Top 10+ of the best seeds to sow now for flowers all summer long

The star-shaped blooms of Nicotiana alata are lightly scented at dusk - Moment RF

Three years ago, I was working as a gardener in Tuscany, in the hills of the Val d’Orcia. Spring mornings meant cycling along white, stony tracks lined with cypress, red poppies and lilac irises.

The garden itself was generous: a cut flower patch beside the kitchen garden, borders spilling over, something always in bloom. From May through to November, there were flowers to gather daily.

Most evenings, I carried bunches home. Cosmos and dahlias in old bottles, with herbs and evergreen stems tucked in, too. My house was never without flowers. And really, what could be better in summer and early autumn than filling your space with stems you have grown yourself?

If you haven’t already, early spring is the time to sow: cool evenings but increasing daytime temperatures.

Here are 10 I can recommend for any level of gardener.

Daucus carota – wild carrot

Airy wild carrot adds soft texture and self-seeds freely - Kriswanto Ginting

The wild ancestor of the carrot, Daucus carota, is grown not for its root but for its flowers: fine, frothy umbels. Left to its own devices, it will reach 4ft or so, sending up airy stems that thread easily through a border from midsummer onwards.

Deadhead regularly and it will keep producing more of those soft, intricate heads well into late summer. Come August, allow a few stems to turn, and you’ll have seed to collect or stems to dry and use indoors. It will self-seed freely, however, scattering itself into corners you hadn’t planned, so snip the fading flower heads if you’d rather keep things in check. Sow directly outdoors in late winter or early spring, before the soil has warmed.

Amaranthus caudatus – love-lies-bleeding

Dramatic crimson tassels bring height and movement - Irina Pislari/iStockphoto

There is nothing restrained about love-lies-bleeding. Amaranthus caudatus arrives with theatrical flourish – long, pendulous tassels of crimson. Given warmth and full sun, it will grow to 4ft or more, with each stem heavy with flowers.

In the cutting patch, it brings movement, especially when paired with upright dahlias. I’ve grown it alongside the near-black ‘Verrone’s Obsidian’ and the burnished glow of ‘Totally Tangerine’, a rich combination.

Sow only once the threat of frost has passed. If you keep cutting, it will give you abundance (and unapologetic drama) in return.

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Apricotta’

Apricot cosmos flowers tirelessly until first frost - Alex Manders/iStockphoto

This peach-blush cosmos won’t be for everyone – a little gaudy, perhaps – but it works for me. It will flower on and on, often right through to the first frost. I’ve seen it hold out stubbornly into November in Wales, still throwing up flowers when everything else has long since given in.

Start seeds under cover in early spring, then ease them outside from May. In open, wind-prone plots, a little staking with some hazel rods helps to protect the plants from snapping. When they are about 1ft high, cut the central stem. It feels counterintuitive, but it encourages horizontal growth and a fuller, bushier plant.

Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’ – honeywort

Honeywort’s dusky blooms quietly anchor arrangements - Andrew Greaves / Alamy Stock Photo

This is quieter, perhaps, than the others listed here, but no less useful for it. Honeywort has a blue-green, almost waxy foliage that hints at its drought-tolerant nature, built for long, dry summers.

Flowers are produced in spring if you have sown during the winter months, or from June onwards with an April sowing, hanging in small, tubular clusters in deep purple and inky blue. Rich with nectar, they are the perfect landing shape, foxglove-like, drawing bees and insects in. This is not the star of the cutting patch, but every garden (and vase) needs its supporting cast – the plants that hold everything else together.

As with other seeds with a tough outer coating, I soak these overnight in a small pot of water before sowing.

Nicotiana alata ‘Lime Green’ – tobacco plant

Lime green nicotiana glows in the evening light - TonyBaggett/iStockphoto

The flowers of the ‘Lime Green’ tobacco plant bring a brightness that borders on the surreal – almost fluorescent in low evening light. They’re useful for lifting softer palettes, cutting through dusky pinks and purples that can feel a little too much by midsummer.

The star-shaped blooms are lightly scented at dusk, drawing in moth pollinators, and will keep coming if you cut regularly. Sow indoors in April, pressing seed on to the surface with a light covering of vermiculite, then move plants outside from late May. Give them dappled light and steady moisture, and they’ll flower through summer and into the autumn.

Tagetes patula ‘Cinnabar’ – French marigold

Cinnabar marigold adds bold colour to borders and pots - Mikheili Kochiashvili/iStockphoto

‘Cinnabar’ is a taller French marigold reaching 2ft to 3ft, with single flowers of deep-red petals and golden-orange frilled centres. It’s a cottage garden staple, at home in pots or mixed borders, especially if you’re happy to embrace a little clash – crimson against yellow, purple alongside orange: a Hidcote red garden of your own.

Sow indoors in April, pressing seed lightly into the surface. This bushy annual should flower for much of the summer, but a second outdoor sowing in June will carry you into October. Cut regularly for the vase to keep plants productive.

Carthamus tinctorius ‘Zanzibar’

Zanzibar orange flowers thrive in dry, sun-baked soil - skymoon13/iStockphoto

I first grew these thistle-like flowers in a dry, sun-baked Mediterranean bed, more gravel than soil, and they never seemed to mind. While it will be grateful for the occasional drink or feed, Carthamus tinctorius ‘Zanzibar’ is remarkably tolerant of poor, dry ground, asking for very little once established.

Sow indoors in March or April onto moist, well-drained compost, potting on once seedlings are large enough to handle. This spineless variety is easy to cut and works well in a vase, especially with whites and silver-grey foliage.

Bupleurum rotundifolium

Bupleurum’s acid-yellow stems lift any arrangement - Alena Vikhareva/iStockphoto

This acid-yellow annual is both muted beside dahlias and cosmos yet quietly luminous – almost neon in strong sunshine. Much like the ‘Lime Green’ tobacco plant, these flowers act as a thread, tying arrangements together and lifting softer palettes with something a little unexpected.

Reaching no more than 2ft, it produces clusters of tiny lemon-lime flowers on fine stems, tolerant of full sun and exposed, windy sites. The stems are long enough for cutting and invaluable in the vase.

Sow directly where it is to flower in April, thinning seedlings as they establish. Deadhead in late summer, unless you want borders full of bupleurum next spring – and who could blame you?

Calendula officinalis ‘Indian Prince’

Calendula offers repeat blooms and edible petals - Louis Roodt/iStockphoto

A reliable annual for repeat sowing, calendula earns its place in any cutting patch. Sow in April for midsummer flowers, then again in May for a second flush into September and beyond. With regular deadheading, it will often carry on well into the colder months.

Reaching around 2ft, it’s best sown directly where it is to flower. Pinch out the central stem early to encourage bushier growth. The fiery orange, daisy-like flowers – each with a rich, burnished centre – are excellent for cutting and useful in the kitchen too: their peppery petals are delicious in summer salads.

Coreopsis tinctoria ‘Roulette’ – tickseed

Coreopsis brings airy foliage and late-summer warmth - Alex Manders/iStockphoto

I love the fine, airy foliage of Coreopsis tinctoria almost as much as the flowers themselves – light, delicate and useful for softening heavier stems in a vase. ‘Roulette’ produces flowers in the darkest red, each petal tipped with a flicker of gold, bringing warmth to late summer arrangements.

A North American native, it will reach up to 3ft in full sun, coping well in exposed sites. Sow under cover in early April, lightly covering the seed, then pot on once seedlings are large enough to handle. Harden off before planting out in May, staking if needed. It will carry colour well into autumn.

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