By Elizabeth Spence
I suppose the easiest way to plant a flower bed is to buy the plants from a garden centre and pop them in the ground.
But think what you’re missing if you don’t sow the seeds directly in the ground yourself: the joy and thrill of seeing those little shoots emerging from the soil and then magically developing into beautiful, beautiful flowers.
The easiest way to plant flower seeds is to place them in the soil where they are going to grow and then water them in. That’s it!!
You can plant them on their own, all mixed up or in drifts of the different types.
If you are mixing them, keep in mind their heights and whether you like the colours together.
All of these flowers like the sun and well-drained conditions.
Follow the instructions on the packet on how deep to plant the seed.
For us on the North Shore, the best time to sow is a couple of weeks before the last frost. The “Last Frost Counter” on our website header shows the number of days before our last expected frost, so I would say a good time is around the beginning of June.
SWEET ALYSSUM
Germination: 5-14 days
Height: 4-6 inches
Colours: white and purple
Wonderful scent.
ZINNIAS
Germination: 4-8 days
Height: from 6-inches to 4-feet
Colours: huge variety
Bloom for a long time.
SUNFLOWERS
Germination: 7-10 days
Height: from 12-inches to 15 feet.
Colours: yellows, white, red, burgundy, pink, orange, and more.
Deer like them. (See our article on keeping deer out of the garden.)
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COSMOS
Germination: 7-21 days
Height: from 12-inches to 5 feet.
Colours: yellows, white, red, pink, orange,
Will easily self-sow for next year
MARIGOLDS
Germination: 4-14 days
Height: from 6-inches to 3-feet.
Colours: yellows, white, red, gold, orange, and more
Help repel pests.
POPPIES
Germination: 14-28 days
Height: from 6-inches to 3-feet.
Colours: yellows, white, red, gold, orange, purple, grey, and more
They keep on coming and will re-seed.
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Use the code NORTH25 at checkout to take advantage of this great offer.
Expires: November 30, 2025.
January, 2025