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
Basil Holy Thai
Herb Seeds

Basil Holy Thai

Not the Thai basil sold in supermarkets — this is the genuine article

Sow: Mar–May
£2.00 View
Several fresh Basil Thai Siam Queen leaves from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd are arranged on a surface with a blurred maroon and white background, creating a striking contrast.
Herb Seeds

Basil Thai Siam Queen

The aristocrat of the Thai basils, and an All-America Selections winner

Sow: Mar–May
£1.95 View
Several Beetroot Chioggia from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd with green leaves rest on a wooden cutting board; one is sliced to show its pink and white rings, with a kitchen knife beside the vegetables against a soft background.New
Vegetable Seeds

Beetroot Chioggia

Slice a Chioggia for the first time and the reaction is involuntary

Sow: Mar–Jul
£1.95 View
In a garden with colorful planters and purple flowers, someone holds a large bundle of fresh green Bells of Ireland from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, wearing a sleeveless gray polka dot dress.
Annual

Bells of Ireland

Stiff upright spires lined from top to bottom…

Sow: Feb–Apr · Sep–Oct
£2.20 View
Vivid blue, star-shaped Borage flowers and fuzzy buds from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd grow on hairy stems with large green leaves, set in a leafy garden beside a wooden fence, bringing vibrant life to the scene.
Herb Seeds

Borage

If you grow one plant for the bees, grow borage

Sow: Mar–Jun · Sep
£2.30 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.