30 Flowers You Can Start From Seed in Winter for a Stunning Spring Garden

A garden bursting with blooms early in spring is one of the best gifts you can give yourself — and the secret to making it happen starts now, when the world outside is still sleeping. Snowdrops, crocuses, and daffodils might be the first to poke through once the thaw begins, but there’s so much more you can add by starting seeds during the colder months.

You see, I’m that kind of gardener — the “I-wonder-if-this-will-grow” type. The “let’s-just-try-it-and-see” kind of soul who ends up with trays of dirt on every sunlit windowsill by late February. I’ll happily fuss over seeds like they’re rare gems — and sometimes, they are. It keeps my hands busy and my heart grounded while winter drags on a little too long.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I’ve bought plenty of nursery starts over the years. There’s nothing wrong with a well-established berry bush or a tricky perennial that’s been babied in a greenhouse. But when it comes to annual and perennial flowers — the bright bloomers that set the tone for the whole season — nothing beats growing them from seed. It saves money, skips the plastic, and gives my garden a clean, chemical-free start. And yes, it also comes with a touch of that proud, smug feeling that only seed-starters know.

If you’re dreaming of a flower-filled garden that wakes up early and puts on a show all season long, you don’t have to wait. These 30 flowers are easy to start from seed in winter — tried-and-true favorites that turn cold, quiet days into the start of something beautiful.

Why Should You Sow Flowering Plants in Winter?

You may wonder why you should sow some flowers in winter – maybe you’d prefer to rest, and most amateur gardeners don’t think winter is the best time for seeding, but…

• You can give cold hardy varieties an early start.
• Early blooming varieties in particular will need some time to blossom.
• Some seeds actually need subzero temperatures to germinate. This is technically called “cold stratification”.

Now, let’s see how you can sow them in this unforgiving season…

How to Start Flowering Plants in Winter for a Jaw Dropping Display in Spring

First of all, the basics. There are two ways to start flowers in winter so your garden fills with amazing blossoms in spring (and beyond):

• Sow cold hardy flowering plants directly in your garden – and here the choice of variety is the key to success. Some actually like to get some frost as seeds, and we will see them soon, but be careful with the USDA hardiness zone.
• Start your flowering plants indoors, ideally in a greenhouse, but any other well-lit and warm place will work just fine. This way, you will have early blooms…

Now, the first is very simple, but how about starting flowers indoors? Let’s see!

How to Start Flowers Indoors to Have early Blooms in Spring

Starting flowering plants indoors can give you early blossoms, to add to the colorful magic of spring gardens, and, in case your perennial or annual does not anticipate its spectacle, it will still be very strong indeed. Especially in cold countries, this means that you can have more varieties blooming in your “corner of heaven”. But how can you do it?

• You need a well-lit place; you don’t need strong direct sunlight, but bright and filtered light.
• If you don’t have a naturally well-lit place, you can use grow lights (LED are best).
• Your flowering plants will need 12 to 16 hours of light per day to germinate and grow into seedlings.
• The place should also be well-ventilated, because too much humidity and stuffy air is good for bacteria and fungi, not for flowering plants.
• Keep the temperature between 65 and 75°F (18 to 24°C).
• Use sowing trays and small pots filled with good quality, well drained and organically rich sowing mix.
• Keep the soil humid but not soggy, irrigating from below (use a watering tray).
• If/when the seedlings grow too big for the sowing tray, move them to small pots.
• Transplant them to your garden in spring when the weather is mild.

I have a final tip for you. Get yourseedlings used to outdoor conditions before you transplant them. This is called “hardening”.

• Find a sheltered place outdoors in part shade.
• Place the seedlings there for 1 to 2 hours around midday or early afternoon (when it’s warmer) on day 1.
• On day 2 add an hour (or 2 if it’s mild), then keep adding for about 7 to 10 days, till you can transplant the seedling safely into your garden.

That’s it! And now, let’s see the very best flowering varieties you can start in winter!

1: Poppy (Papaver spp.)

You didn’t expect to find poppies on this list, did you? The symbols of summer, with their colors ranging from red to orange, yellow, pink and white represent golden cornfields with their round flower heads and paper-thin large petals. But if you plant them too late, they may not have enough time to give you a great floral spectacle. In fact, the seeds like to have a period of dormancy before they germinate, so you can sow them in winter; either 4 weeks before you expect the first frost or just after the last one.

