Seed Subscription: Flower, Arid Climate, Summer 2024

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:

• 

  Lobelia- White Lady

  A perennial usually grown as an annual, to 10cm. A fast-growing, compact plant smothered in small white flowers. Popular for hanging baskets and containers where the prolific flowers will spill over the sides.

  Raise seedlings, 0mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 21-24°C.Perennial. Height 10cm, Spacing 15cm. 90 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: FEB MAR APR MAY (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Livingstone Daisy Mix

  Annual growing to 10cm. Low growing plant with fleshy green leaves producing tightly packed flowers in a mix of red, pink and white shades. Good for carpeting, edging, rockeries and borders. Flowers close in dull weather.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 15-25°C.Annual. Height 10cm, Spacing 15cm. 140 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: FEB MAR APR MAY (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Echinacea

  Perennial growing to 100cm. Attractive purple flowers. Has many medicinal uses. Good for borders, bush gardens and as a cut flower. Also known as "Purple Coneflower".

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 10-15 days @ 18-21°C.Perennial. Height 100cm, Spacing 50cm. 90-140 days.

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

• 

  Borage

  Annual growing to 90cm. Bushy plant with hairy ovate leaves and bright blue, star-shaped flowers. Attracts bees.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 5-10 days @ 20-22°C.Annual. Height 90cm, Spacing 30cm. 80-90 days.

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

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• 

  Impatiens- Tom Thumb mix (Balsam)

  Dwarf annual plant, Impatiens balsamina (Balsam), grows to 25cm. Features fleshy green foliage, flowers in white, violet, rose, scarlet, salmon. Thrives in shade, suitable for containers. Long flowering.

  Raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 22-26°C.Annual. Height 25cm, Spacing 35cm. 85 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Wallflower- Cloth of Gold

  Evergreen perennial, grows to 45cm. Dark green foliage, golden yellow flower spikes in late winter/spring. Sweet fragrance. Ideal for rock gardens, beds, borders, walls, fences. Great cut flower.

  Raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 10-15 days @ 18-21°C.Perennial. Height 45cm, Spacing 30cm. 180 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: FEB MAR APR MAY (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Poppy- Angel's Choir

  Annual plants up to 80cm. Blooms in a mix of single, double, semi-double flowers in pastel colours. Flowers are berry purple, cream, rose pink, salmon, apricot, lavender, with picotees and bicolours. Ideal for mass planting, bedding, borders.

  Sow direct, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 16-24°C.Annual. Height 80cm, Spacing 30cm. 140 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: FEB MAR APR MAY (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Sunflower- Lilac Spray F1

  A pollen-free annual sunflower growing to 120cm. Multiple flowers bloom on branched stems. Flowers have dark centre's surrounded by a licac to mauve ring fading to peach-lemon. Suited for cut flowers, garden beds and borders. Flowers early season.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 21-30°C.Annual. Height 120cm, Spacing 30cm. 60-75 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Zinnia- Queeny Lemon Peach

  Part of the stunning 'Queeny' series of zinnias. An annual growing to 80cm with large, lemon-lime coloured flowers that fade to a soft coral. Flowers may be double or semi-double and have a deep peach pink centre. Flowers are held on strong stems.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 21-29°C.Annual. Height 80cm, Spacing 20cm. 90 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Sunflower- Teddy Bear

  Dwarf sunflowers grow to 45cm annually on sturdy stems, with multiple yellow pom-pom like flowers. They attract bees and butterflies, are fast-growing, drought tolerant, and great for kids. Ideal for beds, pots, containers, and as cut flowers.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 21-30°C.Annual. Height 45cm, Spacing 30cm. 90 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

Tips for gardening in summer:

• Watering: Learn when to water by using your index finger to check soil moisture. Scratch back a little of the surface soil and use your finger to see if soil is moist about 5cm below the surface; if it’s on the dry side, it’s time to water.
• Pinch for More Flowers: Pinch the main stems of flowering plants to encourage strong growth, a bushier habit and more flowers. Once plants are 20-40cm tall and have several sets of leaves, use sharp, clean snips or secateurs to cut off the top 10cm or so of the main stem of the plant, making the cut just above a set of leaves. Flowers including aster, zinnia, chrysanthemum, calendula, marigold and dahlia will all benefit from pinching.
• Crop protection: As fruit and veggies develop they may need protection from burrowing insects, fruit fly, birds, possums or bats. Berries, fruit trees and soft fruit like tomatoes are especially at risk. Use insect exclusion netting, bird netting or fruit protection bags to protect crops. Ensure your netting is pegged or tied securely at the bottom to stop pests getting in.
• Provide shade for sensitive plants: Use shade cloth or even old sheets to protect delicate seedlings and leafy greens from the harsh summer sun, especially during the hottest part of the day.

Pests and diseases to look out for in summer:

• Aphids: Small, sap-sucking insects that congregate on the new shoots or the underside of leaves. They can cause leaves to wilt or become discoloured, and also excrete honeydew which can attract ants and other insect pests. To manage aphids, remove them by spraying with a garden hose, apply a soap or alcohol spray, or encourage predatory insects to your garden.
• Whitefly: A sap-sucking insect related to aphids, whitefly are found in large numbers on the underside of leaves, and will swarm in clouds when disturbed. Plants may have yellowing leaves or may wilt, and growth will be slowed. Whitefly can be removed with a garden hose or sprayed with soap spray. Badly affected plants should be destroyed.
• Slugs and snails: These slimy pests love the humidity of summer nights and can decimate seedlings and tender young plants. They leave tell-tale silvery trails and irregular holes in leaves. To control them, try hand-picking them at night (with a torch) and disposing of them, creating barriers crushed eggshells around vulnerable plants, or using beer traps.
• Fungal diseases: The combination of warm temperatures and summer humidity can form the perfect conditions for fungal diseases to spread. Water plants in the morning at ground level, avoiding wetting foliage wherever possible. Prune off affected foliage, space plants to allow more airflow, and treat fungal outbreaks with homemade or purchased sprays.

Product code: SS_FLO_ARID_SUM_2024