Seed Subscription: Flower, Cool 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:

• 

  Viola- Helen Mount "Johnny Jump Up"

  Evergreen perennial growing to 20cm. Good for borders, rockeries and containers. Plants produce interesting purple flowers with yellow and lavender parts. Very long flowering. Also known as "Wild Pansy" and "Heartsease".

  Raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 4-7 days @ 17-21°C.Perennial (short lived). Height 20cm, Spacing 20cm. 110 days.

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

• 

  Aquilegia- McKana Giants Mix

  Perennial plant, grows to 80cm with medium-green leaves. Produces long spurred flowers in various colours. Known as "Columbine" or "Granny's Bonnet". Ideal for garden borders and cut flowers.

  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)

• 

  Stock- Giant Column White Christmas

  An annual to 75cm with scented, double white flowers spaced closely on single stems. Plant in containers or at the front of borders where the flowers and scent can be enjoyed. Makes an excellent cut flower.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 20-22°C.Annual. Height 75cm, Spacing 30cm. 140 days.

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

• 

  Calendula- Fiesta Gitana Mix

  Annual plant growing to 30cm. Compact with full to semi-double flowers in colours from creamy yellow to deep orange. Over half have a deep brown eye. Easy to grow, fast, bushy. Used in herbal medicine. Good for borders, beds, containers.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 15mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 20-22°C.Annual. Height 30cm, Spacing 30cm. 60-70 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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• 

  Hollyhock- Henry the Eighth Black

  A perennial (often grown as a biennial/annual) reaching 250cm. It produces abundant, almost-black flowers on tall spikes in summer. Hollyhocks add height and vertical accent in gardens. Ideal for borders, walls, fences, and as cut flowers.

  Raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 18-28°C.Perennial (usually grown as an annual). Height 250cm, Spacing 50cm. 150-200 days.

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

• 

  Paper Daisy- Pink and White Everlasting

  Australian native daisy, annual to 60cm, seen in South and Western Australia. Features papery petals in various pink shades and white, surrounding a yellow or black centre. Flowers open in full sun, close overnight or in rain.

  Raise seedlings or sow direct, 1mm . Germination 7-14 days @ 10-20°C.Annual. Height 60cm, Spacing 15cm. 80 days.

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

• 

  Chrysanthemum- Golden Yellow

  Annual growing to 20cm. Low growing compact plants with hairy green/grey leaves and golden yellow flowers to 4cm. Good for beds, rockeries containers and hanging baskets. Long flowering. Also known as Corn Marigold, Yellow Daisy and Yellow Buttons.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 1mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 20-22°C.Annual. Height 20cm, Spacing 20cm. 90 days.

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

• 

  Pansy- Clear Crystal Mix

  Perennial usually grown annually. Grows to 15cm with multicoloured clear faced flowers. Ideal for adding garden colour. Suitable for mass plantings, beds, containers, rockeries, and as a pressed flower. Also known as "Clear Face Mix".

  Raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 4-7 days @ 17-21°C.Perennial (short lived). Height 20cm, Spacing 30cm. 110-130 days.

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

• 

  Forget Me Not- Indigo Blue

  Biennial plant growing to 30cm. Compact with grey-green leaves, small blue flowers with yellow centre's. Ideal for mixed borders, meadows, woodlands, containers. Tolerates most soils and positions.

  Sow direct, 5mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 18-22°C.Biennial. Height 30cm, Spacing 30cm. .

  Best months in Cool Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR 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_COOL_SUM_2024