Growing flowers from seeds is an affordable and satisfying way to enhance your garden with vibrant colors and textures. Not only is it budget-friendly, but watching flowers grow from scratch brings a unique sense of accomplishment. Whether you’re aiming to create a lush backyard oasis or add pops of color to a balcony garden, these 21 flowers are excellent candidates for starting from seed.
Here’s a guide to 21 stunning flowers you can grow from seed, complete with basic care tips to help them thrive.
Picking Our Favorites
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To create this list, we focused on flowering plants that are widely recommended by horticultural experts, university extensions, and master gardener programs for their ability to grow easily from seed. Of course, what qualifies as “beautiful” depends on the eye of the beholder, so we gave you options.
Each flower was selected based on the following criteria:
- Direct sow or seed-starting success: We prioritized flowers that germinate reliably either indoors or directly in the garden.
- Beginner-friendly: These flowers tolerate a range of soil conditions, require minimal specialized equipment, and offer high success rates, even for first-time gardeners.
- Verified extension support: Every flower on this list is backed by a trusted agricultural extension office, such as Colorado State University, the University of Missouri, and Virginia Tech. These sources provide evidence-based planting advice tailored to real-world gardening conditions.
- Widespread availability: All recommended flowers are commonly found in seed catalogs and garden centers, ensuring readers can actually grow what they read about.
1. Sunflowers
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Sunflowers are cheerful plants that command attention with their tall stems and bright, sun-like blooms. They’re easy to grow and work well in borders or as backdrops.
Care Tips: Start seeds directly in the ground after the last frost in a sunny location. Choose well-draining soil and space seeds 6–12 inches apart, depending on the variety. Water consistently, especially as they’re establishing roots.
2. Zinnias
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Zinnias are your go-to flowers for bold, colorful blooms. As an annual flower, they come in a wide range of hues, including red, pink, orange, and purple, with daisy-like petals.
Care Tips: Sow seeds directly in well-drained soil under full sun after frost danger has passed. Space seeds 6–12 inches apart, and thin them out as they sprout. Keep the soil moderately moist but avoid overwatering.
3. Cosmos
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Cosmos add an airy, whimsical feel to gardens with their delicate, daisy-like flowers on tall, slender stems. They’re perfect for brightening up any space.
Care Tips: Sow seeds in well-draining soil under full sun after the last frost. Space them 12 inches apart and water sparingly, as cosmos are drought-tolerant once established. Deadhead flowers to prolong blooming.
4. Sweet Peas
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Cherished for their fragrance, sweet peas bring delicate, ruffled blooms in pastel shades. They’re excellent for trellises and fences.
Care Tips: Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost or sow outdoors in early spring. Use nutrient-rich, well-drained soil, and provide support such as a trellis. Keep the soil evenly moist and pinch back the stems to encourage bushier growth.
5. Nasturtiums
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These cheerful, trumpet-shaped flowers are easy to grow and edible too, offering a peppery zest to salads.
Care Tips: Sow seeds in poor, well-drained soil to encourage blooming rather than excessive foliage. Plant in full sun for best results, but provide some afternoon shade in hot climates. Water moderately to keep the soil from drying out completely.
6. Snapdragon
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Snapdragons bring a whimsical charm to gardens with their dragon-shaped blooms. They thrive particularly well in cooler climates.
Care Tips: Start seeds indoors 6–10 weeks before the last frost. Transplant seedlings into well-drained, fertile soil in full sun or partial shade. Space plants 6 inches apart and deadhead spent blooms for continuous flowering.
7. Marigolds
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Bright and bold, marigolds are known for their pest-repelling properties as well as their vibrant flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red.
Care Tips: Sow seeds directly outdoors after the last frost or start them indoors earlier. Use well-draining soil under full sun. Water regularly but avoid waterlogged soil. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers.
8. Black-Eyed Susans
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These wildflower favorites are low-maintenance and bring sunny, daisy-like blooms in golden hues to gardens and meadows alike.
Care Tips: Sow seeds in well-drained soil in full sun after the last frost. Water regularly until they’re established and thin seedlings to 12–18 inches apart. Black-eyed Susans self-seed, so enjoy their natural propagation.
9. Morning Glories
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Morning glories add vertical charm to any space with their vivid, trumpet-shaped blooms that open in the morning.
