Wildflower Growbar

These Growbars are such a great idea that I discovered when looking for more plantable gifts to add to my collection, alongside my seedballs and plantable cards. They look like large bars of chocolate and each one contains carefully curated and sourced seeds that are designed for certain pollinators and uses. They are a tiny wildflower gardens in a bar that fits through your letterbox! Each one contains everything you need to start your own flower garden – the seeds are nestled in coir bars and you just need to add the bar to a tray, water it and watch your flowers bloom.

I have chosen three Growbars for my Spring 2021 collection based on flowers I love – The Edible Flower Bar has perfect flowers for salads and biscuits, The Bird Bar has 3 of my favourite colourful wildflowers and is great for birds. And The Sunflower Bar is just all about sunflowers which are one of my very favourite flowers and so easy to grow.

The Edible Flower Bar:

As well as making food look beautiful, these petals infuse flavour to syrups, cakes, cocktails, tarts, desserts, salads, vinaigrette, soups and breads, and can be crystallised or dried. Each bar contains:

BORAGE (Annual) – makes a classic Pimms Cup garnish, beautiful floating in the glass or frozen into ice cubes.

POT MARIGOLD (Annual) – these flowers will impart a golden colour and a peppery, citrusy taste to your cooking.

VIOLA CROWN BLEND (Perennial) – these petals have a slightly sweet lettuce and grassy flavour..

The Bird Bar:

A spectacular trio of bird-friendly flowers, guaranteed to bring wild birds flocking to snack on the plentiful seeds.

CORNFLOWER (Annual) – these are one of my very favourite wildflowers with delicate blue blooms that offer nourishing seeds for garden birds.

ECHINOPS (Perennial) – vibrant spherical flowers for you, and tasty seeds for the birds.

SUNFLOWER (Annual) – these golden giants are another favourite of mine and produce an abundant supply of seeds.

The Sunflower Bar:

SUN GOLD (Annual) – produce gigantic, fluffy flower heads which look like golden-coloured pompoms.

VANILLA ICE (Annual) – pale lemon-yellow petals which contrast vividly with the dark black centre.

RED SUN (Annual) – an unusual variety which produces dramatic, deep red flowers on tall stems

How they work: Unwrap your Growbar and place it with the brown protective paper facing upwards, into a container with plenty of space to allow it to expand. Gently pour half a litre of water into the tray and position indoors on a warm, bright sunny windowsill. The seeds will need to be a cosy 18°-22° to germinate.

Water regularly and ensure the Growbar is perfectly moist, it should remain the colour of a rich dark ginger cake.

After a few weeks you should have a bar neatly dotted with little seedlings. These will be happy growing together in the bar for a further month in their sunny location.

When the seedlings have produced 4-8 leaves, you can then gently separate them, being careful to not damage the delicate roots, and plant them in individual pots or a sunny weed-free spot in the garden. Plants grown in the ground with plenty of space and sunlight will produce more abundant fragrant foliage but it is possible to grow the seedlings in large containers on the balcony or patio.