If you’re new to gardening and on a budget or just want to add a ‘pop’ of colour to an area of your garden, here are my five top tips for flower seeds to sow in the next couple of weeks. These seeds are hardy annuals and can be sown outside directly in the ground or in pots to plant out later once the have established and the weeding has been done!

I‘ve picked this bunch from those available at Lidl as I wanted anyone with access to Midsomer Norton High Street to be able to join in. You will find equivalents in many shops that sell garden things, though.

First up are sunflowers. These are a garden favourite of many childhoods but this pack from Lidl is special in that it is a branching variety which means that you will get many flowers not just one! This makes it great for cutting.

Next we have cornflowers. Although we tend to think of cornflowers as being blue, this is a multicoloured mix that’s great for picking, too.

Sea lavender or statice is great for attracting pollinators and makes a superb dried flower which will keep you up-to-date with the latest floral trends.

Pot marigold or calendula will liven up your borders with bright yellow and orange blooms. It is easy to grow plus the seed is fun to save for next year. The flowers are edible and can be dried to add to forage for rabbits and guinea pigs.

Finally, Californian poppy is the prima donna of this bunch. Sow them straight in the ground where you want them to flower and don’t cover the seed with soil. Remember to mark where you have put them, though, or you might pick them up thinking that they’re weeds!

@midsomerdiariesgarden