Care Tips: Scarify seeds (lightly nick or soak them) before planting directly in full-sun locations. Use well-draining soil and provide a trellis or fence for climbing. Water regularly but do not oversaturate.
10. Petunias
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These versatile flowers come in a variety of colors and are ideal for hanging baskets, window boxes, or garden edging.
Care Tips: Start seeds indoors 10 weeks before the last frost. Use a lightweight, well-draining seed-starting mix and provide 12–14 hours of light daily. Transplant seedlings into containers or flower beds in full sun.
11. Calendulas
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Also called pot marigolds, calendulas bring cheerful orange and yellow daisy-like flowers with medicinal benefits.
Care Tips: Sow seeds directly in nutrient-rich soil after the last frost. Place them in full sun or light shade and water consistently, keeping the soil moist but not soggy. Pinch back faded blooms to encourage more flowers.
12. Coneflowers
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Also known as echinacea, coneflowers are beloved for their resilience and large, daisy-like blooms with prominent centers.
Care Tips: Sow seeds in full-sun locations with well-drained soil. Thin seedlings to 12–18 inches apart. Water regularly and mulch to retain moisture. Coneflowers often return year after year.
13. Hollyhocks
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Towering hollyhocks add vertical beauty to any garden with their large blooms in shades of pink, red, and white.
Care Tips: Sow seeds directly outdoors in full-sun locations. Space them 18–24 inches apart and use rich, well-draining soil. Provide support if needed and cut back faded blooms to encourage new growth.
14. Lupines
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Lupines create stunning vertical spires of flowers in rich blues, purples, and pinks, making them an eye-catching addition to any space.
Care Tips: Sow seeds directly outdoors in the fall or early spring. Use slightly acidic, well-drained soil and a full-sun to light-shade location. Water moderately and enjoy their nitrogen-fixing benefits for the soil.
15. Poppies
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Poppies capture the imagination with their delicate, paper-thin petals and vibrant colors.
Care Tips: Sow seeds directly outdoors in early spring. Scatter them on the soil surface and press lightly—poppies need light to germinate. Water sparingly, and enjoy their whimsical beauty as they naturalize.
16. Bachelor’s Buttons
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Also called cornflowers, bachelor’s buttons bring true-blue blooms that complement any garden scheme.
Care Tips: Sow seeds in early spring directly into well-drained soil in full sun. Water lightly and thin seedlings to about 6 inches apart. Deadheading ensures continual blooming.
17. Sweet Alyssum
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This dainty flower adds a soft, trailing effect to garden edges, window boxes, or container arrangements.
Care Tips: Sow seeds directly into soil in full sun to partial shade. Water consistently, keeping the soil moist. Sweet alyssum thrives in cooler temperatures, making it ideal for spring or fall planting.
18. Dahlia
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Though often associated with tubers, dahlias can also be grown successfully from seed, offering intricate, layered blooms in various colors.
Care Tips: Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost. Use well-draining potting soil and give seedlings plenty of sunlight. Transplant outdoors after the last frost into rich, fertile soil. Space them at least 12 inches apart, and enjoy their stunning symmetry.
19. Salvia
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Salvia produces striking spikes of deep blue, purple, pink, or red flowers that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Care Tips: Sow seeds in full sun and well-drained soil after the last frost. Water regularly but avoid overwatering. Prune back faded blooms to extend the flowering period throughout the summer.
20. Impatiens
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Impatiens are shade-loving flowers that add bright pops of color to darker corners of your garden.
Care Tips: Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before the last frost. Use a rich, well-drained potting mix and keep soil consistently moist. Transplant into shaded areas with indirect light for best results.
21. Spider Flowers
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Spider flowers, or cleome, boast tall stems covered in wispy, delicate blooms that create an ethereal feel in gardens.
Care Tips: Sow seeds directly in well-drained soil in full sun after the last frost. Space them about 12–18 inches apart. Water moderately and enjoy their dramatic, otherworldly presence throughout the growing season.
It All Starts with a Seed
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With these 21 flowers, you can create a vibrant, colorful garden while enjoying the cost-effectiveness and satisfaction of growing them from seed. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, these flowers offer beauty and joy that will brighten your space throughout the growing season.
Get started today and watch your seeds blossom into a floral paradise!
