What to sow and grow this spring

The increasingly warm spring sunshine means it is the ideal time to get potting. Quintain Living – the award-winning management company overseeing the rental of more than 3,390 apartments with balconies in Wembley Park, London – is encouraging residents to do precisely that.

The company is sharing tips on what to sow and grow this spring, ready for a summer with balconies in full bloom.

“Warm windowsills and sheltered balconies are ideal for sowing seeds and tubers at this time of year. Gardening is a great way to connect with nature and can be an excellent mindful activity. Putting in a little work now will also reap big rewards when it comes to enjoying a wealth of summer and autumn flowers,” said, Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer, Quintain Living, and keen balcony gardener

With colourful summer balconies in mind, spring is the perfect time to plant seeds such as sweet peas, which can be sown into pots and placed in a sheltered outdoor spot now. Hardy annual such as sunflowers can also be sown outdoors, as can poppies and cornflowers, which together will deliver a delightful burst of colour.

Half-hardy annual seeds – such as cosmos and petunias – won’t quite be ready for the great outdoors yet but will fare well in a propagator or in pots on a sunny windowsill. Starting them off indoors means they can start to grow before you plant them out when the weather warms up later in the season – or keep them inside to brighten up your home.

Dahlia tubers can be planted indoors now as well, before being planted out in the summer. Dahlia tubers can be dug up in the autumn, to clean, dry and store in a dark place over winter, before planting them again in spring, ready for another year of blooms.

It’s not just flowers that will benefit from an early start. Chillies and tomatoes with thrive on a sunny windowsill, ready for planting out in a few weeks’ time. Starting them from seed now can deliver fresh produce from mid-summer right through to the autumn.

Potatoes are another good choice for growing on balconies and can be sown outside in pots in March. Potato bags with flaps that open for easy harvesting are a great choice for balconies, while large pots will also work well.

There are several types of edible flowers that will grow happily on a windowsill or balcony. Nasturtiums, marigolds, love in the mist and pansies can all add a touch of exquisite colour to rooms, balconies and plates alike.

Flowers and other flora are a core component of the neighbourhood in Wembley Park. The balconies of Quintain Living’s residents are awash with colour as the weather warms up.

At Repton Gardens a verdant podium garden serves as a central focus for the development’s three buildings. Lawned areas with attractive borders and a central bank of mounded earth, which is home to larger trees, provide the ideal opportunity for residents to relax in a natural setting. Hireable BBQ areas with outdoor seating and two play areas provide for versatile use of the picturesque space.

Repton Gardens draws nature into the building as well, with plants used to naturally enhance air quality, as well as create attractive interior spaces. Natural materials and textures feature throughout the apartments and shared social spaces as well, delivering a sense of calm and serenity that flows throughout the building.

For more information on Quintain Living or to book a viewing, visit www.quintainliving.com, @quintainliving on Instagram or call 020 3151 1927.