Seed Subscription: Flower, Cool 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:

• 

  Gypsophila- Repens Rose

  Perennial growing to 15cm. Has a creeping habit making it ideal for rockeries, beds and borders. Attractive rose coloured flowers; can be used in flower arrangements.

  Sow direct, 6mm. Germination 10-15 days @ 20-22°C.Perennial. Height 15cm, Spacing 30cm. 70-80 days.

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

• 

  Penstemon- Compact Mix

  Dwarf perennial up to 30cm. Features mid-green foliage, upright spikes of tubular flowers in pink, rose, purple, and violet. Ideal for gardens, beds, borders. Drought tolerant, low maintenance. Attracts bees, butterflies. Also known as 'Beardtongue'.

  Raise seedlings or sow direct, 2mm . Germination 14-30 days @ 18-21°C.Perennial. Height 30cm , Spacing 30cm . .

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

• 

  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)

• 

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

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• 

  Californian Poppy- Apricot Chiffon

  Annual 20cm plant with grey/green fern-like leaves and silky two-toned apricot flowers with fluted petals. Flowers fade from deep peach to light apricot. Ideal as a cut flower, in beds, borders, rock gardens. Grows in poor soil. Drought tolerant.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 16-21°C.Annual. Height 20cm, Spacing 20cm. 70 days.

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

• 

  Golden Marguerite- Kelawayi

  Perennial plant, 50cm tall with green lacy foliage, yellow daisy-like flowers. Ideal for garden borders, cut flowers. Attracts bees, drought tolerant. Flowers used for traditional fabric dye.

  Raise seedlings, 2mm. Germination 14-28 days @ 18-21°C.Perennial. Height 50cm, Spacing 35cm. 60-80 days.

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

• 

  Calendula- Touch of Red Mix

  Fast-growing annual, 60cm tall. Mix of yellow, orange, buff flowers with russet undersides. Light green, lance-shaped leaves, 5-10cm long. Great for mass plantings or cut flowers. Attracts beneficial insects.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 15mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 20-22°C.Annual. Height 60cm, Spacing 50cm. 70-80 days.

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

• 

  Four O'Clocks- Marbles White-Red

  Perennial bushy plant with large green leaves and fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers, striped or marbled in white and pink-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 Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Dahlia- Mardi Gras Mix

  Frost tender perennial, typically annual in cold climates, grows to 30cm. Single flowers in white, hot pink, red bloom from summer to autumn. Perfect for containers, small spaces, border fronts, and mass planting.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 3-5 days @ 18-21°C.Perennial. Height 30cm, Spacing 30cm. 115 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (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 Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (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 and get them ready for winter pruning. 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. 

Protect your plants from frost: If you live in a frost-prone area, protect your plants by covering them with frost cloth or hessian sacking. Remove this cover during the day to allow the sun to get to your plants and to help warm up the soil. Remember to cover them up again at night. Sheltering plants from cold winds also helps. You can build a temporary screen or windbreak, or plant close to a wall where plants will also benefit from the retained warmth at night. 

Plot and plan: Use 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 rotating your crops 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.

Start Seeds Early for Spring

Many of the seeds in this order are not suitable for winter planting, they have been included to help you get a headstart on spring.

Most seeds struggle to germinate reliably in the middle of winter. Many varieties are best started indoors and transplanted outdoors once the weather warms up. Sow your seeds indoors about 4 weeks before the last expected frost. Ensure they are placed in a warm location with plenty of natural light for optimal growth.

Product code: SS_FLOW_COOL_WIN_2024