National Wildflower Centre
Part of the Eden Project, the National Wildflower Centre brings biodiversity and delight into lives across the UK.
We are closed Mon 18 – Thu 21 Nov while we sprinkle Christmas magic across Eden. See our fun-filled festive programme here.
Introduce biodiversity and beauty into your school by planting wildflowers, providing food for a wide range of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.
Follow our easy how-to guide developed by the National Wildflower Centre.
Sow in a sunny spot that doesn’t already have wildflowers growing there. Prepare the ground by digging and raking until the soil is fine and crumbly, then sow the seeds on the surface. Gently rake over the seed, then press them down with the back of the rake. Water in dry weather.
Sow your seeds in spring or autumn. Spring is from March to May, but the weather varies depending where you are. Avoid sowing when there is still the chance of a frost. If you want to see flowers before the summer holidays, move swiftly! The most important thing is that they are watered if you’re sowing in late spring.
However, the best time to sow is in autumn – late September/October, when wildflower seeds would naturally drop. We don’t advise sowing wildflower seeds in June or July, as it is too hot. It’s better to wait until autumn. That way they will be in tune with their natural cycle and nature will water them for you.
If sowing in spring, it will take about 60 to 80 days for your annuals to flower after sowing, depending on when you sowed them. If sowing in Autumn they won’t flower until the following Summer.