Top 10 Easy Flowers to Grow From Seed

There’s a great satisfaction in growing plants from seeds, which can an especially enjoyable and inexpensive way to grow flowers. Here are 10 easy flowers to grow from seeds sown directly in the soil. The best part is, many of them reseed and come back year after year.

California poppies photo via Psycho Delia/Flickr Creative Commons

1. California poppies

A popular native wildflower in California, this flower thrives in dry, sandy soil. This plant doesn’t transplant well, so plant seeds as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. California poppies often reseed and show up in the driest corners of the garden.

Calendula photo via PhotoFarmer/Flickr Creative Commons

2. Calendula

This cheerful annual has edible flower petals in yellow or orange. Plant seeds a few weeks before the last frost date in spring. It likes cooler temperatures, and will often self-sow each year. Be sure to deadhead the flowers, so they bloom longer.

Cosmos photo via ai3310X/Flickr Creative Commons

3. Cosmos

These heat-loving flowers grow best in average soil. If the soil is too rich, the plants won’t perform as well. Wait until after the last frost date to sow seeds for these carefree summer flowers. Look for the best flowering toward late-summer, as the days are growing shorter.

Four O’Clock photo via Martin LaBar/Flickr Creative Commons

4. Four o’clocks

The fragrant flowers of this annual open in the afternoon, around 4 p.m., or on cloudy days. Plant seeds after the last frost date and you’ll have flowers in mid-summer into fall. Hummingbirds are attracted to the many, trumpet-shaped flowers.

Hyacinth bean photo via Cassey/Flickr Creative Commons

5. Hyacinth beans

This pretty vine can grow 10 to 15 feet, so have support in the garden for its growth. Typically grown as an annual, hyacinth bean is a perennial in Zones 10 and above. If the pods are left on the plant over winter, it often reseeds again next year.

Morning Glory photo via pen3ya/Flickr Creative Commons

6. Morning glories

These flowering vines grow easily from seeds, sown in a full-sun to partial-sun location. Experts recommend you soak the seeds overnight before planting for best results. Be sure to have your trellis ready when you plant, as these vines reach 6 to 10 feet tall.

Nasturtiums photo via CarbonNYC {in SF}/Flickr Creative Commons

7. Nasturtiums

In spring, after the last frost date, plant this pretty annual in average soil. If the soil is too nitrogen-rich, you will get more leaves than flowers. The leaves and flowers are edible and add a spicy, peppery taste to salads, soups and scrambled eggs.

Sunflower photo via Tim Geers/Flickr Creative Commons

8. Sunflowers

This sun-loving plant is best planted from seeds sown after the last frost date. Available in various sizes, sunflowers can shoot up to 6 to 8 feet (or taller) in just a summer. Attractive to bees and birds, these annuals are often drought-tolerant and very hardy.

Sweet pea photo via badorsey/Flickr Creative Commons

9. Sweet peas

These sweetly scented flowers add a romantic look to spring gardens. Sow seeds in late-winter or early-spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. Sweet peas prefer rich, well-drained soil, and need support for their vines.

See also our post 12 Must-Know Tips for Growing Healthy Sweet Peas.

Zinnias photo via DrPhotoMoto/Flickr Creative Commons

10. Zinnias

Give this popular flower a full-sun location and humus-rich soil. The easy-to-grow flowers are best planted by seed, as they don’t transplant well. Butterflies particularly like zinnias. This sun-lover is frost-tender, so don’t plant these seeds too early.

What are your favorite flowers to grow from seeds?

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