Seed Subscription: Flower, Cool Climate, Spring 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:

• 

  Petunia- Alderman (Violet)

  "Dwarf Multiflora". Flowering annual growing to 30cm. Free flowering habit. Ideal for borders, beds, pots, and hanging baskets. Long flowering. Violet coloured flowers. Can be mass planted and used as a ground cover. Open pollinated variety.

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

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

• 

  Brachyscome- Mixed Splendour

  Annual plant growing to 25cm with grey/green foliage and single flowers in blue, pink, white. Ideal for borders, rockeries, edging, or containers. Native to Western and South Australia.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 18-21°C.Annual. Height 25cm, Spacing 20cm. 120 days.

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

• 

  Californian Poppy- Purple Gleam

  Annual plant growing to 40cm with grey/green fern-like foliage. Produces rose-purple blooms fading to cream. Flowers turn pink and close in dull weather. Ideal for beds, borders, rock gardens, and meadows. Grows in poor soil. Drought tolerant.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 16-21°C.Annual. Height 40cm, Spacing 30cm. 70 days.

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

• 

  Sweetpea- Little Sweetheart Mix

  A dwarf sweetpea variety growing to 25cm. Fragrant flowers in red, pink, white, rose, purple, blue. No trellis needed. Ideal for small gardens, containers, hanging baskets, borders.

  Sow direct, 25mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 13-18°C.Annual. Height 25cm, Spacing 15cm. 80 days.

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

• ---

• 

  Celosia- Forest Fire

  Annual plant growing to 70cm with dark red/purple foliage, producing fire-red flowers. Ideal for garden beds, borders, mass plantings. Excellent as fresh or dried cut flower. Long flowering. Suitable for containers.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 21-27°C.Annual. Height 70cm, Spacing 20cm. 85 days.

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

• 

  Cosmos- Velouette

  Annual plant up to 100cm. Features finely cut dark green leaves and large flowers with contrasting red and white patterns. Ideal for mass planting and cut flowers. Suited for beds, borders, and meadows. Attracts butterflies.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 15-20 days @ 21-26°C.Annual. Height 100cm, Spacing 45cm. 85-95 days.

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

• 

  Marigold, French- Mr Majestic Double

  Marigold growing to 40cm with double bicoloured daisy flowers of bright yellow and deep red petals. Blooms from mid-summer to mid-autumn. Ideal for containers, small spaces, bedding, borders, and as a companion plant in vegetable gardens. Easy to grow.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 4-7 days @ 24-28°C.Annual. Height 40cm, Spacing 30cm. 80-90 days.

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

• 

  Zinnia- Mazurkia

  Annual grows to 30cm, with large, cream-tipped scarlet flowers up to 8cm wide. Mostly double/semi-double flowers. Ideal for beds, borders, mass plantings. Easy to grow in large containers. Fleuroselect award winner.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 21-29°C.Annual. Height 65cm, Spacing 20cm. 90 days.

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

• 

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

• 

  Nasturtium- Salmon Baby

  Annual dwarf variety with green leaves, semi-double salmon flowers. Ideal for beds, borders, rockeries, terraces, containers. Easy to grow, drought tolerant, tolerates poor soil. Suitable for mass planting and hanging baskets.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 15mm. Germination 7-14 days @ 16-20°C.Annual. Height 30cm, Spacing 25cm. 70-80 days.

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

Tips for gardening in spring:

Spring Gardening

Tips for gardening in spring:

Spring cleaning: Use this checklist to carry out a garden inspection. 

• Plant damage - look for plants damaged by winter rains, cold temperatures, frost, snow, or wind. 
• Tidy up plants and provide stakes or support where necessary. Make a note of which plants will need protection from winter weather for next year. Also look for rodent or deer damage on woody plants, and evidence of new rabbit burrows or new shoots being eaten by rabbits. Protect plants with wire cages where appropriate.
• Hardscaping and outdoor living areas - check paving and decking for algae and mould and give it a good clean. Sweep patios and paths, and clean outdoor furniture. Gravel paths might need resurfacing. Check decks, benches, sheds, fences and wooden trellises for rotting timber. Walls that have become bowed may need fixing or reinforcing, and stepping stones or paving that has shifted may cause a trip hazard.
• Check gutters and drains - clearing out leaves and twigs reduces potential fire hazards and ensures any rainwater can run off easily. 
• Irrigation system - check for leaks and parts that need to be repaired and unclog sprinkler heads that have become clogged with debris.
• Clean up garden beds - rake up old plant debris and matted fallen leaves if you didn’t do this in autumn. Doing so keeps pests and diseases at bay that thrive under such conditions. 
• Clean out bird baths and remove debris from water features and ponds.

Soil preparation: Boost soil structure and fertility by sprinkling with a slow-release organic fertiliser and topdressing with well-rotted compost or well-aged manure. Take extra care if using chicken manure, and use it sparingly, as it can be high in ammonia which can burn your plants. 

It is helpful to test your soil every 3-5 years to check if it is becoming deficient (or too rich) in any particular nutrient. The pH of the soil can sometimes limit the uptake of certain nutrients, so checking the pH is a good place to start. If necessary, amend the soil accordingly.  

Refresh the soil in pots and containers. Over time, nutrients are used up and soil may become compacted or hold less water. Repot suitable plants (divide if appropriate) into fresh potting mix, or simply remove the top few centimetres of soil and replace with fresh mix.

Get planting: If you haven’t already planned your garden, sort through your seeds and decide what you want to plant and where. If it’s still a bit cold in your area, you can start seeds indoors on a heat mat or in a mini greenhouse. If sowing directly in the garden, try the scatter method of sowing for a more informal approach this year.

If any of the flowers or vegetables you are planning on planting require support like stakes or trellises, set them up when you sow your seeds. This avoids disturbing the roots of newly emerging seedlings and young plants later on. 

In some areas there may still be a risk of frost, so keep an eye on the weather report and be ready to protect your plants from a sudden cold snap. A layer of mulch or frost cloth, or even a cloche over early seedlings can help.

Pests and diseases to look out for in spring:

Slugs and snails: Snail and slug eggs that have overwintered begin to hatch as the weather warms up. Baby snails and slugs start feeding immediately and cause as much damage to flowers and vegetable seedlings as the adults. Control and reduce their number by picking them off and removing weeds and places that provide refuge for them. If you choose to use bait, do so with caution as most baits can be toxic to pets and other wildlife.

Sap-sucking insects: Infestations of aphids and whitefly can detrimentally affect your plants. Female aphids can give birth to live young without the need to mate, and colonies multiply very rapidly when conditions are favourable. Adult whiteflies are usually only seen when they are disturbed and fly up in a cloud. Try physically removing these pests by squirting with a garden hose, or use a homemade pyrethrum spray or eco oil.

Product code: SS_FLO_COOL_SPR_2024