Elevating flowers from seed is a low-cost method to fill your backyard with lovely blooms, and lots of flower seeds can merely be sprinkled straight onto the bottom the place you need them to develop. 

Armed with some prime ideas from our group, and a choice of 10 straightforward flower seeds to direct sow, your patio pots and backyard borders shall be bursting with blooms earlier than you recognize it.

When is one of the best time to direct sow flower seeds?

The most effective time to sow flower seed outdoor is spring, when the times are lengthening and warming up. You’ll be able to normally begin direct sowing your hardy annual flower seeds from late March to Could. Simply wait till the soil is above the minimal temperature of 10C.

Should you’ve missed the spring sowing window, don’t fear. Many flower seeds can be direct sown on the finish of summer season however earlier than the primary frosts. They may overwinter within the floor and bloom barely earlier the next yr. 

Tips on how to direct sow flower seeds

First-time growers needn’t be nervous about direct sowing seeds – it’s the simplest method to develop your individual flowers and there’s no want to purchase any particular tools. All you want are some seeds, a patch or pot of soil, a backyard fork or trowel, plus a little bit effort.

• Select a sunny spot with well-drained soil. 
• Draw a plan of what you’re sowing and the place, and put together some figuring out labels for every row or patch. Bear in mind to contemplate your flower vegetation’ mature top and unfold!
• Put together the bottom by digging the soil and eradicating any weeds. Dig and rake till the soil has a effective tilth.
• Annual flowers look greatest when grown in massive teams, however protecting to free rows inside every ‘patch’ lets you determine and take away any weeds. Make a shallow line together with your finger and sprinkle the seeds as evenly as attainable alongside the row.
• Cowl the seeds with a lightweight overlaying of sifted soil. Observe: some seeds shouldn’t be lined e.g. poppies, so all the time learn the directions on the seed packet.
• Maintain your seed mattress freed from weeds and water it throughout any significantly dry spells.
• As soon as your seeds have germinated and emerged from the soil, skinny out any overcrowded seedlings and weeds. This offers your vegetation the area and lightweight they should develop healthily to maturity.

10 straightforward flower seeds to direct sow

Listed below are ten of the simplest flower seeds to direct sow for a fast and vibrant summer season show. 

1. Sunflowers

Enjoyable for youngsters to develop, sunflower seeds are straightforward to deal with and the favored blooms usually attain two metres tall and past. They arrive in a variety of colors, attracting pollinating bugs and wild birds with their edible seeds. Select dwarf varieties for containers or ‘giants’ for towering border varieties.

Picture: Sunflower Seeds – F1 Suntastic Yellow from Suttons

2. Candy peas

Candy pea seeds rapidly develop into care-free climbing vegetation that scramble over arches or wrap round obelisks. A great way to introduce scent and color – they make glorious minimize flowers on your residence too! Direct sow your seeds from late April to Could.

Picture: Candy Pea Seeds – Supersonic from Suttons

3. Cosmos

Cosmos are vibrant daisy-like flowers with frothy foliage and, offered you deadhead the spent blooms, they’ll final all through the summer season and effectively into autumn. For one of the best impact, sow your cosmos seeds in drifts by way of borders or in containers. 

Picture: Cosmos Candyfloss Combine Seeds from Suttons

4. Calendula (Pot Marigolds)

A conventional favorite, pot marigold seeds (Calendula officinalis) produce massive, golden blooms. Priceless on the allotment, the flowers appeal to pollinating bugs whereas the edible petals can be utilized to brighten up salads or muffins. Sow from March to Could for flowers from June to Sept, or direct sow your seeds in Aug and Sept for early blooms the next yr.

Picture: Calendula Seeds – Pink Shock from Suttons

5. Nasturtiums

Quick-growing nasturtiums produce fabulous floral shows and are superb on the allotment as a companion plant. The edible leaves and flowers are each nice in salads – and the seeds may be pickled to make scrumptious ‘capers’! Direct sow your nasturtium seeds from March to Could and benefit from the flowers from June to September.

Picture: Nasturtium Seeds – Tutti Frutti Combine from Suttons

6. Poppies

Enduringly standard, poppies are an incredible alternative for the backyard or wildflower meadow. From the well-known shiny crimson discipline poppies to elegant oriental varieties, these flowers can be found in a variety of thrilling colors. Direct sow your poppy seeds between March and Could or, for flowers early the next yr, direct sow the seeds in August or September.

Picture: Poppy Seeds – Laurens Grape from Suttons

7. Morning Glory

The flowers of those little climbers will whisk you away with their Mediterranean vibes, reminding you of sunny summer season holidays as they clamber freely over fences, trellis or obelisks for months on finish. Direct sow your morning glory seeds (Ipomoea) in Could and benefit from the blooms till the primary frosts.

Picture: Morning Glory Seeds – Inkspots from Suttons

8. Nigella

The velvety pastel colored flowers of nigella or love-in-a-mist rise from a froth of feathery foliage that rapidly and simply fills out beds and borders. Sow your nigella seeds wherever you need them to develop from March to April for flowers from July to the top of August. Should you sow extra seeds in September you’ll get blooms from the next Could.

Picture: Love-in-a-Mist Seeds – Delft Blue from Suttons

9. Cornflower

Good for a meadow or cottage backyard, attractive free-natured cornflowers thrive in sunny borders.Sow your cornflower seeds from March to Could for flowers from June to September. You too can direct sow them onto heat soil in August and September to take pleasure in barely earlier flowers the next yr.

Picture: Cornflower Seeds – Blue Diadem from Suttons

10. Wildflower seeds

When sown, at the same time as a small patch, native British wildflowers appeal to useful pollinators and assist all kinds of different wildlife. The gorgeous mix of colors offers an eclectic cottage backyard really feel.Sow your wildflower seeds instantly into the bottom in spring, selecting soil that hasn’t been frequently fertilised in latest months.

Picture: Vibrant Annuals Combine Seeds from Suttons

Now you recognize which flower seeds are straightforward to direct sow the place you need them to bloom! For extra recommendation on which flowers to sow and when, see our helpful month-to-month flower seed sowing information.

Lead picture: Swan River Daisy Seeds – Bravo Combine from Suttons