Seeds to Sow: Early April

We’re now in the heart of seed-sowing season. It’s time to start seeds of many vegetables, annuals, and perennials. And sowing seeds is not rocket science: a bit of potting soil, a few clean pots, a tray, a sunny window or fluorescent light fixture, and some seed packs: that’s all you need. But you do have to sow plants at the right time of the year. Early April is too early for some seeds and and a bit late for others… but it’s just the right time to sow the following:

Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea, A. archangelica and others)
Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
Avens (Geum spp.)
Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata, G. repens, etc.)
Bedding Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)
Bergenia (Bergenia spp.)
Blue Fescue (Festuca ovina glauca)
Blue Poppy (Meconopsis betonicifolia and others)
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Border Pink (Dianthus plumarius and its hybrids)
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica)
Browallia (Browallia speciosa)
Brussels Sprouts (Brassica oleracea gemmifera)
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias spp.)
Campion or Catchfly (Silene spp.)
Caucasian Scabious (Scabiosa caucasica)
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea botrytis)
Celery (Apium graveolens)
Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile, syn. Anthemis nobile)
China Pink (Dianthus chinensis)
Chinese Lantern (Physalis alkekengi)
Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides)
Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum spp., anc. Veronica spp.)
Dahlia (tall and medium varieties) (Dahlia x)
Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
Dichondra (Dichondra repens)
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum)
Eggplant or Aubergine (Solanum melongena)
Evening Primrose or Suncup (Oenothera spp.)
Fleabane (Erigeron speciosus and others)
French Shallot (Allium cepa aggregatum)
Garden Mum or Hardy Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x morifolium, syn. C. x grandiflorum)
Giant Hyssop (Agastache ruprestris)
Golden Marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria)
Ground Cherry (Physalis pubescens)
Heuchera (Heuchera spp.)
Hyssop (Hysopus officinalis)
Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina, syn. S. lanata)
Lewisia (Lewisia cotyledon and others)
Lobelia or Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis, L. siphilitica and others)
Lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata and others)
Meadow Sage (Salvia pratensis)
Meadowsweet or Queen-of-the-prairie (Filipendula ulmaria and others)
Mexican Hat Plant (Ratibida columnifera, R. pinnata and others)
Mimulus (Mimulus x hybridus)
Mint (Mentha spp.)
Monarda or Beebalm (Monarda didyma and others)
Nepeta or Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii and others)
Nolana (Nolana paradoxa, N. humifusa)
Okra or gumbo (Abelmoschus esculentus)
Onion (Allium cepa)
Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientalis)
Ornamental Millet (Pennisetum glaucum)
Ox Eye(Buphthalmum salicifolium)
Painted Daisy (Tanacetum coccineum, syn. Pyrethrum coccineum et Chrysanthemum coccineum)
Painted Tongue (Salpiglossis sinuata)
Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana)
Penstemon (Penstemon barbatus, P. digitalis and others)
Phlomis (Phlomis tuberosa)
Phlox (Phlox paniculata and others)
Physostégie ou fleur charnière (Physostegia virginiana)
Potentille vivace (Potentilla spp.)
Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbum, R. x hybridum and others)
Rockgarden Pink (Dianthus deltoïdes, D. gratianopolitanus and others)
Sauge (Salvia officinalis)
Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima and others)
Sedum or Live-Forever (Sedum spp.)
Self Heal (Prunella grandiflora and others)
Sneezeweed (Helenium spp.)
Spanish Poppy (Papaver rupifragum)
Spiderwort (Tradescantia x andersoniana, T. ohioensis)
Spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites, E. polychroma, etc.)
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
Tall Verbena (Verbena bonariensis)
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
Texas Hummingbird Mint (Agastache cana and others)
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris and others)
Toadflax (Linaria reticulata, L. maroccana, etc.)
Veronica (Veronica spp.)
Viola or Johnny Jump Up (Viola x hybrida, V. cornuta, V. tricolor and others)
Violet (Viola spp.)
Wishbone Flower (Torenia fournieri and others)
Yarrow (Achillea spp.)
Yellow Impatiens (Impatiens auricoma)