Overplanting these seeds is recommended because little critters are known for digging them up. You can thin your seedlings once they pop up. Local gardener Amy Taylor favors the unique sunflower varieties Autumn Beauty and Teddy Bear, and she gets the seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (2278 Baker Creek Rd., Mansfield). “The Teddy Bears are just fun and add something unique to the garden with their texture, and the bright yellow is always such a pretty pop,” says Taylor. She also likes to plant their straw flower seeds so she can dry the blooms, which are just as beautiful dry as they are fresh.
Zinnias are a cut flower garden must-have, for several reasons. They attract lots of pollinators, are easy to grow and require little maintenance. Not to mention their long-lasting blooms that make for stunning indoor bouquets. Katie Hoesch, a local teacher who spends lots of time planting her cut flower gardens every spring, loves purchasing seeds from Floret Flowers, a small family flower farm located in Washington’s beautiful Skagit Valley. She says the best seeds she’s ever grown came from this company. “They are super cool, very small business and they even have books that they produce with pictures of their flowers,” she says. Floret is always working on breeding new cut flower varieties (called Floret Originals), and their Instagram (@floretflower) is full of gorgeous shots of their flowers and the farm.
Whether you are a seasoned gardener or a beginner, starting flowers from seeds can be a wonderful way to cultivate more beauty in your everyday life and experience the magic of spring. It all starts with dreaming up what you want your garden to be, purchasing good seeds and sowing them with love.
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