Sowing calendar: flowers, herbs and fruit
The vegetable calendar is in When to sow what. Below are the other three: flowers, herbs and fruit. All timings are for a temperate climate — the Netherlands, the UK and Northern Europe — and come from our own seed packets. Somewhere milder or colder, shift everything by a week or two around your own last-frost date.
Flowers
Flower | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|
Sunflower | Apr | May–Jun | Jul–Oct |
Sweet pea | Feb–Apr | May | Jun–Oct |
Cosmos | Mar–Apr | May | Jul–Oct |
Zinnia | — | Apr–Jun | Jul–Oct |
Nasturtium | — | Mar–May | Jul–Oct |
Snapdragon | Mar–Apr | May | Jul–Sep |
Larkspur | — | Mar–May | Jun–Sep |
Dahlia | Mar–Apr | May | Jun–Aug |
Calendula (sow Mar–May, bloom Jun–Oct) and cornflower (sow Mar–May, bloom Jun–Sep) are not in the table but belong in the same group: both direct-sown, both long-flowering.
Herbs
Herb | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
Basil | Mar–Apr | May–Jun | Jul–Sep |
Parsley | — | Mar–May | Jun–Nov |
Chives | Mar | Apr–May | Jun–Oct |
Rosemary | Mar–Apr | May | Jun–Sep |
Lovage | Mar | Apr–May | Jun–Sep |
Peppermint | Mar | Apr–May | Jun–Sep |
Tarragon | Mar–Apr | May–Jun | Sep–Nov |
Lemon grass | Apr–May | Jun–Jul | Aug–Oct |
Fruit
Almost all fruit grown from seed is tender: you start it indoors and plant out only once frost has passed.
Fruit | Start indoors | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
Strawberry | Feb–Apr | Jun–Sep |
Alpine strawberry | Feb–Apr | Jun–Oct |
Melon | Mar–Apr | Aug–Oct |
Watermelon | Mar–Apr | Aug–Sep |
Cape gooseberry | Feb–Apr | Aug–Oct |
Tomatillo | Mar–Apr | Aug–Oct |
Horned melon | Mar–May | Sep–Oct |
Rhubarb | Feb–Mar | Apr–Jun, from year two |
Through the year
Spring (Mar–May) is the big sowing window. Hardy annuals such as nasturtium, larkspur and cornflower can go straight into the ground as the soil warms. Tender types such as zinnia, cosmos and sunflower are started indoors. For herbs: basil indoors, parsley and chives direct. For fruit: everything indoors, in warmth.
Summer (Jun–Aug) is for keeping it going. Fast annual flowers for late colour, and biennials such as foxglove and sweet william for next year. Herbs such as coriander and dill every few weeks. Fruit moves outdoors now, into the sunniest spot you have.
Autumn (Sep–Nov) is the last round and the harvest. Sowing hardy annuals and sweet peas now gives sturdier, earlier plants next spring. Dry or freeze herbs, and bring tender perennials under cover. Melons, tomatillos and cape gooseberries ripen.
Winter (Dec–Feb) is for planning. A bright windowsill still works: keep cutting basil, chives and watercress, and start slow flowers such as lisianthus and pelargonium early.
The full calendars
Each calendar is set out in full on the website, with a free printable PDF:
The packet is always the authority for the variety in your hand.
Ready to sow? What you can sow now
- Vegetables you can sow this month
- Flowers you can sow this month
- Herbs you can sow this month
- Vegetables to sow directly outdoors
- Fast-growing vegetables — quick results, ideal for beginners
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Updated on: 05/10/2026
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