The festive season marks the oncoming winter season in India. Just as we pass the days of Navratri and Dussehra and prepare our house for the festival of lights, Diwali, we find ourselves in the midst of chilly evenings and wonder whether it is time to bring out the hoodies. Now, if you are into gardening, you would know that there are flowers for every season, even for winter. In fact, some of the prettiest flowers blossom in the cold, that's why winter season flower plants are special. Even if you are a beginner in gardening, you should know that though it may not seem like it, winter is a very good season to grow flowers from little flower seeds.
Winter is one of the main seasons in India and it hits different parts of India differently. You would mostly find the climate of the southern states is moderate, like that in the central states, whereas, the Himalayan and northern states, obviously experience colder climates. As aforementioned, even in the cold, flowers do blossom. If you want your garden to be beautiful with the winter flowers all year round, keep reading to find out all about the seeds of flowering plants you can plant this season. Add beauty to your home garden with the amazing hybrid flower seeds that will change the look of the garden completely.
Flower seeds that you can plant this year in your garden for the winter season
1. Petunia:
One of the most popular annual flowering plants that grow beautifully in the winter season is petunia. They grow quickly and are known for pretty blossoms of various colours like purple, red, white, pink and yellow. Petunia plants grow between 6 six inches to upto 4 feet and thus, are suitable for hanging baskets and planters as well. You need to take extra care while sowing Petunia seeds because they are very small. Here’s how to sow the seeds and take care of your plants.
- Before sowing the seeds, you need to prepare the potting mix, water and allow it to drain from the pot.
- Then, you should sprinkle the seeds and gently press them down into the soil. You should make sure not to cover the seed with soil as they need ample amount of light to germinate.
- Since petunias grow low, you can use small containers for them.
- They thrive best in light, sandy soil.
2. Cineraria:
Cineraria are flowering plants that are suited to growing in hot or arid climates. If you are planning to grow Cinerarias in your garden, you must ensure that you get partial or full shade. You should also ensure that the soil that you are sowing Cineraria seeds in, is slightly acidic, rich and well drained and has a high compost content. You should water your plants regularly but they won't thrive if you over-water them. The best part about these plants is that they reseed themselves whether they are in your garden or in containers.
3. Dahlia:
This flowering plant is known for its warm, colourful and beautiful flowers. The best time to sow the seeds of Dahlia is mid September to mid October. Here are some care instructions that you would need if you plan to grow these plants.
- Dahlias need to be watered regularly. It would be best if you water them at the crack of dawn and dusk.
- As fall approaches at the end of September, you will need some fuel to stimulate the Dahlia tubers to store water for the winter. The best fertilizer for Dahlia is horse manure.
- To ensure healthy growth of your plant, you must remove the dead parts of the plants and flowers regularly.
4. Marigold:
Marigolds are one of the easiest flowering plants to grow. So if you are a beginner in gardening, this plant is just the one for you. Marigolds are annual flowering plants that come in a variety of colours such as gold, white, yellow, copper, orange , yellow and mixed colours too. You can choose your favorite colour and size of the plant that would fit best in your container or garden. Here’s how to sow marigold seeds.
- First, get a few marigold seedlings for your container or garden and then plant them in the container or your garden with a trowel.
- You should then add some potting soil around the planted saplings. If you are using containers, you can plant the saplings much closer to each other. For smaller varieties of the plant, you should allow 3 inches between the plants and for giant marigolds, allow a space of 5 inches.
- Plant your marigolds at a place where they get at least six to eight hours of sunlight daily.
- You could use any kind of well-drained soil. These plants only require occasional watering.
5. Calendula or pot marigold:
Yet another easy-to-grow flowering plant is Calendula, also known as pot marigold. They are quite prolific and come in a great variety of colours like yellow, orange and lemon colours. They are plants that grow from mid-summer to winter. They look great as indoor plants. Here are the care instructions for this plant.
- You need to sow the calendula seeds early in the winter season. These plants germinate real quickly and grow at a good pace too.
- They are low-maintenance plants and though they thrive well in rich, well-drained soil, they can also live well in average or poor quality soil.
- For healthier and long-lasting plants, you must add a good amount of compost. Watering your plants during dry periods is necessary, that is, a couple of times in a week.
On the website of Urja Seeds, you will find good quality seeds not only of the flowering plants listed above but of flowering plants that grow in the other seasons as well. Moreover, you will also find fine quality microgreens to have at your home, all at the most affordable prices. One of the best parts is that you would also get a lot of variety in vegetable seeds, exotic seeds , microgreen seeds and many more.
FAQs
Q1. When to sow the flowering plants seeds in winter?
Ans. The ideal time for sowing seeds of winter flowering plants is October to November.
Q2. How long does it take for the flowers to seed?
Ans. It would take at least 2 weeks for your seeds to germinate and for the plant to flower. It might take longer for some plants though, as they may go into hibernation in December and January. In optimal temperatures, they start growing again.