SHARING THE JOY OF GROWING FLOWERS

SEEDS TO SOW IN OCTOBER

October is a wonderful time to get seeds in the ground. As the garden begins to slow down, there are still plenty of opportunities to sow hardy annuals, biennials and perennials that will reward you with beautiful blooms in the seasons ahead.

Here are some of the Make It Flourish favourite varieties.

BIENNIALS

Canterbury Bells — Campanula medium

Forget-Me-Not — Myosotis sylvatica

PERENNIALS

Aquilegia — Aquilegia caerulea — ‘Mixed’

Yarrow — Achillea millefolium — ‘Double Diamond’, ‘Summer Berries’

Coneflower — Echinacea purpurea — ‘White Swan’, ‘Magnus’

Verbena — Verbena bonariensis

Gaura — Oenothera lindheimeri — ‘Swirling Butterflies’

Ox-eye Daisy — Leucanthemum vulgare

HARDY ANNUALS

Bishop’s Flower — Ammi majus

Bunny Tails — Lagurus ovatus

Cornflower — Centaurea cyanus — ‘Blue Ball’

Calendula — Calendula officinalis — ‘Orange Flash’, ‘Snow Princess’

Clarkia — Clarkia amoena — ‘Choice Double Mixed’

Larkspur — Consolida ajacis — ‘Giant Pacific Mixed’

Love-in-a-Mist — Nigella damascena — ‘Miss Jekyll Alba’, ‘Miss Jekyll’

Orlaya — Orlaya grandiflora

Candytuft — Iberis umbellata — ‘Fairy Mixed’

Scabious — Scabiosa atropurpurea

Sweet Pea — Lathyrus odoratus — ‘Frills and Blushes’, ‘Charlies Angels’, ‘Gwendoline’, ‘High Scent’, ‘Tiller Girls’

Corncockle — Agrostemma githago

POPPIES

Poppy — Papaver spp. — ‘Candyfloss’

Poppy — Papaver somniferum — ‘Maanzaad’

Poppy — Papaver rhoeas — ‘Amazing Grey’

Poppy — Papaver rhoeas — ‘Shirley Single Mixed’

October is a lovely month to sow seeds — especially hardy varieties that can settle in before winter and get a head start when spring arrives.

A little preparation now can bring months of colour, structure and joy to the garden next year.

If you’re sowing any of these varieties this October, we’d love to see what you’re growing. Share your flourishing joy and tag @makeitflourish.

For more seasonal gardening inspiration, tips and advice, follow Make It Flourish. I host online and in-person workshops and events, designed to inspire, teach and help you flourish in the garden.

Happy sowing! Cara