Bishy Barnabee’s Cottage Garden

Direct Sown Seeds

Seeds you sow straight into the soil — no greenhouse needed

Quick picks
Sow this monthSpring favouritesCut flowersFor the vasePollinatorsBees and butterfliesHardy annualsAutumn-sow readyEasy to growFirst-time friendlyUnder £2.50Stock up favourites
112 products
A lush swath of blooming Oxeye Daisy by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden displays radiant white petals with yellow centers, creating a vibrant wildflower scene perfect for gardens or natural rewilding spaces.
Perennial

Oxeye Daisy

The native British daisy, the one in every…

Sow: Mar–May · Sep–Oct
£2.10 View
A close-up of Phacelia flowers, with delicate purple petals and green foliage, from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden. These bee-friendly blooms are often grown from Phacelia seeds as beneficial green manure in gardens.
Annual

Phacelia

Coiled lavender-blue flower spikes that uncurl as they…

Sow: Mar–Sep
£1.95 View
Close-up of Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden's Poppy Black Peony with dark burgundy, ruffled blooms, green foliage, and stems against a blue sky. Perfect for dried flower arrangements.
Annual

Poppy Black Peony

Huge fully double blooms in a velvety maroon…

Sow: Mar–May · Aug–Sep
£2.20 View
Poppy Flanders Red
Annual

Poppy Flanders Red

The British field poppy, the same Papaver rhoeas…

Sow: Mar–May · Aug–Sep
£1.59 View
Two bees gather nectar from a large, light purple Poppy Hungarian Blue flower by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, featuring a dark center and green leaves, with another poppy blooming in the background. This variety is known for edible poppy seeds.
Annual

Poppy Hungarian Blue

Large single violet-purple bowls, eight to ten centimetres…

Sow: Mar–May · Sep–Oct
£2.20 View
A vivid Poppy Ladybird by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden opens amid green foliage, viewed from above. The softly blurred background highlights its scarlet-red petals with black centers and intricate stamens.
Annual

Poppy Ladybird

Scarlet cups with a huge black blotch at…

Sow: Mar–May · Sep–Oct
£2.10 View
Close-up of vibrant pink Red Campion flowers by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, with green stems and leaves in a field against a cloudy sky. The focused blooms and blurred background make them ideal for wildlife-friendly gardens.
Perennial

Red Campion

Rose-pink five-petalled flowers, each petal deeply notched so…

Sow: Mar–May · Sep–Oct
£2.40 View
Rose Campion by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden features vivid magenta blooms with silvery-green foliage—an ideal outdoor choice for vibrant color in your garden.
Biennial

Rose Campion

Two beautiful things on one plant that look…

Sow: Feb–Aug
£2.10 View
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Direct sowing flowers — your questions answered

What does direct sowing mean?

Direct sowing is the simplest possible way to grow flowers — you scatter or place the seeds straight into the soil where you want them to flower, water them in, and let nature do the rest. No pots, no greenhouse, no transplanting. Many of the prettiest cottage garden flowers actively prefer this approach because their roots dislike being disturbed.

When is the soil ready for direct sowing?

The simplest test: can you crumble a handful of soil between your fingers without it sticking together in a wet lump? If yes, it is workable. For hardy annuals, March and April are ideal in most of the UK. Half-hardy varieties want to wait until after the last frost — typically mid-May. If unsure, watch your local weeds; if they are growing actively, your flower seeds will too.

Do I need to do anything special to the soil first?

Not much. Rake the surface smooth, remove any large stones or weeds, and break up obvious clods so the soil has a fine, crumbly texture on top. A light scattering of compost helps but is not essential on most soils. Avoid digging deeply unless your soil is very compacted — disturbing it brings buried weed seeds to the surface.

What can go wrong with direct sowing?

The two biggest problems are dry soil (water gently after sowing and during dry spells until seedlings establish) and slugs (a tougher problem, but copper rings, beer traps, or wool pellets help). Sow a little more thickly than the packet suggests and thin out the strongest seedlings later — nature accounts for some losses. Birds may also have a go at exposed seeds; a light covering of soil and a temporary net helps.