Are there any flower seeds I can sew now directly into ground? Zero effort required

[NemophilistRebel]

My bulbs from last year are starting to sprout again for spring and it’s making me thing about flowers following that.

Budget is small this year for garden bits so thinking of seeds.

Are there any zero effort seeds I can just sprinkle around the place and flowers will happen?

Alchemilla, aquilegia, calendula (marigold), cornflower, forget-me-nots, nigella (love-in-a-mist), poppies. Bit cold just yet though - it will say on the packets when to sow.

If you mark either a cross or a circle in the soil and then follow the shape when you sprinkle the seeds, you can see them when they come up and not mistake them for weeds!

The only thing I can think of are sweet peas. I usually soak mine and plant them in late April. Putting them in cold wet ground now, is not the best idea, but because of their hard shell they will have a better chance than most other seeds.

Most plants need warmth and moisture to germinate. In cold very wet soil they will just rot. For no trouble seeds wait a bit longer and go for large seeds. Calendula can go in quite early as they are hard too.

Not to plant yet, but I’ve had Cosmos and Ammi Majus do well sown straight into soil. Also an easy grow kids mix is usually pretty reliable.
Hollyhocks and snapdragons grow pretty easily too.

Is there anything you can just scatter in the soil without digging them in?

Sunset I think the cosmos and ammi just need a token skuffle of soil over them?

Wild flower seeds

Most seeds can just be put on the soil and then lightly raked over for a light covering. Alternatively sow on top of the soil and cover with perlite or vermiculite. I do this as it helps me to see where the seeds are.

Bee bombs are great. Just drop them and wait.

I'd wait till March, and then throw hardy annuals like love in a mist, Californian poppies etc at the soil. Little sprinkle soil over the top. I use a lovely seed company called MoreVeg who charge 50p a pack for a smallish quantity because who needs 600 carrots!!

Yes but make sure that the neighbourhood cats can't get at them. They just love loose soil to make a comfortable toilet out of!

Grass seeds are the only successful seeds I've put in over winter and early spring. I think that's because there has been plenty of rain to do the watering job that's you'd have to do if you planted later on in the season. I tried foxgloves last early autumn and there's not sign of them.