Guide to growing garden plants - Hedyotis Quaker Bonnets

Members of the Hedyotis genus are small hardy perennials that are ideal for use in rock gardens.

They are usually about 10 to 15cm in height, though some larger varieties may make 45cm in height.

They have stellar flowers of purple, blue or white, and miniature green leaves.

Some of the common names for Hedyotis include Quaker bonnets, Quaker Ladies, Bluets and Innocence.

How to grow Quaker Bonnets (Hedyotis)

Fresh seeds of Hedyotis should be planted in a sunny area of the garden at the end of Summer. The seeds should be sown into vermiculite containers and sunk into a shady area of the garden. Germination usually takes from three to four weeks. Once Quakers Bonnets seedlings have sprouted they should be allowed to grow for a further year, and then transferred to their final location the following autumn. ideally they should be spaced about 30 to 40cm apart into a moist acidic soil of about pH5 to 6.

Caring for quaker bonnets and other Hedyotis plants

Once established it is important to keep Hedyotis plants such as Quaker bonnets well watered when they are growing. More plants can be created by dividing the plants; this should be done regularly as Hedyotis plants have a short life span. Following flowering allow the leaves to die fully before attempting to remove them.