What flower seeds to sow?

PurpleRose

Hi all

I am beginning to think about the seeds I will be sowing for this year.

I usually do:
Nasturtiums 
Pansies
Love in a mist
Poppies (they self seed)
Marigold

I have on the go:
Sweet Pea
Sea Holly

I have bought a packet of Eccanachea's in a pinky purple, which I will be using.

I quite fancy a change this year. I will be sowing the above (or some of them). I do like do help the pollinators so any flowers that are good at attracting them but also I do like a good display of colour. Easy to germinate would be good too. Any suggestions/recommendations would be hugely appreciated 

Thank you 😁

josusa47

Foxgloves?  I can send you some seeds.  They won't flower until year 2, but will self-seed ever after, and are much appreciated by beeble bums.  Same goes for teasels, but I haven't any seeds to give you.  Teasel seeds are appreciated by some goldfinches, but not the ones that come into my garden, so I only grew them once.

newbie77

My favourite annuals from seeds are zinnia for pollinators and nicotiana for fragrance.

Janie B

These have been amongst my faves for the last couple of years... Salvia Viridis Blue Monday. Very easy and provide some lovely colour. Seeds sown in April, pic taken in August. 

PurpleRose

Thank you for your responses.

I love the Purple colour of those @JJanie B"

I will have a look at your suggestions @newbie77

AnniD

Open flowers such as cosmos, also the "Bishop's Children" dahlias which can be grown from seed and flower in the first year based on my experience. 

newbie77

You can try two lots of annual sowing too. But you would need somewhere else temporary seedlings for the zinnias while first lot is flowering.

First lot hardy annuals sown in autumn flowering in spring.


Second lot tender annuals zinnia flowering in summer till frost.

I didn't change compost. 

Janie B

Wow @newbie77 what amazing displays! Are they all in pots?

newbie77

Yes, large pots. That area was paved and i wanted them to be at a height so i can see flowers from conservatory. Actually i did plant few pansies for winter but they were a bit lost among hardy annual foliage and were too small to be visible from windows.

JessicaS

Gorgeous display @newbie77!  Did you use a seed mix for that first batch?  I shall have to try that in autumn. Ive brought Zinnia to try this year. 

@PurpleRose Try petunia they were easy too. Theres some gorgeous colours out there of the ones you have tried, nasturtium and marigold I am trying pink (!) and red colours this year of those. 

newbie77

Yes a seed mix. I think from Wilko and a packet of cornflowers. As it was to go in pots I didn't think much about choosing.