Seed Subscription: Flower, Temperate 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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  Dianthus- Carmine Red

  Perennial herb up to 15cm, spreading 60cm wide. Green lance-shaped leaves, scented red flowers in late spring. Ideal as groundcover, in rock gardens. Tolerates drought, poor soil. Easy to grow from seed, may self-seed. Also known as 'Maiden Pink'.

  Raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 18-22°C.Perennial. Height 15cm, Spacing 50cm. 120 days.

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

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  Godetia- Azalea Orange Glory

  Fast-growing 45cm plant with bright double orange flowers. Ideal for borders, beds, and as a cut flower. Attracts butterflies. Tolerates poor soil and coastal locations. Also known as "Farewell to Spring" or "Satin Flower".

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 0mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 20-22°C.Annual. Height 45cm, Spacing 25cm. 80 days.

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

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  Petunia- Rose of Heaven

  Compact flowering annual growing to 30cm. Produces an abundance of single rose pink flowers on small compact plants. Great for hanging baskets, containers and pots, beds, borders and mass plantings.

  Raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 5-15 days @ 21-28°C.Annual. Height 30cm, Spacing 30cm. 80-100 days.

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

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  Statice- Apricot

  Perennial often grown annually. Grows to 80cm with upright habit, producing stems with clusters of small apricot flowers. Retains colour well when cut, ideal for fresh/dried arrangements. Great for beds/borders. Drought tolerant.

  Sow direct, 5mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 22-24°C.Perennial (usually grown as an annual). Height 80cm, Spacing 40cm. 150 days.

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

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  Baby's Breath- Single White

  Perennial growing to 90cm. Upright plant with airy grey/green foliage producing sprays of single white flowers. Good for borders and as a cut flower. Very popular variety for flower arrangements.

  Sow direct, 6mm. Germination 10-15 days @ 20-22°C.Perennial. Height 90cm, Spacing 70cm. 70-80 days.

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

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  Delphinium- Butterfly Blue

  Perennial, typically grown annually, up to 40cm. Features green fern-like foliage, compact plant. Produces sparse blue flower spikes. Ideal for beds, borders, rockeries, mass planting, cottage gardens, containers. Excellent cut flower.

  Raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 10-20 days @ 18-21°C.Perennial (usually grown as an annual). Height 40cm, Spacing 15cm. 140 days.

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

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  Sweet William- Scarlet Beauty

  Perennial herb up to 60cm with lance-shaped leaves and strong stems. Scarlet red flowers bloom in late spring. Ideal for beds, borders, and containers. Best when grown in clusters. Great cut flower. Easy to grow from seed; may self-seed in the garden.

  Raise seedlings or sow direct, 3mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 18-22°C.Perennial. Height 20cm, Spacing 30cm. 120 days.

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

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  Cornflower- Classic Magic

  Annual up to 100cm. Mix of single, semi-double flowers in shades from light mauve to nearly black, often bicoloured. Suitable for borders, meadow planting, pollinator gardens, and as cut flowers. Edible, drought and frost tolerant, grows in poor soil.

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

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

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  Marigold, African- Savannah Sun

  A 90cm annual plant with finely divided dark green leaves and double orange flowers. Ideal for cut flowers due to tall plants and long stems. Suitable for back of borders and large containers. Fast growth and long flowering.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 4-7 days @ 24-28°C.Annual. Height 90cm, Spacing 30cm. 65-85 days.

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

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  Phlox- Sugar Stars

  Annual growing to 45cm. The purple-blue flowers have white 'stars' in their centres and fade to a delicate lavender blue, creating a mix of colours on each plant. An old-fashioned cottage garden favourite and a fragrant cut flower with a long vase life.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 18-20°C.Annual. Height 45cm, Spacing 15cm. 70 days.

  Best months in Temperate Climates: AUG 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.

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.

Product code: SS_FLOW_TEMP_WIN_2024