Sweet William 'Holborn Glory' Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Sweet William 'Holborn Glory' Seeds — Default Title
Sweet William 'Holborn Glory' Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Piccolo Seeds

Sweet William 'Holborn Glory' Seeds

Raspberry red flowers ringed and edged in white

£2.99

Sold out. FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Key benefits

  • Raspberry red flowers ringed and edged in white
  • Warm, clove-like scent and long life in a vase
  • Edible petals to decorate cakes and desserts
  • About 50 cm tall for borders, cutting patches or pots
  • Packet of about 100 seeds with growing instructions

Holborn Glory is a sweet William from the 1920s with a pattern that stops people on the path: dense, domed heads of raspberry red flowers, each one ringed and edged in clean white. The flowers carry a warm, clove-like scent and last well in a vase, and the petals are edible, with a spicy, floral taste that makes them a pretty decoration for cakes and desserts. Dianthus barbatus 'Holborn Glory' grows to around 50 cm on sturdy stems, at home in a cottage border, a cutting patch or a container, and bees and butterflies visit the flowers.

Sowing and growing

  • Sow outdoors in a seedbed, or in trays, May to July for flowers the following year.
  • Sow thinly, about 5 mm deep.
  • Germination takes 7 to 21 days at 15 to 20°C.
  • Move plants to their flowering spot in early autumn, 25 cm apart, in full sun and well-drained soil.
  • Grows to about 50 cm tall and 30 cm wide.
  • Flowers May to July in its second year.
  • Hardy biennial or short-lived perennial: it flowers best in its first flowering summer, so sow a fresh batch each year.

What you receive: a packet of about 100 seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back.

Browse our full range of flower and herb seeds, see more summer flowering plants, or find more plants for bees and pollinators.

How to use
  1. Sow outdoors in a seedbed or in trays May to July for flowers the following year.
  2. Sow thinly, about 5 mm deep.
  3. Move plants to their flowering spot in early autumn, 25 cm apart.
  4. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil.
Delivery and returns

Every order is hand-packed and sent with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? You can return unused items within 14 days of delivery. See our returns policy.

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14-day returns on unused items
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Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I sow sweet William seeds?

Sow from May to July. The young plants grow through summer, go into their flowering positions in early autumn and bloom the following May to July. Spring sowings rarely flower in the same year.

Are sweet William flowers edible?

Yes, the petals are edible, with a mild clove-like flavour. Pull them from the flower head and snip off the pale base of each petal, which can taste bitter. Only use flowers that have not been sprayed.

Is sweet William perennial?

It is grown as a biennial. Plants can live a few years, but they flower best in their first flowering summer and get leggy after that. Sowing a little every year keeps the display strong, and it will often self-seed.

What is your returns policy?

Changed your mind? You can return pots, gifts, accessories and other non-plant items. Email hello@growtropicals.com with your order number within 14 days of delivery, then send the item back within 14 days of telling us. You pay the return postage.

Items must come back unused and in their original condition. If an item has been used, we may reduce your refund by the value it has lost, and for used items this can be the full price.

Live plants cannot be returned because you have changed your mind, but they are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

If something arrives damaged, faulty or wrong, email us with your order number and photos and we will put it right at no cost to you. Full details are in our returns policy.

When will my order arrive and how much is shipping?

Choose your delivery speed at checkout. Express orders placed before 1pm are dispatched the same day, otherwise the next working day. Standard orders are dispatched within 2 to 3 working days and Economy orders within 4 to 5 working days. Once dispatched, every order travels by 24 hour tracked courier.

Delivery is free on orders over £60 with Economy, over £100 with Standard and over £150 with Express. Below that, the charge depends on your basket total and is always shown at checkout before you pay. The full price list is in our shipping policy.

Orders without plants are dispatched Monday to Friday. If your order also includes plants, it goes out Monday to Thursday so the plants are not left in the courier network over the weekend. Delivery can take longer at busy times such as Black Friday and Christmas.

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Why Grow Tropicals

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Packed with care

Packed with care

Every order is hand-packed in protective packaging and sent with tracked delivery, so it reaches you in one piece.

Free tracked delivery on orders over £60.

Ready to give

Ready to give

Add a gift message at checkout and we will handwrite it and pack it with your order.

Pair it with a plant for a complete gift.

Easy returns

Easy returns

Changed your mind? Send unused items back within 14 days of delivery and we will refund you.

Full details in our returns policy.

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Sweet William 'Holborn Glory' Seeds
£2.99