Astilbe Mix ~ 100 Seeds,violet,red,pink,cream and White, Shade Loving Plant Astilbe (Astilbe Arendsii Bunter) - If you have shady areas that need some color, start some Astilbe seeds and brighten things up! What a variety of colors: violet, red, pink, cream and white as well as dark green, serrated foliage. It's a shade lover that makes a nice cut flower for fresh or dried bouquets! Astilbe Arendsii is perfect for the shady bed or border. It's a midsummer bloomer that goes well with hostas, ferns, and other shade plantings. Astilbe plants do best in moist (not wet) soils. They require rich soil with lots of compost or humus mixed in. In the north they do best in part shade with more sun than shade and in the south they do best in more shade than sun. They are not full shade plants because they will not flower well with out adequate light. Under poor light conditions they will grow into green clumps but flower poorly. Astilbe flower seed is usually sown indoors in early spring and transplanted outside when the weather is warmer. Use a loose, soft soil mix, and plant the Astilbe seeds on the surface, pressing them into the soil. Make sure that the soil drains well and is able to keep the flower seeds moist, but not wet, at all times. For the best results, add in a little fertilizer that has a high concentration of nitrogen. Keep the Astilbe plants inside until the seedlings reach about 2 inches in height. Transplant after last frost.