In any case, the seeds will survive very cold temperatures. The best poppy species to sow in winter are oriental (Papaver orientalis), Icelandic poppy (P. nudicaule), Flanders poppy (P. rhoeas) and Welsh poppy (P. cambricum). They don’t like transplanting, so, start them off straight in your garden!

• Hardiness: usuallyUSDA zones 3 to 9, depending on the variety.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: surface sow 16 to 36 inches apart (40 to 90 cm) depending on the variety.

2: Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)

Let’s move on to a classic and very much loved perennial, with brightly colored daisy like blooms, a magnet for pollinators and with amazing medicinal properties as well: coneflower! Yes, this generous flowering plant can be started in winter though it will not anticipate its floral display (maybe by a couple of weeks).

However, especially if you live in a cold country, sowing it in winter will give you very strong plants to blossom in summer and fall, and rosettes of healthy leaves to fill in gaps in your borders in spring. And the good news is that you can seed it directly in your garden, as these seeds enjoy the cold weather!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 8.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: ¼ inch deep (0.6 cm) and 12 to 36 inches apart (30 to 90 cm) depending on the variety.

3: Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

An early to mid summer flowering perennial, black-eyed Susan brings warmth, drama and light to your garden, with its daisy like flowers with a dark center and then “rays” of golden yellow, orange and red. To give you its sunny display, it will take some time, so you should start growing it in winter, but…

You can start off black-eyed Susan indoors in January or February, while if you want to sow it directly in your garden, you should act early, in November or December.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light conditions:
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 to ¼  inch (about 0.3 to 0.6 cm) deep or surface sow, and 18 to 24 inches apart (45 to 60 cm).

4: Lupine (Lupinus perennis)

Wow, what lovely spikes of colorful flowers will you see in your garden if you grow wild lupines! Ideal for borders and cottage gardens, they reach about 2 feet in height (60 cm) and they will start blossoming in mid spring, but you need to start them off in winter at the latest, and you can! Your garden will fill with lovely blue to lavender blooms that fill with butterflies and pollinators. And you can sow them outdoors or indoors (maybe in very cold regions).

Note though that unlike other lupine varieties, American native Lupinus perennis is not edible, and in fact, the whole plant is toxic!

However, you can also start other lupine varieties indoors!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 8.
• Light conditions: full Suna and partial shade.
• Where to start: both indoors and outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: ¼ to ½ inches deep (0.6 to 1.2 cm) and 4 inches apart, or 10 cm (indoors); or 10 to 18 inches apart, or 25 to 45 cm (outdoors).
• Transplanting spacing: 10 to 18 inches apart (25 to 45 cm).

5: Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)

Columbine is one of my favorite flowers, with its elegant nodding flowers with such complex shapes and mixing shades of red, orange, white, blue, yellow, cream, pink, violet, orange and even brown, these perennials also form lovely clumps of finely textured leaves where they hover like exotic butterflies! Low maintenance and ideal for formal gardens, they are quite cold hardy, but to get the best out of them you can start them off indoors in winter, especially in severe climate regions.

Columbines will start gracing your garden in late spring, and you can even get them to jumpstart their flowering season by a couple of weeks if you sow them indoors and the season is mild; in any case, you will get a better result than if you sow them or even transplant them in spring.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun and partial shade.
• Where to start: indoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: surface sow 4 inches apart (10 cm) or individual cells of this size.
• Transplanting spacing: 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm).

6: Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum)

A super classic flower to give you blankets of snow white flowers in the summer months, Shasta daisy is cold hardy, but, especially in regions where winters are severe, it is far better to start them off indoors during and transplant them at the beginning of spring; this way, they will be strong and ready to attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators to your flower beds come June!

This is for the first year you grow them, because, being perennials, Shasta daisies will give you impressive displays year after year!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 5 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun and partial shade.
• Where to start: indoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: surface sow 4 to 5 inches apart (10 to 12.5 cm) or in individual cells.
• Transplanting spacing: 18 inches apart (45 cm).

