Guide to growing garden plants - Collinsia (Innocence)
Collinsia is a half hardy or hardy annual that reaches 30 to 60cm in height.
It flowers in the middle of summer with flowers of pink, blue or purple.
These flowers are often lip shaped hence some of their common names such as Bluelips; other names for Collinsia include Innocence, Blue-eyed Mary and Chinese houses.
It is a great plant to grow in borders even in containers.
How to grow Innocence - Collinsia
Seeds of should be planted outside in their final location either before the last frost of spring or in the autumn. Innocence should be grown in a sunny garden or a partially shaded one in hot areas; plant them about 20cm apart. Collinsia likes to grow in a soil of pH 5 to 8, that is moist but well drained, and fertile. The germination of Collinsia normally takes about two to three weeks.
Caring for Innocence
In windy areas Collinsia should be staked. The plant should be dead headed to encourage flowering and prevent the Innocence taking over the garden.