Let's get growing

Your wildflower growing instructions contain everything you need to get your seeds started. Once they're sown, this guide will help you understand what to expect as your patch develops — from the first seedlings appearing to flowers opening and pollinators beginning to visit.

Sowing your flowers

  • Prepare

    Start with your supplied nursery pot and compost, making sure the surface is ready for your seeds and free from weeds.

  • Sow

    Scatter the seeds thinly across the surface and gently press them into the compost. Your supplied growing instructions contain the full sowing guidance.

    View the full growing instructions 

  • Water

    Keep the compost moist while your seeds are germinating. Once your plants are established, water when needed during prolonged dry periods.

  • Position

    Choose a bright position with plenty of light. Your wildflower mix is suited to full sun or partial shade, with at least 4–6 hours of daylight.

From seedlings to flowers

  • Germination & Seedlings

    Once your seeds begin to germinate, you'll see small green shoots appearing through the compost. Different wildflowers can germinate and grow at different rates, so don't worry if your seedlings don't all appear at once or look the same.

  • Growing & Caring

    As your seedlings develop, continue to give them plenty of light and keep an eye on the compost. Once established, they shouldn't need constant watering, but check them during prolonged dry periods and water when needed.

  • Flowers & Visitors

    As your wildflowers begin to bloom, their nectar and pollen can provide food for visiting pollinators. Watch the flowers at different times of day and see whether bees, butterflies, hoverflies or other little visitors begin to appear.

When flowering finishes

As the flowering season comes to an end, your patch may begin to look less colourful — but that doesn't mean it has stopped being useful.

Allow some flower heads to remain and develop naturally rather than removing everything as soon as the blooms fade. As the plants die back, you can collect seed if suitable or leave some seed heads for wildlife before eventually clearing away dead growth.

Your wildflower mix contains different types of flowers, so individual plants may behave differently from one another. When the next growing season arrives, you can sow more seed to refresh your Pollinator Patch.

Something not growing as expected?

Growing from seed doesn't always look the same from one pot to the next. Some seeds may germinate before others, seedlings can develop at different rates and changes in weather, light and moisture can all affect how your flowers grow.

If your seeds haven't appeared, your seedlings are struggling or your plants aren't developing as expected, take a look at our growing troubleshooting guide for some common causes and simple things to check.

Growing Troubleshooting