Seed Subscription: Flower, Arid Climate, Winter 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:

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  Brachyscome- Mixed Splendour

  Annual plant growing to 25cm with grey/green foliage and single flowers in blue, pink, white. Ideal for borders, rockeries, edging, or containers. Native to Western and South Australia.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 18-21°C.Annual. Height 25cm, Spacing 20cm. 120 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: MAY JUN JUL AUG (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Ageratum- Ball Mix

  Fast-growing 30cm high annual with blue, pink, white flowers. Compact with dark green leaves, small fluffy flowers. Ideal for beds, borders, pathways, rockeries, containers. Can be used as cut flower. Attracts bees, butterflies.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 1mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 25-28°C.Annual. Height 30cm, Spacing 30cm. 90 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JUN JUL AUG (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Carnation- Enfante de Nice Mix

  French heirloom perennial, 45cm tall with sweet clove-scented flowers in scarlet, pink, white, some striped and picotee. Multiple blooms per stem. Ideal for borders, containers, or cut flowers.

  Raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 18-22°C.Perennial. Height 45cm, Spacing 35cm. 180-200 days.

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

• 

  Nasturtium- Peach Melba

  Dwarf annual, 30cm max. Compact with round green leaves, semi-double cream-yellow flowers with peach-red spots. Ideal for beds, borders, mass planting, containers, hanging baskets. Edible leaves/flowers. Fast, easy to grow, drought tolerant.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 15mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 16-20°C.Annual. Height 30cm, Spacing 25cm. 70-80 days.

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

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  Chrysanthemum- Rainbow Single Mix

  Annual plant growing to 60cm. Produces single, bi/tri-coloured daisy-like flowers in various shades. Ideal for beds, borders, edges, and as cut flowers. Attracts butterflies. Easy to grow. Also known as Painted Daisy and Summer Chrysanthemum.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 4mm. Germination 10-21 days @ 20-25°C.Annual. Height 60cm, Spacing 35cm. 120 days.

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

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  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 Arid Climates: MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Aster- Benary's Princess Yellow

  Annual 70cm plant with upright stems, toothed green leaves, large flowers fading from soft yellow to white. Benary's Princess asters are premium seeds for professional cut flower production. Flowers are 6-8cm wide, double, pompom-like with yellow centre's

  Raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 10-15 days @ 20-22°C.Annual. Height 70cm, Spacing 30cm. 105 days.

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

• 

  Four O'Clocks- Marbles Yellow-Red

  Perennial bushy plant with large green leaves and fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers, striped or marbled in yellow and red. Suited for borders and large containers. Flowers open in the evening or on cloudy days, attractive to moths.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 20mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 20-22°C.Perennial. Height 60cm, Spacing 50cm. 75-85 days.

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

• 

  Cornflower- Classic Artistic

  Annual growing to 100cm with an upright habit and long grey-green leaves. A mix of the three 'Classic' series cornflowers, with bicoloured blue, mauve and pink flowers. Attracts beneficial insects. Drought tolerant and easy to grow.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 15-18 °C.Annual. Height 100cm, Spacing 20cm. 70 days.

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

• 

  Cosmos- Apricotta

  Annual growing 100-120cm with ferny green foliage and sturdy stems. The large apricot to pink flowers fade to soft pink towards a pale yellow central disc. The long stems make this variety suited to growing towards the back of borders or as cut flowers.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 15-20 days @ 21-26°C.Annual. Height 100-120cm, Spacing 40cm. 85-95 days.

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

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Tips for gardening in winter:

Weeding and tidying: Rain helps weed seeds germinate and it is easier to remove them when the soil is damp. Be sure to remove weeds before they get a chance to mature and set seed, and ensure you get the weeds out roots and all. Hand tools are useful for small areas and hoes or tillers make the job go faster in larger gardens. Rake up fallen leaves so they don’t form a compact layer which can stop water reaching the soil. Add these extra leaves to your compost heap. Clear out any dead or diseased plants and to prevent the spread of disease, place this plant material in the bin rather than the compost bin.

Pruning: Check your tools. Cleaning and sharpening your secateurs and pruning saws makes the job much easier, and a clean cut means there is less chance for disease to enter ragged wounds. It is easier to prune deciduous trees and shrubs in winter because you can see the structure of the plant more clearly. Remove any dead wood, and take out crossing branches or stems that might rub against each other. 

Watering: You may not need to water your plants as frequently in winter, but make sure your plants are still getting enough. If required, give them a deep soak once a week early in the day so that excess moisture can evaporate before nightfall and avoid the risk of fungal diseases.

Plot and plan: Use some of the down time in winter to review your garden and think about what you’d like to plant in the coming seasons. If you’re growing annuals, do you want to plant the same again, or try some new varieties or colour schemes? If you’re growing veggies, remember that crop rotation is a good idea to break the cycle or build-up of any pests and diseases that may be in the soil. This has the added benefit of reducing, or even eliminating, the need to spray with chemicals.

Pests and diseases to look out for in winter:

Slugs and snails: These pests can damage a wide range of plants, especially flower and vegetable seedlings. They are most active in the cooler wetter months, or when thunderstorms activate them in summer, and come out at night to feed. Controlling weeds and removing places that can harbour slugs and snails can be an effective way to control and reduce the number of these pests. If you choose to use bait, it is best applied in Autumn before snails get a chance to lay eggs. Most baits can be toxic to pets and other wildlife, so use any bait with caution.

Fungal diseases: A range of fungal diseases can occur in winter. You can prevent these from taking hold by practising good hygiene. Pick up any fallen and rotting fruit and put it into the rubbish, as it can cause disease which carries over into the following year’s crop.

Product code: SS_FLOW_ARID_WIN_2024