Add Early Colour and Unique Seed Pods with Honesty Mixed (Lunaria annua)

Honesty Mixed, also known as Lunaria annua, is a classic cottage garden biennial cherished for its vibrant spring flowers and striking, translucent seed pods. The blooms come in shades of purple, violet, and white, providing early nectar for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. After flowering, the distinctive round seed pods develop, often called “silver dollars,” adding ornamental value through late summer and into autumn.

A traditional favourite for both garden beds and flower arranging, Honesty is valued for its ease of growth and its ability to naturalise gently in the garden.

Growing Conditions

Honesty thrives in full sun or partial shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil. It performs well in borders, wildlife gardens, and cottage garden settings.

Planting Guide

Sowing Indoors: Sow seeds indoors from March to May. Press seeds lightly onto the surface of moist compost and cover lightly. Maintain a temperature of 15–20°C. Germination usually occurs within 14–28 days.
Transplanting: When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them into individual pots. Harden off before planting outside after the risk of frost has passed.
Direct Sowing: Sow seeds directly outdoors from April to June. Plants will develop foliage in the first year and flower in the spring of the second year. Thin seedlings to a final spacing of 30–40 cm.

Care & Maintenance

Watering: Keep soil moist during establishment. Once established, Honesty is relatively drought-tolerant.
Feeding: Not generally required in fertile soil.
Deadheading: Allow flowers to set seed if you wish to enjoy the ornamental seed pods or encourage self-seeding for future seasons.
Support: Taller plants may benefit from light support in exposed sites.

Flowering & Cut Flower Tips

Honesty blooms from April to June in its second year after sowing. The fresh flowers can be cut for arrangements, and the seed pods are especially prized for dried displays. Harvest seed pods once they turn papery and translucent.

Garden Impact

Honesty Mixed adds vibrant spring colour and architectural interest later in the season with its unique seed pods. It supports pollinators early in the year and blends beautifully with other cottage garden favourites like foxgloves and aquilegias.