8 Easy Flowers to Grow from Seed in 2023

Yellow sunflowers are always a welcoming sight. But sunflowers don’t just come in yellow. You can plant heirloom sunflowers in a range of colors, from lemon yellow  to dark chocolate cherry. In addition, sunflowers come in various shapes, from the fluffy Dwarf Sungold to the seed-filled Mammoth Sunflower. There’s also a variety of sizes from 5 to 12 feet tall. 

Bees, butterflies, and birds all love sunflowers! Plant a few extras to share the seeds with the birds. 

Sunflowers can be used in all kinds of landscape designs. They are also beautiful in cut flower arrangements. 

Explore all the varieties of heirloom sunflowers you can grow in your own backyard.

Cosmos are annual flowers that come in shades of pink and white. They happily grow in full sun and bloom all summer and fall. 

Most cosmos have a daisy-like shape, but the Sea Shell variety has a curved petal. The fern-like foliage grows from 3 to 5 feet high. Bees and butterflies will be happy to flit from flower to flower as they gently blow in the breeze. 

These flowers work in a tall border design as well as a wildflower garden. Cut them off for bouquets, and they will regrow. Cosmos will also reseed for another year of blooms.

These reliable bloomers thrive in hot summers. Marigolds come up quickly and grow fast for blooms until the first frost. Be sure to deadhead the spent flowers to keep them blooming. Then, you can leave marigolds in the garden during winter to let them self-seed for another round of flowers next year.

Marigolds are also beneficial companion plants in vegetable gardens. The scent deters squash bugs and cucumber beetles. While we enjoy the beautiful orange color of marigolds, deer and rabbits tend to leave them alone. 

Starting marigold seeds indoors is easy. Try planting marigolds in cups for a fun activity to get children excited about growing flowers. 

Zinnias are one of the most rewarding flowers to grow. They germinate quickly and can be started indoors or sown directly outside. Zinnias seem determined to bloom no matter what, and the more you cut them, the more they grow.

Zinnias come in a variety of bright colors and even Polar Bear white. The blooms on the California Giants can be 5 inches wide.  

Growing a mix of bright-colored Zinnias is a visual joy and will attract local pollinators. With different varieties and colors to choose from, you can have a field of mixed colors or planned sections of all the same color.

Enjoy a whole garden of zinnias all summer long. 

Butterflies and bees love Sweet Pea flowers and will likely thank you by pollinating your garden. Large fragrant blooms sit atop long stems and grow beautifully along a trellis. 

Sweet Peas come in a wide array of hues, including white, salmon, pink, deep rose, blue, and lavender. Their sweet scent and a wide variety of colors make them popular in cut flower arrangements. 

Plant these cold hardy seeds in late winter or early spring. 

If you’re looking for a carpet of flowers, look at Sweet Alyssum. The sweetly fragrant flowers make a delicate edging along borders. Perfect for smelling as you walk by. 

Sweet Alyssum seeds germinate in only 5 to 14 days. They grow 4 to 6 inches tall with either white or purple flowers. 

Start Sweet alyssum seeds indoors for early blooms. Sweet alyssum can grow in part-shade, so they can be planted to fill in spaces between other flowers.

Our nasturtium collection will produce a nice mix of foliage with elegant red, yellow, orange, and gold blossoms. Not only are nasturtiums easy to grow, they are also edible. Both the leaves and flowers have a peppery zest that can be added raw to salads and other dishes.

Nasturtium look beautiful in manicured landscape beds and are also right at home in a laid-back cottage garden. They even work hard as companion plants and deter pests such as the cabbage looper.

Enjoy nasturtium outside in the garden and indoors as a cut flower.

Rocket Larkspur, also called Wild Delphinium, grows straight up, just like a rocket. The colorful spikes are full of double blooms in white, pink, purple, and blue. 

Hummingbirds will be attracted to the garden by the shape and color of the larkspur blossoms.

Rocket Larkspur is striking in the garden and is also popular in fresh-cut bouquets. Larkspur dries well and can be used in dried floral arrangements. They are also beautiful when dried and can self-seed.