'The February Subscription Box' by Becky

February Subscription Box

 At this time of year, there is nothing more delightful than the joy and hope of bright packets of seed – prophetic of what is soon to come in the spring and summer months. February box surpasses all others which have preceded it, the colours and varieties inside are your own small peek into the world of summer – and better yet, it has just been posted through your letterbox! The upgrade of new, branded seed packets is yet another success for an already successful small business, each box seems so carefully thought out and compiled – just when we thought the packaging couldn’t get more colourful and trendy! The mandate of making gardening modern, fun and easy has certainly been fulfilled; including helpful sowing information and details of the variety on the back of the packet and stunning photography on the front, it really has never been easier to transform your garden in 2023.

When delving excitedly into my colourful box, the first variety which caught my eye was Nicotiana ‘Avalon lime and purple’ – namely due to its stunningly unique colour. With the brightest lime green centres fading to the most gorgeous deep purple at the edges of a petal, not only are they scented and attractive to wildlife, but they thrive if planted in the shade – so are truly perfect for filling a tricky spot in any garden! These are hard to get hold of right now and it is certainly a popular variety, a new and exciting twist on an old cottage garden favourite.

An absolute stalwart in any garden is ammi majus. An ornamental relative of the common cow parsley – this has all the best qualities of being delicate, frothy and a haven for pollinators, without being invasive. Truly a must in a romantic cottage garden, prairie scheme, or even as a cut flower in amongst your vegetables! The white umbel shaped flowers suspended on tall stems almost float above the planting and are so easy to grow, this definitely has a place on the seed list every year. For those who love it and those who are about to discover it, this gorgeous packet of ammi is a dream.

Does anyone else love phloxes but wish they weren’t quite so tall and didn’t need quite so much staking? Please welcome to the stage phlox ‘crème brulee,’ certainly the most attractive compact phlox out there – and it even has a subtle scent. With its café au lait tinged with pink petals, nothing is compromised, and it adds another dynamic layer to planting. For six months it will flower if sown early enough, and from June until November, it will be the star of the show – certainly one of the most valuable varieties to have from this month’s box.

Cosmos are a firm favourite of many, however are certainly immune to being overrated, as all can appreciate their worth in all they bring through colour, for wildlife and as cut flowers. The cosmos variety ‘purity’ and your classic ‘dazzler’ are beautiful, however why not try a new and unique variety for the first time this season. Make way for Cosmos ‘Xsenia’ – a brand new type with the most gorgeous, peachy-pink and open-centred flowers, which will go on profusely all through the summer. This is an up-and-coming variety in the gardening world which is steadily growing in popularity – you saw it here first!

Last but by no means least is another new variety in stunning shades; Callistephus is a genus in the Aster species, and this variety ‘The Roses’ is a perfect solution for late season colour, bridging the difficult gap between summer and autumn seamlessly. In trendy pastel shades, this pink, cream and peach collection of double-flowered yet open-centred blooms is a real showstopper. You are bound to have people who visit your garden asking for its name!

And when you come to excitedly sow this collection, a true dream for any gardener, you will realise that the whole sowing process has become significantly easier. The introduction of 5 simple yet durable wooden, biodegradable, plant labels are ideal for efficiently marking each variety – and the whole process becomes epitomised through the use of the Garden Marker from the January subscription box.

The Rose Press Garden monthly box is not just a product, but an experience, and there is nothing more exciting than connecting with other gardeners through the app and growing and sowing together. I can’t wait to get outside and plant these!