Growing flowers from seeds

[SarfEasticated]

i have an empty garden that needs filling cheaply. I have started collecting seeds from plants I see in the park (that's not stealing is it?) but could do with some inspiration. I remember there was a gardeners world flower garden that alan/monty grew from seed but can't find it on line. Any ideas of books or websites t hat could help? I like English cottage garden plants, so hopefully all easy to germinate...
Thanks in advance

The garden is south facing so not much shade, and the soil is free-draining London dirt soil. I imagine it should be quite easy to grow poppies, cornflowers, nigella etc as they self seed wildly in my current garden with similar soil. I have 'deadheaded' two types of coneflower and a hollyhock which I hope will grow easily too - are there any other (non-poisonous) flowers I can grow from seed?

Ooh lovely thanks - will google as I've never heard of four o'clocks. Thanks! :)

I've grown Echinacea from seed. They don't flower in the first year, but when they flower in their second year the flowers last for ages compared to other plants, and are quite tall so a real feature!

that's good to know chitchat i love echinacea. is it a faff to germinate or could i sow it direct into the soil?

Don't think you'd have much luck sowing direct (otherwise I would have more seedlings in the garden!), but quite easy with a small propogator kit on the window sill. Sooooo much cheaper than buying seedlings!!! Echinacea looks so much better in mass plantings and it would cost a lot to do that.

I don't really do flowers (veg gardener) but I do like:
Pot marigolds (calendula)
Poached egg plant (limnanthes)
French marigolds
Nasturtiums
Cornflowers
Cosmos
Sweet peas
all of which are very easy!

i have never managed to grow a sweetpea in my life but my garden is overrun with calendula so i can't be that bad. thanks for the ideas, had forgotten about nasturtiums. :)