Spring now, next year September/October. They are Biennials so they grow one year and flower the next. Sow the seeds in May and grow them on for planting out to flower the following June.

Or, next spring (2011), buy plants that someone else has sown in spring/ summer 2010 and grown on. They'll flower in summer 2011. That's the quicker way to please the missus.

Thank you Bettie good idea

They sell these as box bedding in garden centres in September/October - planted then, means they'd flower next year, but you're too late for that now, Johnjoe. If only you'd asked 6 weeks ago...

if you do as Owdboggy says and then-- when the've flowered always save the seed and sow it then you should always have some in flower

I'm sure I've seen these and bought them in the spring, Bamboo. :-? I remember being impressed at how fast they got going.

Seen them sold in flower in Spring, you just pays more for them than you do in September.

Thanks Owdboggy, the last time I bought them must have been about 10 or 11 hears ago.I Kept meaning to buy them.When I went to look for them I was either to early or to late. So this spring I will look for one year old plants.P.S.have I got it right this time. Manny thanks ---John

A few of the shorter varieties will bloom the same summer, if they are planted early enough in the spring, John. Look for "annual type" Sweet Williams.

Never had any success myself with flowering them the first season. You need to sow in heat very early and we have not got a heated propagator.
In a way 'biennial' is a misnomer. The plants often described this way are short lived perennials and some will survive longer than one would expect. Also the plants are not 2 years old at flowering, rather they are 12 months old. Sown in May of 2010 they would begin to flower in May 2011. This is the difference between them and 'annuals' which can flower at 3 months old or even less in the case of some annual ephemerals (2 to 3 days for some weeds!).

you might be right Beattie - I couldn't remember if they were available in the spring as box bedding as well. Be good if they were Johnjoe - they will flower next summer.