FLOWERS TO START IN FALL AND WINTER

It was fairly early on in my growing career I realised that succession sowing and germinating all year round is vital if you want beautiful veggies and flowers on your farm or in your garden.

Surprisingly there are some absolutely stunning flowers that you can grow in winter. These won't actually flower in the cold months, but will put out roots and leaves to establish themselves. It means when spring arrives and the longer hours of daylight come, hand in hand with warmer temperatures, the flowers will burst into life.

GROWING CONDITIONS

Before we get into the list of flowers to grow during winter, it's worthwhile mentioning that most of these will require some form of protection from frost and snow. This doesn't mean you need a polytunnel or greenhouse, however. Low tunnels (such as this one on Amazon) work well - simply a piece of transparent plastic that can be put across flower seedlings to protect them. The fabric shouldn't lay directly on the plants as it will enable the cold to get through. Instead, raise it off them - you can use anything. Often blue plumbing piping is used, but sturdy wire is enough to keep it above the plants. Even sticks will work if you've nothing else.

If you prefer video, watch the above, or carry on reading for my top list below.

RANUNCULUS

These stunning flowers come as little dried up husks which I, personally, think look like octopus! You hydrate the dried corms in water for 6 to 12 hours and then plant them out.

I advise growing on in seed trays initially so some root growth that be gained. If you put them directly in the garden, they often get pulled out by pests.

Here in the UK, ranunculus can be planted out in autumn or winter and then left to fend for themselves. They're very hardy. I always say though, if in doubt, cover in some plastic.

Winter started ranunculus will flower earlier than those begun in spring and I find them hardier and more productive.

ANEMONE

Like ranunculus, anemones arrive as dried up little corms that need to be hydrated. Lay in a seed tray on a bed of compost, cover with a bit of soil and let them begin to grow. They tend to germinate slower than ranunculus so don't worry if they don't come out at the same time.

They have the same hardiness as ranunculus and can be planted outside once they've grown some roots and a few leaves.

They are VERY prone to rodents, however. I find that mice and voles just love to eat them. This is why I highly advise getting them started in a safe spot first - once they have some roots and flowers, they're less vulnerable to dying if rodents nibble some of the corms.

SWEET PEA

Sweet peas are a fantastic half-hardy annual that are great to start off in the autumn/winter season. Sow five or six seeds in a 9cm pot. They have deep roots and don't like soil disturbance, so put the seeds as near the surface as possible. This gives lots of space for the roots to grow and when you go to pot them out, the roots won't be as heavily impacted.

Mice love to eat any seeds that are pea-like so keep them out of reach until there's fresh green shoots. These will need some protection from frost and snow. You can put them on a windowsill if nowhere else but the warmth in the house will make them grow too much, so they're better in a shed next to a window.

It's a good idea to snip off the shoots when they reach about six inches long. This encourages side-shoots to develop which leads to even more flowers.

CORNFLOWER

Cornflowers are another half-hardy annual that do great when sown in the autum and winter. Sow the seeds in a seed tray and prick out as and when they germinate.

They will need some protection from heavy frosts and snow. I find that self-sown seeds that germinated themselves actually survive the worst weather!

HESPERIS

Hesperis is a new one on me, but it is a fantastic biennial with a sweet smelling fragrance that is great in the garden or for bouquets.

As a biennial it technically takes two years of growth before hesperis flowers. However, if you sow them in winter and grow them on, they'll flower the first year. I've also found that once they're cut back, they'll come back again! So don't pull them out.

They come in purple and white. They're great!

SWEET WILLIAM

Sweet williams remind me of my grandma. Perhaps they're not particularly cool, but I like them a lot. Like hesperis, they are biennial but I've found they last quite a bit longer given the right conditions.

There are huge variety of colours so you get your pick of the best. The seeds are tiny so rather than sowing and individually pricking out, I like to simply pot on a small group of four or five plants together. Given enough room, they'll all do well and if there any weaklings, just pull them out.

The first few years I used to cover my plants to protect them from bad weather, but I found they're very hardy. If you're forecast snow, I'd protect them just so they're not flattened.

SPRING GLADS

I LOVE gladioli. Did you know that there are perennial autumn-sown ones that will flower in spring? These naturalise over time, so once they're in, they're in!

Like any bulb, plant these before the ground freezes, either in swathes for landscaping or rows/groups if you want to harvest the flowers. These are smaller than your summer-flowering gladioli but still a pleasure!

The bulbs will quickly grow roots and set out small stems. These will grow during warm weather and then simply become dormant when temperatures plummet. Come spring, they'll shoot up and produce great spikes of flowers.

LARKSPUR

Larkspur is a fantastic flower for gardens, bouquets and for drying. It's an annual but I've found sowing it in autumn or winter and then keeping it in a polytunnel gives it a head start for the following season.

Sow in seed trays, prick out and pot on as necessary. If its too warm, it'll try to flower. Pinch these off so it promotes root growth ans strong plants. When warm weather arrives, you'll get an early crop of beautiful blooms.

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