7: Horned Violet (Viola tricolor)

I know, horned violets look quite delicate, and even exotic, thanks to their amazing color range and combination of shades that range from white to “black”! And they are protagonists of flower beds and containers all over the world. Thing is, they start their marathon long floral spectacle in early spring, and they will light up your garden till fall! So, when should you sow them? In winter, of course, unless you want to buy expensive seedlings… I suggest you sow them indoors because the seeds are so small, but in warmer climates you can do it outdoors too. I mean, if you have the extra packet, don’t waste it…

So, start growing your own horned violets from seed in winter, and save an awful lot of money (seedlings can be fairly expensive), and get as many as you want, to fill full flower beds if you wish!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 or 5 to 9, depending on the variety.
• Light conditions: full Sun and partial shade.
• Where to start: indoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: surface seed in individual 2-inch (5.0 cm) sowing tray cells.
• Transplanting spacing: 6 to 12 inches apart (15 to 20 cm) depending on the variety.

8: Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus)

If you want your snapdragons to be in bloom by late spring, you’d better start them off early. For this reason, you should sow them indoors or directly in your garden in late winter… This way, come May, their long pikes of “snapped” flowers that look like dragons’ moths will open and attract lots of pollinators and butterflies to your garden. And the blossoms will keep lighting up your days till fall, with their pink, purple, yellow and white shades. The final twist will come with the seed pods, when they empty, they look like skulls!

Ideal for informal and cottage gardens in flower beds and borders, snapdragons also sweeten your gardening season with their exquisite scent, but because they are not cold hardy, you should start them indoors in USDA zones 6 and below.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 7 to 10.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: indoors and outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: surface sow them 4 inches apart (10 cm) or individually in cells of this size.
• Transplanting spacing: 10 to 18 inches apart (25 to 45 cm).

9: Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Are you looking forward to the generous blooms of calendulas in late spring, in energetic yellows and oranges, or lighter creams and pinkish shades, with single or double daisy-like heads? Then you know what to do: start them off in late winter, and you can do it directly in your garden or indoors, depending on your climate, because these annuals are very hardy indeed. What’s more, their flowering season never ends – well, it does, but in fall.

As calendulas are annuals, if you want to have them in your garden, you will need to buy seed packets every year and sow them again, or you can collect the seeds and preserve them yourself.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 11 (annual).
• Light conditions: full Sun and partial shade.
• Where to start: indoors and outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: ¼ to ½ inch (0.6 to 1.2 cm) deep; 12 inches apart outdoors (30 cm) or 3 to 4 inches apart indoors (7.5 to 10 cm), or in similar sized cells individually.
• Transplanting spacing: 12 inches apart (30 cm).

10: Nigella (Nigella spp.)

Let’s think about your summer garden: what’s the most delicate and elegant flower you can add to your display? Nigella, of course! The lace-like effect of its fine needle-like foliage is topped with the heavenly “starry blossoms” in white or blue. And you can start it off in winter, though you will have to wait a while to see it in its full splendor.

Ideal for wild meadows and informal borders, you can sow nigella outdoors in covered containers or indoors in late winter.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch (about 0.3 to  0.6 cm) and 6 to 12 inches apart (15 to 30 cm).

11: Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Sweet alyssum will soon start flowering, and by late spring, its many clusters of tiny blossoms in white, pink, mauve or bright purple will form cushions of colors in your garden. But to get it ready to attract butterflies and pollinators, you can start it off early, by sowing it in winter.

The great news is that you can sow sweet alyssum directly in your flower beds in late winter, as long as you live in USDA hardiness zones 5 and above, or 4, as long as the coldest days of the season are over.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 5 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch (about 0.3 cm) and 6 to 12 inches apart (15 to 30 cm).

12: Siberian Wallflower (Erysimum cheiri)

Come April, your beds or containers will light up with the clusters of yellow, orange, red or lilac purple little blossoms of Siberian wildflower, but you will have to give it an early start. The main effect is due to the collective work of the many blooms, and it is ideal for an informal splash of color and light.

Because it is not very cold hardy, you can sow it directly in your garden in USDA zones 6 and above in late winter, but in harsher climates, I suggest you start it off indoors, or in covered containers.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 6 to 11.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors and indoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) in 2 inch wide cells (5.0 cm) indoors, 8 to 12 inches apart outdoors (20 to 30 cm).
• Transplanting spacing: 8 to 12 inches apart (20 to 30 cm).

