which annual attractive flowers to sow directly outside would you recommend

[maluta2]

I'm a gardening novice; so far have managed only to plant a few shrubs and bushes and a couple of trees (with mixed success) in my bare garden on a new housing estate; this year I'd like to add more colour to it (no flowers in in yet!). Having looked at a couple of gardening sites I feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of flower seeds. I'd appreciate if you shared ideas on your fav annuals. (It has to be annuals, as I have no idea as yet how far and wide the new shrubs and bushes will spread and also I'd prefer to sow them directly outside - less hassle!) Any recommendations?

The best ones I have ever done were Cosmos. THey are large daisy-like pink and white flowers with nice greeny blue ferny looking foliage - much nicer than that sounds actually.

I think they need to be germinated inside, just in a seed tray, so can't be sown direct into the garden, but they are lovely and they can grow in partial shade.

Just buy a seed tray with lots of different sections, fill with damp seed compost, put it on the windowsill, sow one or two seeds in each one.

They always germinate - they are the single most reliable seeds I have ever used.

If you want to sow direct, an annual mix might be good, so that you have a good chance of getting some to germinate. My experience is that ones sown direct don't do as well.

Cornflowers/poppies will do well in poor well-drained soil with lots of sun.

I think Cosmos can be sown directly outside if you wait a bit later in the year, and they will flower later that way.

Do you have shade or full sun? What sort of soil? What region of the country?

we've successfully done night-scented stock, poppies and nigella (love-in-a-mist) - we've put something new in this year but I can't for the life of me remember what they are.

The bets thing re the poppies and nigella is you can collect the seedheads and sow the seeds next year - free!

I bought a mix and they came up really well, sowed them in pots first and then put them in the ground after the frost.

Can you grow lisianthus in the garden?

oh, I meant to say, all those were sown directly outside - no potting / faffing required (just thinning out when you realise how close together they all are!)

Hi! Thanks for your posts - some good advice. We live in the Scottish Borders and the garden is L-shaped - some lovely sunny spots and some deep shade.
Which is the best time to sow seeds outside and when to germinate them?
Cloudhopper - I will definitely try cosmos.
Poppies and scented stock sound tempting too.

I think the advantage of sowing some inside is that you can start earlier (Feb onwards) and get the plants started for flowers in the early summer.

On the Scottish borders you could probably start sowing in April/early May with Cosmos for flowers in late July/August/Sep. Some hardier seeds could be done earlier.

Another option is to buy "plug" style plants in April/May and plant them straight in without the faffing around. They aren't as cheap as seeds, but guaranteed success. You can still get a tray from the garden centre for about a fiver. You don't get as good a choice, but I have found some verbena varieties to be a good ground cover plant among taller specimens.

no good for this spring, but poppies and some others (check the packets) can be sown the autumn before and come up by themselves whenever it's warm enough.

And do put lots of bulbs in - those huge nets of mixed crocuses are v good value and come up very early - ours are nosing out already (but we're in Oxon)