Seed Subscription: Flower, Cool Climate, Spring 2025

Subscriptions are an excellent way to explore new seed varieties without having to spend time choosing the seeds yourself, and are perfect for busy gardeners, delivering seeds and all the information you need to plant them directly to your letterbox. 

Each season we’ll choose a selection of seed varieties tailored to your climate, and send you the seeds plus a colour information sheet with photos, tips and sowing information - all you need to do is plant!

You are currently viewing a single season of seeds which can be purchased individually. To subscribe to a years worth of seeds click here.

Seeds included in this subscription:

• 

  Californian Poppy- Purple Gleam

  Annual plant growing to 40cm with grey/green fern-like foliage. Produces rose-purple blooms fading to cream. Flowers turn pink and close in dull weather. Ideal for beds, borders, rock gardens, and meadows. Grows in poor soil. Drought tolerant.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 16-21°C.Annual. Height 40cm, Spacing 30cm. 70 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: JAN SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Sweetpea- Streamers Blue

  A 180cm climbing annual with grey-green leaves and tendrils. Features large, fragrant flowers, blue with white streaks and wavy petals. Excellent as a cut flower. Ideal for beds, borders with support, or trellises. A classic cottage garden favourite.

  Sow direct, 25mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 13-18°C.Annual. Height 180cm, Spacing 15cm. 100 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR SEP OCT (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Celosia- Flamingo Feather

  Annual plant growing to 80cm with dark green foliage. Produces long spikes with feathery flowers in silvery-white and light pink. Ideal for borders, mass plantings, cut flowers, and dried arrangements. Long flowering.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 21-27°C.Annual. Height 80cm, Spacing 40cm. 100 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Petunia- Karkulka

  Annual up to 30cm. Large, ornamental flowers with ruffled edges in white and bubblegum pink. Plants spread with 6cm flowers blooming in summer. Ideal for mass planting, beds, borders, containers. Best in wind-sheltered positions.

  Raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 5-15 days @ 21-28°C.Annual. Height 30cm, Spacing 25cm. 80-100 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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• 

  Cosmos- Xsenia

  Annual up to 60cm with green foliage. Small terracotta flowers with deep raspberry pink tones. Compact plants bloom profusely in summer. Suitable for containers, beds, mass planting, meadows, cut flowers. Attracts butterflies.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 15-20 days @ 21-26°C.Annual. Height 60cm, Spacing 45cm. 85-95 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Marigold, French- Solan

  Compact annual growing to 20cm with pom pom-like flowers. Yellow-orange centre's with mahogany petals. Blooms from summer to late autumn, attracting bees. Ideal for small spaces, edging beds, borders, and containers. Easy to grow.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 4-7 days @ 24-28°C.Annual. Height 20cm, Spacing 20cm. 80-90 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Sunflower- EOS F1

  An annual growing to 30cm. Robust dwarf plants each produce a large pollen-free flower surrounded by multiple smaller flowers. The flowers are bright yellow with a dark centre. A good variety to grow with children as plants flower in about 50 days.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 21-30°C.Annual. Height 30cm, Spacing 20cm. 50 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Zinnia- Oklahoma Salmon

  An annual growing to 90cm with semi-double and double salmon pink flowers on tall strong stems. Flowers measure 4-6cm across and last well as cut flowers. The bushy plants produce several flushes of flowers per season. Zinnias are easy plants to grow.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 20-25°C.Annual. Height 90cm, Spacing 25cm. 80-90 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Phlox- Blushing Bride

  Annual growing to 45cm. The flowers, with dark centres and lighter coloured outer petals, change colour when open which results in a mix of blush pink to deep rose clusters of blooms. An old-fashioned cottage garden favourite and a fragrant cut flower.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 18-20°C.Annual. Height 45cm, Spacing 15cm. 70 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Nasturtium- Whirlybird Mix

  Annual, compact, non-trailing plants, about 30cm tall. Bright green leaves, spurless flowers in various colours. Ideal for beds, borders, rockeries, containers, hanging baskets. Tolerates poor soil.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 15mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 16-20°C.Annual. Height 30cm, Spacing 30cm. 70-80 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

Tips for gardening in spring:

Spring Gardening

Tips for gardening in spring:

Spring cleaning: Use this checklist to carry out a garden inspection. 

• Plant damage - look for plants damaged by winter rains, cold temperatures, frost, snow, or wind. 
• Tidy up plants and provide stakes or support where necessary. Make a note of which plants will need protection from winter weather for next year. Also look for rodent or deer damage on woody plants, and evidence of new rabbit burrows or new shoots being eaten by rabbits. Protect plants with wire cages where appropriate.
• Hardscaping and outdoor living areas - check paving and decking for algae and mould and give it a good clean. Sweep patios and paths, and clean outdoor furniture. Gravel paths might need resurfacing. Check decks, benches, sheds, fences and wooden trellises for rotting timber. Walls that have become bowed may need fixing or reinforcing, and stepping stones or paving that has shifted may cause a trip hazard.
• Check gutters and drains - clearing out leaves and twigs reduces potential fire hazards and ensures any rainwater can run off easily. 
• Irrigation system - check for leaks and parts that need to be repaired and unclog sprinkler heads that have become clogged with debris.
• Clean up garden beds - rake up old plant debris and matted fallen leaves if you didn’t do this in autumn. Doing so keeps pests and diseases at bay that thrive under such conditions. 
• Clean out bird baths and remove debris from water features and ponds.

Soil preparation: Boost soil structure and fertility by sprinkling with a slow-release organic fertiliser and topdressing with well-rotted compost or well-aged manure. Take extra care if using chicken manure, and use it sparingly, as it can be high in ammonia which can burn your plants. 

It is helpful to test your soil every 3-5 years to check if it is becoming deficient (or too rich) in any particular nutrient. The pH of the soil can sometimes limit the uptake of certain nutrients, so checking the pH is a good place to start. If necessary, amend the soil accordingly.  

Refresh the soil in pots and containers. Over time, nutrients are used up and soil may become compacted or hold less water. Repot suitable plants (divide if appropriate) into fresh potting mix, or simply remove the top few centimetres of soil and replace with fresh mix.

Get planting: If you haven’t already planned your garden, sort through your seeds and decide what you want to plant and where. If it’s still a bit cold in your area, you can start seeds indoors on a heat mat or in a mini greenhouse. If sowing directly in the garden, try the scatter method of sowing for a more informal approach this year.

If any of the flowers or vegetables you are planning on planting require support like stakes or trellises, set them up when you sow your seeds. This avoids disturbing the roots of newly emerging seedlings and young plants later on. 

In some areas there may still be a risk of frost, so keep an eye on the weather report and be ready to protect your plants from a sudden cold snap. A layer of mulch or frost cloth, or even a cloche over early seedlings can help.

Pests and diseases to look out for in spring:

Slugs and snails: Snail and slug eggs that have overwintered begin to hatch as the weather warms up. Baby snails and slugs start feeding immediately and cause as much damage to flowers and vegetable seedlings as the adults. Control and reduce their number by picking them off and removing weeds and places that provide refuge for them. If you choose to use bait, do so with caution as most baits can be toxic to pets and other wildlife.

Sap-sucking insects: Infestations of aphids and whitefly can detrimentally affect your plants. Female aphids can give birth to live young without the need to mate, and colonies multiply very rapidly when conditions are favourable. Adult whiteflies are usually only seen when they are disturbed and fly up in a cloud. Try physically removing these pests by squirting with a garden hose, or use a homemade pyrethrum spray or eco oil.

Product code: SS_FLO_COOL_SPR_2025