Getting on that way, but as you are in a warmer part of Britain you would get away with it. I would tend to pot them in plant pots rather than the soil if there is any danger of hard frost.

yes I agree if they can be given a little protection they will be ok.

I could do it no problem here in SW Wales but as they self seed like weeds I've never tried. Worth a try where you are.

Thanks Owdboggy, SBG and Stera. I'd forgotten that I'd asked this question. Haha the joys of old age. Please excuse my late reply of thanks. Stera, they do self-seed and that's the problem. I planted them on a slope for that reason but they have only self-seeded directly below each other and are now in a clump. I'd much prefer them to have a bit of grass between them. I'll probably wait until spring now as I don't have a coldframe or greenhouse in which to protect them.

Lol. Mine come up in the middle of the lawn, and under the fuchsias a lot more enthusiastically than on the wild bank where they grew wild originally. The ones on the bank shot their seeds down onto the edge of the lawn and made themselves a short border there.. There are several pale pink ones - never knew there were wild pinks before. Perhaps they are crosses with garden ones.I did read somewhere that wild pink ones exist though.