13: Primrose (Primula spp.)

Hurry up, you may already be late! A symbol of the new gardening season, the “rose of spring”, primrose, will actually start flowering in February, and if you do not sow it in winter, you’ll end up having to buy expensive(ish) seedlings to fill your beds or to bring color under shrubs and trees! Choose any variety you want, its palette is very bright and wide, with white, yellow, red, pink, purple etc., in dense clusters on top of a cushion of leaves but…

…You really cannot have a spring garden without primroses. Being very cold hardy, you can sow them directly, and you should do it in early to mid winter at the latest.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 4 or 5 to 9 depending on the variety.
• Light conditions: full Sun or partial shade (preferred).
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 to ¼ inch deep (0.3 to 0.6 cm) and 6 to 12 inches apart (15 to 30 cm).

14: Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

Now we meet a symbol of summer… Together with poppies, cornflowers bring to mind golden corn fields in the countryside, but it can take some time for this annual to blossom, so, an early start can give you better results with its iconic blue, but now also purple, pink, red and white blooms. And don’t worry about the weather. It is very cold hardy indeed!

So, if you want an informal countryside or cottage garden, border, or wild meadow, you can start it off in late winter by sowing cornfields directly outdoors.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 11 (annual).
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/4 inch (0.6 cm), 6 to 8 inches apart (15 to 20 cm).

15: Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Ok, foxglove will not flower this year even if you sow it now: it’s a biannual and it will only give you its long spikes of bell shaped blossoms next year. On the other hand, its white, purple, pink, cream and yellow spotted blooms will last from May to mid and sometimes late summer. Then you can take your time, but why not start early and get it established in your garden?

You can sow most foxglove varieties directly in your garden; wait till late winter, when the coldest days are over, and you will still fill your borders with its lush tufts of foliage, waiting for their stunning floral displays!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun or partial shade.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: surface sow 12 to 18 inches apart (30 to 45 cm).

16: Blanket Flower (Gaillardia spp.)

Blanket flower is a harbinger of summer; in fact, its showy daisy-like flowers with hot yellows, oranges and reds, in fact, start blooming in late spring. So, you’d better give them time to grow, and there is another reason why you should sow Gaillardia in winter: its seeds actually need a spell of cold temperatures to germinate.

I suggest you sow blanket flower directly in your garden in late winter; there are two main species though, Gaillardia aristata is super cold hardy (USDA zones 3 to 9), while Gaillardia pulchella isn’t at all (USDA zones 9 to 11). Choose accordingly, and in case, start G. pulchella off indoors.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9 (Gaillardia aristata) and USDA zones 9 to 11 (Gaillardia pulchella).
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors or indoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: surface sow in 3 inch wide individual cells (7.5 cm) indoors and 12 to 18 inches apart outdoors (30 to 45 cm).
• Transplanting spacing: 12 to 18 inches apart (30 to 45 cm).

17: Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus)

One of my all time favorites now: sweet peas! Their super generous blooms in virtually all colors and combinations last from late spring to fall and these climbing beauties have a heavenly scent as well. Easy to grow and spectacular, these annuals are cold hardy and you will need to sow them in winter. In fact, they like frost to germinate, and a spell of fresh weather to start growing. In milder climates (USDA zones 7 and above) you should start them off in late fall or December.

Calculate when the last day of frost is and sow sweet peas at least 6 to 8 weeks before! They don’t take well to transplanting at all, so, do it directly in your garden.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 11 (annual).
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1 inch deep (2.5 cm) and 12 inches apart (30 cm).

18: Blue Flax (Linum lewisii)

An American native, blue flax is an early starter as well. Its sky colored round and sweet looking flowers will open in late spring and keep blooming till mid summer, attracting butterflies and other pollinators. What’s more, this cold hardy perennial needs “cold stratification”, which means that the seeds need frost to germinate, so…

…So, you will have to sow blue flax in winter in order to get any flowers out of them. Seed it directly in your garden and it will not disappoint you and your spring garden.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) and 6 to 12 inches apart (15 to 30 cm).

19: Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)

Sweet Willimas will flower with their delightful fragrance in late spring, but not the first year, so why should you start them off in winter? Because they too need cold stratification, as freezing temperatures help break the seeds that will then produce those round clusters of Dianthus blossoms in all the shades that range from white to purple, via pink and magenta.

