Annual flowers started from seed should bloom during their growing season, and some might even self-seed as bonus plants for the next year. Perennial flowers grown from seed might not bloom during their first growing season but will have a head start on prolific blooms in their second year. Here are 14 flowers that are easy to grow from seed.
Easy Flowers to Grow From Seed
Start reading seed catalogs online in January to find the best options to grow in your area. Sow the seeds directly in your garden bed after the final frost of spring. Or you can start them roughly six to eight weeks before your projected last frost date, and then transplant the seedlings into your garden once the weather warms. They will flower from mid-summer until the first frost of fall and require very little care from you besides watering during prolonged dry spells. Collect the brown seed pods at the end of the season to plant in your garden the next year.
USDA Growing Zones: 2a to 11b (annual)Color Varieties: BlueSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
They will self-seed from season to season. If you live in a hot climate, give your plants some afternoon sun protection, and keep the soil moderately moist. Also, remove spent flowers to encourage further blooming.
USDA Growing Zones: 2a to 11b (annual)Color Varieties: Yellow to orangeSun Exposure: Full sun to part shadeSoil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
Columbine can tolerate a variety of growing conditions, but make sure your plant isn’t sitting in poorly drained soil. Also, if you remove the stems after they’re finished flowering, you can prolong the plant’s blooming period.
USDA Growing Zones: 3b to 8bColor Varieties: Blue, purple, red, pink, yellow, whiteSun Exposure: Full sun to part shadeSoil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
Sow them after the final frost in the spring, or start them indoors six to eight weeks prior to your last frost. Plant them in a location that’s sheltered from strong, damaging winds, and remove the spent blooms for prolonged flowering. However, make sure you leave some of the flower heads if you want the plant to self-seed.
USDA Growing Zones: 2a to 11b (annual)Color Varieties: Red, pink, whiteSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
The flowers open in the afternoon, hence their name, and they have a lovely fragrance. They bloom from mid-summer to fall and are fairly low-maintenance beyond preferring consistently moist soil. So be sure to water your flowers during dry stretches.
USDA Growing Zones: 9b to 10aColor Varieties: Pink, red, yellow, whiteSun Exposure: Full sun to part shadeSoil Needs: Average, moist, well-draining
Flowering might diminish during the hottest part of the summer, but it should pick up again toward the fall. If you live in a hot climate, give your plants some afternoon shade, and keep the soil evenly moist.
USDA Growing Zones: 2a to 11b (annual)Color Varieties: Yellow, orange, gold, red, whiteSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
Once the plant is established in your garden, it will self-seed and come back on its own year after year. Water your plant around once a week to ensure even moisture, and use a low-nitrogen fertilizer monthly or as needed during the growing season.
USDA Growing Zones: 2a to 11b (annual)Color Varieties: Blue, purple, pink, red, whiteSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Average, moist, well-draining
Sow your seeds directly in the garden after your last frost, or start them indoors. Expect blooms starting in the summer and lasting until frost arrives in the fall. You can deadhead the flowers to encourage further blooming, or leave some of the spent blooms to promote self-seeding.
USDA Growing Zones: 2a to 11b (annual)Color Varieties: Red, pink, yellow, orange, whiteSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Poor to average, dry to medium moisture, well-draining
Nasturtiums can tolerate poor and dry soil, though you should water them during extended dry spells. And protect them from the afternoon sun in hot climates. Plus, skip the fertilizer, as too much richness in the soil can actually inhibit blooming.
USDA Growing Zones: 2a to 11b (annual)Color Varieties: Red, orange, yellow, creamSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Average, slightly acidic, medium moisture, well-draining
Make sure you have good soil drainage, as soggy soil can be fatal. And remove the spent flower heads to encourage further blooming. After flowering is complete for the season, cut back the stems to their lowest leaves to conserve the plant’s energy over the winter.
USDA Growing Zones: 4a to 9aColor Varieties: White with a yellow centerSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Average, dry to medium moisture, well-draining
Plant the seeds directly in your garden after your final frost, ideally in a location that’s protected from strong winds. Seeds started indoors will typically flower at roughly the same time as seeds directly sown in the garden, so there’s really no benefit to starting them early. Sunflowers are annuals, so you’ll need to save some of the seeds to replant the next year. Cover a few of the seed heads with netting, so they can dry out without the birds feasting on them.
USDA Growing Zones: 2a to 11b (annual)Color Varieties: Yellow, red, brownSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Average, moist, well-draining
The plants will decline in the summer heat, during which you can cut them back by about half. This might promote additional blooming in the fall. Or you can sow more seeds in August for fall-blooming plants.
USDA Growing Zones: 5a to 9aColor Varieties: WhiteSun Exposure: Full sun to part shadeSoil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
Keep the soil evenly moist via rainfall and supplemental watering. And add compost or fertilizer during the growing season, especially if you have poor soil.
USDA Growing Zones: 2a to 10b (annual)Color Varieties: Blue, red, pink, purple, peach, burgundy, whiteSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Rich, humusy, medium moisture, well-draining
You also can start seeds indoors about four to six weeks before your projected last frost to have some blooms earlier in the spring. Space your plants so they have good air circulation to prevent disease, and deadhead the spent flowers to encourage more blooming.
USDA Growing Zones: 3a to 10a (annual)Color Varieties: Pink, red, yellow, orange, green, purple, whiteSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Humusy, evenly moist, well-draining
