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
Close-up of Daucus Carota Dara by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden—tall stems with pink and white clusters, blooming densely in sunlight. Ideal as a cut flower with blurred foliage and blue sky in the background.
Biennial

Daucus Carota Dara

The coloured wild carrot, and currently one of…

Sow: Mar–May · Sep–Oct
£2.40 View
A close-up of a white and pale yellow butterfly perched on a cluster of Didiscus Blue Lace flowers from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, with green foliage and another blurred flower bud in the background.
Annual

Didiscus Blue Lace

Flat lacy umbels in soft powder-blue on slender stems at 45 to 60cm

Sow: Feb–Apr
£2.50 View
A mezzaluna knife rests on a wooden board with chopped herbs—great for pickling—and fresh dill sprigs, perfect for planting Dill Bouquet seeds from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, beside a beige cloth.
Herb Seeds

Dill Bouquet

The dill the cutting garden grows

Sow: Mar–Jul
£2.15 View
Several Echinacea Bravado plants by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden display rosy-purple blooms with orange-brown centers among lush green leaves, brightening the vibrant garden with more flowers and foliage in the background.
Perennial

Echinacea Bravado

Big rosy-purple daisies, ten to twelve centimetres across,…

Sow: Feb–Apr · Sep–Oct
£2.30 View
Feverfew by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd features small white daisy-like flowers with yellow centers and green, serrated leaves, ideal for outdoor cottage gardens and often started from seed as a medicinal herb.
Perennial

Feverfew

Clouds of small white daisies with yellow button…

Sow: Feb–Apr · 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.