Bishy Barnabee’s Cottage Garden

Sow in April

The busiest sowing month — everything is possible

What to sow in April
Flower seedsAnnuals & perennialsVeg seedsFrom salad to squashHerb seedsKitchen and gardenDirect sowingStraight in the soilPollinator friendlyBees & butterfliesUnder £2.50Stock up favourites
231 products
In a bright kitchen, a person in a dark sweater strips fresh Thyme Common from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden onto a wooden cutting board next to a knife and mixing bowl, with shelves and kitchen items visible in the background.
Herb Seeds

Thyme Common

You cannot make a bouquet garni, a proper stew or a decent roast without it

Sow: Feb–Apr
£2.00 View
A Zinnia Green Envy flower from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, with pale yellow-green petals, bloomed at the center amidst soft white Queen Anne’s lace and lush foliage, evoking chartreuse-lime garden beauty.
Annual

Zinnia Green Envy

A green flower, which is a rare thing and the reason florists pay attention

Sow: Mar–Jun
£2.15 View
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Sowing in April — your questions answered

What can I sow in April?

Almost everything. Outdoors: hardy annuals (cornflowers, calendula, ammi, nigella, larkspur), peas, beans, lettuce, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, spring onions, and most leafy greens. Under cover: half-hardy annuals like cosmos and zinnias, tomatoes, courgettes, squashes, and pumpkins. April is the month where the planting calendar properly opens up.

Should I still be sowing tender plants indoors?

Yes. April is the ideal month to start cosmos, zinnias, tithonia, courgettes, squashes, runner beans, and French beans under cover. They need a few weeks of growth before they can go outside in late May. Start them in modules or small pots and pot them on as they fill their roots. Don't be tempted to plant them out before the last frost — they will not recover.

Can I succession sow this early?

Definitely — it's the secret to a productive vegetable garden. Sow lettuce, radishes, beetroot, and carrots in small batches every two to three weeks rather than one big sowing. The same applies to flowers like cornflowers and calendula — a second batch sown four weeks after the first will extend the flowering season well into autumn.

What if we get a late frost?

Cover anything tender with horticultural fleece, cloches, or even an inverted bucket overnight. Hardy seedlings sown direct will usually shrug off a light frost without complaint. Half-hardy plants like cosmos, zinnias, and tomatoes are the ones to worry about — keep them under cover until you are confident the frosts have passed in your area.