Flowering plants to start off from seed now?

I have a big garden to fill, but it will cost a fortune to buy plants, so I need to grow from seed. Can anyone recommend some flowering plants that I can start growing from seed? I am in London. I am always worried about the right time of the year to start growing. I don't have a green house or a sunny windowsill so I guess this is the best time to start growing outside.

Flowering plants to start off from seed now?
I think it is probably safe to sow most types of seed, my gardening mag says now for sunflowers.
Reply:If you want quicker flowers then you're going to have to really go for annuals as perennials/biennials probably won't flower this year from seed (but it might be a good idea to at least get them started for the years to come so you don't have the same problem in a few year's time!!).



Perhaps look at petunias, nasturtiums (weigh up the pros and cons of these first!!), cosmos, marigolds, night scented stock (gorgeous smell on a calm summers evening) and "wildflowers" such as cornflowers etc.



Go to a local garden centre and make a beeline for the seeds section. On the back of every packet there is usually a chart saying when to sow and when they should flower. Have a look at what time of year they are set to flower from sowing and you may even be able to plan to have your garden in colour all summer rather than a splash of colour early on and then nothing towards the end of summer.



When I've wanted a splash of colour without anything too formal, I've just bought one of the selection of seeds suitable for wildflower gardens or the "kids" selections of seeds. They've flowered in absolutely no time at all (grew some calendulas a few years back that were 3 inches tall in as many days!!) and provided a great source of food for all the bees and butterflies which is one of the essential functions of my garden nowadays.
Reply:You're correct, you can grow tons of plants by outside sowing now, as you haven't the place to do so indoors. Right now you can get busy sowing Sunflowers, Calendulas http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/p... Escholzia or Californican poppies http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/p... Candytuft http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/p... Night Scented Stocks http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/p... all of which will grow easily and flower this year. These are most of my favourites for simple easy summer colour.



Otherwise, Nasturtiums are simple, and do best on really poor soil, flowering more profusely than on rich areas. http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/p... Either climbers or trailing bushes. Lastly poppies are so easy, and show a stunning lot of colour, and gladly reseed for next year's flowers too- http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/p...



Sunflowers have now been bred into a huge range of colours, not just the standard old yellows, many are also dwarfer. http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/p...



Most of these seeds are readily available, come in different versions, eg. climbers/bush as well as various colour combinations. They're all easy to grow. The night scented stocks are great for evening fragrance near to where you sit, or wafting through windows, though are less showy than most of the others.



Have pasted links to flower photos, fvrom the more expensive Thompson %26amp; Morgan, not to push you to buy from them, just so that you can get an idea about what you'll produce. You can save money by buying own brand seeds, from many stores, such as Wilkinson's, Focus etc, where you can get them from around 50p per packet. They sometimes have a smaller range of the newer hybrids, than the major seed breeding companies, but the older favourites are still wonderful.



Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob
Reply:Best to start most seeds indoors. However, you're getting a late start on that.



Visit your local garden center and see what they have available and the recommend planting times.
Reply:Yes as the weather is improving you should be safe enough to start outside (lets hope we get no frost though). good luck.
Reply:Nearly all of them can be sow now directly outdoors where you want them to flower

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