You can sow sweet Williams outdoors in late fall or early winter. If you are late, put the seeds in a refrigerator for 4 weeks, then start them off indoors in January or February…

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun or partial shade (in warmer climates).
• Where to start: outdoors or indoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) in 2 inch wide individual cells indoors (5.0 cm), 6 to 12 inches apart outdoors (15 to 30 cm).
• Transplanting spacing: 6 to 12 inches apart (15 to 30 cm).

20: Geranium (Pelargonium spp.)

Geraniums will give you seas of colorful clusters of flowers in summer and into fall, but they are slow growing perennials. If you want a massive display of their blooms, and you want them to open on time or you can buy seedlings or already grown plants, you can use cuttings in spring. But if you want to grow Pelargonium from seed, you will have to sow them in winter. I know, it’s not a popular propagation method, but you can, and this will give you a wide choice, not limited to what you find in stores and nurseries.

Geraniums do not need cold stratification; actually, they are not at all hardy at all (USDA zones 10 and above). This means that you will have to start them indoors, at least 6 to 8 weeks before the last day of frost, which usually means that you’ll have to sow them in mid or late winter.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 10 to 13.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: indoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: ¼ inch deep (about 0.6 cm) and in individual cells 2 to 3 inches wide (5.0 to 7.5 cm).
• Transplanting spacing: 18 to 24 inches apart (45 to 60 cm), or better in individual pots (and clay is better).

21: Bee Balm (Monarda spp.)

Bee balm is a real magnet for pollinators – and hummingbirds! Of course, with its fiery red, lavender and purplish tubular flowers arranged in a crown above the foliage, they are just perfect for the long bills of these tiny birds, and for the proboscis of butterflies! This flowering perennial will feed them later on in the season, starting in summer, but you can give it a jumpstart to get the best display for your garden.

You can sow bee balm directly in your garden starting in late winter, as it is very cold hardy, down to USDA zone 3.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun or partial shade (in hot climates is best).
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) and 18 to 24 inches apart (45 to 60 cm).

22: Larkspur (Delphinium consolida)

Larkspur is yet another annual you can grow in your garden and see it blossom by late spring! Is long spikes of round, saucer shaped blooms in blue, violet, white, pink and purple will add a vertical accent to your borders and flower beds for about two months, and it is ideal for informal, cottage and countryside gardens, borders and charming bouquets.

Because larkspur is a cold hardy annual, you can sow it directly in your garden in late winter; this will give it time to grow and blossom by the beginning of May.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 8.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: ¼ inch deep (0.6 cm) and 6 to 12 inches apart (15 to 30 cm).

23: Stock (Matthiola incana)

Stock is kind of similar to larkspur, with long spikes of flowers, which are fragrant, but it also adds yellows and reds to its palette. It will start blooming in early spring, and it will keep your garden alive and filled with butterflies and pollinators till early summer. This long flowering season and an early one to boot, so you have no time to waste; you need to sow it in winter. However, it is a short-lived perennial, but it is not cold hardy (to USDA zone 7). Therefore…

Especially in colder regions, if you want stock to blossom by late spring, you should start it off in late winter indoors, while from USDA zone7 upwards, you can sow it directly in your garden when frost nights become light.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 7 to 10.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: indoors, or outdoors in USDA zones 7 and above.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) in 2 inch-wide individual cells (5.0 cm) indoors, 6 to 12 inches apart outdoors (15 to 30 cm).
• Transplanting spacing: 6 to 12 inches apart (15 to 30 cm).

24: Wallflower (Erysimum spp.)

Wallflower produces small clusters of four-petaled blossoms starting in early spring on its second year, if you pick a biennial variety, while young perennial varieties will start later, but all will continue till early summer. In any case, you should start it off in winter… It has a wide palette of creams, yellows, oranges, purples and reds, opening above lovely tufts of long and narrow leaves. It is ideal for informal beds and mixed in with other flowering plants.

In fact, wallflower is yet another variety that needs cold stratification, so you should start it off pretty early, usually in early winter, and directly in your garden.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 6 to 10.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm), 9 to 12 inches apart (22.5 to 30 cm).

25: Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa spp.)

