Did you know there are flower seeds for every month of the year? Your birth month flower can be sown and grown in the month you are born, and yes – there really are flowers you can sow 12 months of the year. If you're struggling to find a meaningful hostess gift for the holidays, this could just be the perfect idea.
Unlike birth month flowers, which are founded in historic and modern cultural traditions, my list of birth month flower seeds refers to a set of flower seeds to sow in every month of the year. The best part is sowing your birth month flower seed will reward you with enjoyment that extends beyond your birthday month, as you get to watch your seeds sprout, grow bigger, and eventually bloom.
Discover your birth month flower seeds
Add these birth month seeds to your roster of birth month plants, including birth month fruit trees and birth month herbs – you can grow an entire garden personalized to your birthday.
One of the best flowers to sow in January is Icelandic poppy, a beautiful wildflower that blooms in summer. It has papery bowl-shaped flowers, coming in colors of cream, yellow, orange, and even pink. 'If your soil is workable in January, sow them directly onto the ground,' advises Drew Swainston, Gardens Content Editor at Homes & Gardens. 'Otherwise, start them in biodegradable pots in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame to later plant out, as they don't enjoy root disturbance,' he adds.
There is no better choice of flower seed to sow in February than Cape daisy, a popular summer bedding plant native to southern and eastern Africa. 'It produces daisy-like flowers with brighter outer petals surrounding a darker floret. Their cheery blooms and long-lasting flowers make them ideal for bringing a spark of color to borders, containers, hanging baskets, or rock gardens,' Drew describes. It's best to sow these seeds indoors in February, covering them with a very light layer of compost, allowing for some light exposure for germination.
Also known as pot marigolds, but belonging to a different genus than marigolds, calendulas are a vibrant orange flower to add to beds and borders. These March flowers seeds can be directly sown outdoors in spring, after the last frost. All you need to do is scatter the seeds and lightly cover with soil. As fast-growers, you can expect to see calendula blooms in late spring.
We are spoiled for choice when it comes to flowers to plant in April, but one of the most charming is baby's breath, or gypsophila. It makes the perfect birth month flower seed for April because this is the time of year you can sow seeds directly outdoors – the best method for these plants because they don't cope well with being transplanted. Make sure to keep the soil consistently moist to aid germination.
'I adore strawflowers for a cutting garden,' says Head of Gardens, Rachel Bull. 'You can sow strawflower seeds in May either indoors in the coldest climes 3-4 weeks before the last frost, or directly outdoors in warmer regions when the last frost has passed,' she advises. After cutting your blooms, try drying strawflowers for a longer-lasting floral display, possibly lasting for years with color intact.
There are few flowers more joyful than zinnias in the warmer months, and they're one of the fastest-growing flowers to grow in spring. When sowing seeds in June, zinnias can be directly sown outdoors. Choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil to support zinnia growth. Pinching out zinnias can also encourage more stems and multiply blooms.
The birth month flower seed for July is coneflower, a cottage garden staple. These perennials can be grown by sowing seeds in July, spending the next year focusing on establishing a robust root system. You can then expect blooms the following summer and every year thereafter. Grow coneflowers by sowing seeds in a seed tray. When the seedlings reach a height of around three inches tall, you can harden them off and plant out in late summer.
Lunaria is a valuable addition to the yard, offering white and purple blooms and unusual, flat silver seed heads after flowering. You can sow seeds in August for flowering next spring and summer. Scatter seeds indoors over a seed tray and observe their quick germination, sprouting in just 10 days. Once large enough to handle, prick them out and grow in individual pots.
One of the prettiest seeds to sow in September is nigella, or love in a mist. Starting seeds in late summer will allow seedlings to grow strong root systems and will bring earlier blooms in spring. Nigella seedlings are dainty and don't transplant well, so it's better to sow directly outdoors. In milder climates, you can directly sow nigella outdoors in a sunny spot. However, the wettest and coldest growing zones will benefit from some frost protection, such as cloches.
On top of the list of birth month flower seeds for October birthdays, it's sweet peas. These are blooms quintessential to spring, and you can get the best display by starting seeds early in fall. Grow sweet peas from seed by sowing indoors in October, before hardening them off and planting out in mid-spring, after the risk of frost has passed. Don't forget to keeping cutting sweet peas as they bloom to encourage even more flowers through the season.
By the time November comes around, it can be risky to sow many flowers seeds directly outdoors because of frost. For this reason, when sowing delphinium seeds in November, do so in a greenhouse or cold frame. They have a relatively short flowering period in early summer, but you can encourage delphiniums to bloom again in late summer by cutting them back after their first flowers have faded.
You may be surprised to learn there's a whole host of flower seeds to sow in December, including snapdragons. By starting snapdragon seeds indoors in December, you can get early blooms in June. They're incredibly easy to grow, too. Simply put the seed on the surface of compost and place the seed tray in a propagator to help germination. Make sure to only transplant your snapdragon seedlings after the risk of frost has passed.
FAQs
Why are my flower seeds not growing?
There are many reasons why your flower seeds are not growing. It may be that you've sown them at the wrong time of year, so the temperature and lighting are not optimal for germination, or your seeds may have been unviable to begin with. Overwatering is also a common seed sowing mistake that stops flower seeds from germinating.
They key to success with growing these birth month flower seeds is knowing whether you need to sow indoors or sow outdoors for the time of year you're planting them and your US hardiness zone. Don't forget to also use the below essential seed sowing tools to help your efforts:
This 10 pack of seed starter trays have 12 cells each, a humidity dome, and plant labels.
This organic seed starting compost is a specially formulated, well-draining mix to support early growth.
This watering bottle is designed to provide gentle watering for seedlings, preventing soil disruption and damage.
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