Seed Subscription: Flower, Cool Climate, Autumn 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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  Candytuft- Empress White

  Flowering annual growing to 45cm. Produces blooms of small white flowers. Attracts bees and butterflies to the garden.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 16-20 days @ 18-30°C. Annual. Height 45cm, Spacing 20cm. 90-100 days.

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

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  Canterbury Bells- Cup and Saucer Mix

  Biennial growing to 80cm. Produces large spikes of bell-shaped flowers in purple, lavender, and white. Mix of traditional cup and saucer type and single bells. Excellent cut flower. Ideal for borders and informal gardens.

  Raise seedlings or sow direct, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 18-22°C. Biennial. Height 80cm, Spacing 30cm. 160 days (in cooler climates plants may not flower in the first year).

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

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  Aquilegia- Double Flowered Mix

  Perennial growing to 80cm. Upright plant with medium-green leaves producing stems covered in double spur-less flowers in a mix of colours. Also known as "Granny's bonnet","Crow's foot" or "Columbine".

  Raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 21-28 days @ 20-25°C. Perennial (short lived). Height 80cm, Spacing 40cm. 200 days.

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

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  Linaria- Fairy Bouquet Mixed

  Annual. Dwarf variety growing to 30cm. Small dainty flowers in a range of colour including yellow, rose, salmon, orange, and cream. Good for edging, beds, rockeries and as a cut flower.

  Sow direct, 5mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 20-30°C. Annual. Height 30cm, Spacing 15cm. 70 days.

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

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  Honesty- Mixed

  Biennial plant, often grown annually. Grows to 90cm with green ovate leaves and fragrant flowers, followed by flat silvery seed pods. Popular in dried arrangements, good for borders, attracts bees. Also called Satin Flower. Blooms in second year.

  Raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 20-22°C. Biennial. Height 90cm, Spacing 50cm. 85-95 days.

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

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  Larkspur- Imperial Blue Bell

  Annual plant growing to 120cm with green palm-shaped leaves. Produces tall spikes of azure blue flowers in spring. Ideal as a dried/cut flower, attracts pollinators. Great for adding height to borders. A cottage garden favourite.

  Sow direct, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 12-18°C. Annual. Height 120cm, Spacing 20cm. 140 days.

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

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  Lobelia- Rosamond

  A perennial usually grown as an annual with a compact habit, growing to 10cm high. Masses of deep pink flowers are held above dark green foliage in summer through to autumn. A good choice for pots or as a groundcover spilling over a retaining wall.

  Raise seedlings, 0mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 21-24°C. Perennial (usually grown as an annual). Height 10cm, Spacing 20cm. 90 days.

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

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  Billy Buttons

  Australian native flower, perennial to 60cm. Produces tall golden globe flowers on sturdy stems. Ideal for native gardens, beds, borders. Excellent cut/dried flower. Attracts native bees, drought tolerant, suitable for coastal sites.

  Raise seedlings or sow direct, 1mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 21-24°C. Perennial. Height 60cm, Spacing 40cm. 90-100 days.

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

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  Calendula- Crown Yellow

  A 50cm bushy annual with aromatic leaves and large yellow blooms with crested centre's. The unique centre's are yellow-orange, resembling pincushions. Used in herbal medicine and as a companion plant. Ideal for beds, borders, containers and as cut flower

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 15mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 20-22°C. Annual. Height 50cm, Spacing 40cm. 70-80 days.

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

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  Sweetpea- Spencer Mixed

  Climbing annual to 200cm. Medium sized fragrant flowers. Makes a very good cut flower. Good for beds, borders, trellis. rockeries and bush gardens. Classic fragrant English variety from 1902.

  Sow direct, 25mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 13-18°C. Annual. Height 250cm, Spacing 15cm. 100 days.

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

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Tips for gardening in autumn:

Build soil health:  Autumn is a good time to enrich your soil with organic matter so it’s ready for new planting. Spread a layer of compost on the surface before planting seeds or seedlings - there’s no need to dig it in, the worms and other invertebrates in your garden will do that work for you. For large, healthy blooms add some aged animal manure or slow-release fertiliser to feed your plants through winter.

Save seeds of summer annuals: Seeds of dahlias, cosmos, asters and other summer annuals can be saved once flowers have faded. Pinch off flower heads and dry them on a paper towel indoors for a week to ensure they are fully dry. Remove any remaining petals and place the dried flower heads in a paper bag for storage. Even if not saving seeds, leave some stems and seed heads of flowers in situ to provide food and nesting material for birds and insects.

Prepare for spring flowers: It may seem too early to be thinking about spring, but autumn is the best season to plant spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, anemone, ranunculus and tulips. In warm climates, wait until late autumn when the soil has cooled for healthier and larger flowers. 

Hardy annuals and biennial flowers, including Canterbury bells and Honesty, should also be started in autumn so plants are large and mature enough to flower in early spring. The seedlings of these plants can sometimes look a little ragged by the end of winter, but their roots are spreading through the soil ready to support strong growth in spring. 

 

Pests and diseases to look out for in autumn:

Grey mould: Botrytis is a fungal disease that causes flowers to become mouldy and soft fruit such as strawberries to rot. Spores are transported by wind and can survive in soil or on green waste. The fungus spreads most in humid, cool weather.

To avoid problems with grey mould, water plants at soil level (not on leaves) in the morning, so leaves are not wet overnight. For plants affected by grey mould, prune off affected flowers and fruit and dispose of prunings to the compost bin or green waste bin. If necessary, spray with an appropriate fungicide or with neem oil. 

Powdery mildew: Caused by fungal spores reproducing on the leaves of plants, powdery mildew first looks like white spots on leaves, but affected areas can spread quickly to cover the entire leaf surface with a white powdery coating. While rarely fatal, powdery mildew can reduce yields. Water plants at soil level (not on the leaves) to prevent spores splashing from plant to plant, allow good air flow between plants, remove affected leaves and if necessary spray with an appropriate fungicide or homemade spray. 

Bi-carb of soda, also known as baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, is known to be effective at reducing powdery mildew and several other common fungus problems without posing the toxic risks of other treatments. Simply dissolve a teaspoon of the powder into one litre of ordinary water and add a few drops of liquid soap to help the mixture stick to the leaves. Pour the mixture into a regular garden sprayer or mister, shake it thoroughly, and spray liberally over the affected plants.

Product code: SS_FLOW_COOL_AUT_2024