Blanket Flower is a perennial, biennial or annual plant depending on the variety, prized for its exceptionally long summer flowering. It displays its warm-coloured daisies from summer until the first frosts. It can be used to edge a cottage garden border, in all corners of unpretentious gardens to create vibrant compositions requiring minimal care.

This pretty, low-maintenance plant is easy to grow in full sun and sows readily in light, well-drained, even stony or chalky soils.

To guide you step by step through this process, discover in our tutorial how to sow annual or perennial blanket flower seeds, under cover or directly in the garden soil.

sowing blanket flower, blanket flower seedlings

When to sow blanket flower seeds?

Blanket flower seeds are sown in spring, though the sowing period varies depending on the technique used.

Sowing blanket flowers under heated cover

Blanket flower seeds are sown from March to May under heated cover or in a heated mini greenhouse. They need a temperature of 20°C to germinate. This type of early spring sowing produces earlier blooms. Transplant the strongest seedlings to the garden once all risk of frost has passed.

Direct sowing in open ground

Blanket flowers can also be sown directly in place when heavy frosts are no longer a concern, typically after the Ice Saints, meaning after mid-May. From May to June, you can safely sow your seeds directly in the garden soil.

sowing blanket flower, blanket flower seedlings

What equipment to use?

Depending on the chosen method, prepare the following equipment:

When and how to harvest blanket flower seeds?

You can use our blanket flower seeds or seeds you've harvested from your garden. These are collected when the flower heads have faded. Cut them and let them dry. When completely dry, carefully gather the seeds by shaking the flower heads over a clean cloth. Store them until sowing in an airtight container or paper envelope, away from light and heat. Sow harvested seeds in spring.

How to sow blanket flowers?

To create colourful, cheerful compositions, you can mix different varieties of blanket flowers together.

Sowing in trays

  • Prepare your trays by filling them with seed compost or multipurpose compost
  • Sow the seeds by scattering them
  • Barely cover them (1/2 cm) with a layer of finely sieved compost
  • Lightly firm down
  • Keep the substrate just moist until germination
  • Cover (with a transparent lid, plastic bag, pane of glass...) to retain moisture and warmth and encourage germination, which typically takes 18 days
  • Keep these sowings in light as the seeds need brightness to germinate, but not direct sunlight, at a minimum temperature of 20°C
  • Ventilate regularly

Transplanting

When they're sturdy enough to handle and well-rooted, transplant the seedlings using a trowel directly into the garden from May onwards. Space young plants at least 30 cm apart. You can also do an intermediate transplant into biodegradable pots filled with compost if you can't yet plant outside because temperatures don't permit.

If you wish to grow your blanket flowers in pots or containers: transplant into a well-draining mix of flowering plant compost and coarse sand.

Direct sowing in stations

Choose a warm, sunny spot for your blanket flowers. Direct sowing is done in stations and requires prior ground preparation. The soil should be well worked, light and warmed.

  • Loosen the soil without turning it over using a broadfork
  • Remove large stones, roots and weeds
  • Make small holes 2-3 cm deep with a hoe, spaced about 30 cm apart
  • Sow 2 or 3 blanket flower seeds per station
  • Fill each hole back in with soil
  • Water with a fine spray to avoid displacing the seeds, then regularly to keep the soil moist until germination
  • Seedlings develop in 10 to 20 days on average
  • When they reach the 4-leaf stage, thin out the young plants to keep only the strongest per station
  • Ensure the soil remains moist but not waterlogged during the first weeks after sowing

To go further