Nots

Wood forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) belongs to the class of higher dicotyledonous plants, to the borage family (lat. Boraginaceae). Forget-me-nots grow from Asia to Europe. Originally from northern France and England, they were further spread through Poland and Denmark. They also grow in the Canary Islands in the belt down to Ethiopia. In the Czech Republic, they thrive in floodplains and forests. In the Bohemian Karst and Highlands region, in the Vltava canyon. In Moravia around Brno and the Pálava forests, and in southern Moravia.

Forget-me-nots grow to a height of 10-40 cm. They are suitable for group plantings. This is a biennial or perennial plant. Flowers are blue and pink. Forget-me-nots bloom from May to September. They have a round, slightly hairy stem with multi-headed shoots for flowers. Basal leaves are larger 1-5 cm, stem leaves are smaller. Flowers grow from terminal double helicoid cymes, as well as from lateral cymes. The flower corolla is initially pinkish, later sky blue. Initially, white flowers may also appear.

The tiny forget-me-not flowers consist of five petals. After flowering, they turn into glossy, blackish-brown, pointed nutlets. Each nutlet contains one seed.

The natural environment where forget-me-nots occur is shady forests, lowlands and mountains. Floodplain environments suit them well. (A floodplain meadow, river floodplain, or valley floodplain - is a natural riverbed that floods during high water. Floodplains form in river meanders. They consist of clay, gravel, loam and sandy alluvial deposits.). They grow in both drier and wetter nutrient-rich soils.

Forget-me-not is a plant of many subspecies. Cultivated forget-me-nots have larger and more abundant inflorescences. They are suitable for growing in ornamental gardens and window boxes.

Alpine forget-me-not (lat. Myosotis alpestris) is a fast-growing biennial to perennial plant. In the wild, it grows at altitudes of 1300-3000 m. It is also suitable for group plantings. You can also place it in window boxes or on bed borders. It prefers slightly moist but well-nourished humus-rich soil.

Growing Forget-Me-Nots

Forget-me-nots are a very popular ornamental plant to grow. They are suitable both for group plantings and for edging paths (walkways and beds), as well as for window boxes. Their abundant clusters of sky-blue flowers delight every eye. In beds and window boxes, they combine well with, for example, daisies, bellflowers and pansies. They can create contrast with ornamental grasses.

Sowing - forget-me-not seeds should be sown in June in a warm seedbed. You can also sow them in seed trays or pots placed on a windowsill. It should be sunny but without direct sunlight. Use substrate suitable for sowing. You can moisten it with a spray bottle. You can add fertilizer. The soil for forget-me-nots should be nutritious.

Planting - Pre-grown forget-me-not seedlings should be planted in the bed in September. First, dig it well and enrich it with nutrients and generous watering. In planters, place a layer of gravel at the bottom and you can add mature compost. Try to create an environment for the plants as similar as possible to their natural habitat. This is a biennial plant, so it will bloom the following spring.

Location - forget-me-not is a biennial plant that thrives as a perennial under good conditions. When transplanting, plant several seedlings together in a cluster. This will create nice lush clumps. Choose a suitable location in your garden. It thrives in partial shade and shade.

Watering and fertilizing - the soil around forget-me-nots must be clean, without unnecessary weeds and fallen leaves. Fertilize forget-me-nots regularly with mature compost. The soil around forget-me-nots must always be slightly moist. Water the plants regularly.

Forget-me-not is an amazing little flower. Try sowing it this year and decorate your planters in spring with its azure blooms. You'll see that you'll love it. It gives the garden a different atmosphere and you'll feel like you're in old England. Coffee will suddenly warm you up even more, or perhaps you'll have black tea with milk at five o'clock and plum cake to go with it.

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Author: Hana Michalíková