If you want to add amazing, delicate texture to your beds and borders and from late spring to fall, you should definitely grow pincushion flower. So called because the flowers have elaborate and decorative shape patterns, that remind me of lace, and that’s on top of the fine foliage underneath, Scabiosa, with its mauve blossoms is an elegant if unassuming variety for informal gardens, and one you should sow in winter, of course.

While pincushion flower is usually sown indoors in mid to late winter, you can grow it directly in your garden in USDA zones 6 and above.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) and 12 to 18 inches apart (30 to 45 cm).

26: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

The large, round umbels packed with myriad tiny flowers of yarrow are like landing pads for pollinators, especially small beneficial beetles, that seem to love its nectar. Starting in late spring, these long-lasting blossoms in white, yellow, pink, magenta and purple red will keep your garden alight with colors till early fall, all set on such finely textured foliage that it looks like a thin filigree! But for a prompt start, you need to sow Achillea millefolium in winter.

And yarrow will appreciate your effort, because the seeds like a period of dormancy in the cold before they germinate, and you can sow them directly in your garden. Just wait for a few days after the first hard frost – yes, it likes it freezing!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) and 12 to 18 inches apart (30 to 45 cm).

27: Canterbury Bells (Campanula medium)

Canterbury bells will start blooming in may and it will keep going till July, but don’t be disappointed if you don’t see any flowers even if you started it in winter: it is a biannual that does not blossom in its first year, but it will, and profusely, in its second. Only then will it grow the spikes with white, blue, mauve, violet or purple bell-shaped (of course!) blossoms, partly nodding but always charming. Still, sowing them early on is an ideal choice, because here’s another plant that likes cold stratification!

In fact, you have a very wide window to sow bells directly in your garden, from late fall to late winter! It’s also a very cold hardy variety, so no worries there too. Just fetch a packet of seeds any time during these months and enjoy!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 7.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) and 12 to 18 inches apart (30 to 45 cm).

28: Godetia (Clarkia amoena)

Godetia is an early starter too, and it will open its first buds in May, and only stop by the end of August. Also known as satin flower, it has round, very romantic looking blooms, usually bicolor, with paler shades, like white and pink, and brighter, stronger blushes in the center of each petal, in rose or magenta. The tuft of long needles that form a cushion under this enchanting floral display give it a bouquet-like look, great for informal beds or containers.

Godetia too likes cold stratification, and you have a very long time to sow it directly in your garden, from November to February!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 5 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) and 8 to 12 inches apart (20 to 30 cm).

29: Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

Towering hollyhocks don’t just give your garden a dramatic vertical accent, they also offer you showy, large and round flowers in almost all colors, white, yellow, orange, pink, red, blue, purple and even “black”. Ok, no green, but it’s provided by the big, decorative palmate, maple like leaves, and, in fact, that’s all you’ll get in the first year. But come June next year, and you will get a spectacle like few plants can give you. So why should you sow it in winter?

You guessed, hollyhock too appreciates cold stratification, and you can sow it from late fall to early winter, depending on where you live. Just wait till after the first frost, and then put the seeds to sleep in the soil; they’ll wake up stronger than ever!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light conditions: full Sun.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: ¼ inch deep (0.6 cm) and 12 to 18 inches apart.

30: Hellebore (Helleborus spp.)

The last plant on our list could only be a winter classic, hellebore, which is, in fact, also called winter rose. And why, because most varieties bloom during this season, with their large and round, really stunning flowers in the most incredible shades, including pastel colors, browns, greens, chartreuse, and even “black”! All this is accompanied by wonderful evergreen foliage, with big and deeply cut leaves.

And of course, you can sow hellebore directly in your garden in winter, any time between November and February, because most varieties are super cold hardy too!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 9 (usually, depending on the variety).
• Light conditions: full Sun or partial shade.
• Where to start: outdoors.
• Sowing depth and spacing: 1/8 inch deep (0.3 cm) and 12 to 18 inches apart (30 to 45 cm).

Winter Sowing – Lots of Flowering Plants to Start in the Cold Season!

I bet you didn’t expect that there were so many flowering plants to sow in winter. Not an idle season altogether in the end. Of course, just choose days when there’s no snow or ice – you can rest then, but don’t be idle when the weather allows you too: if you want a stunning garden, you need to seed in the cold season as well.