This section has a photograph and description of 100 popular garden plants you can easily grow from seed. It includes the English common name and the botanical classification of each plant, together with the photograph and description of the seed, seedpod and seedling, and germination information from other parts of The Seed Site. Click on the name to go to the page with details of the plant.

Because many of these flowers are grown by ordinary gardeners who aren't interested in the botanical name, they are listed in alphabetical order of their common name, so people unfamiliar with the Latin name but familiar with the flowers can find them easily. Some of them have more than one common name, so they appear more than once.

They are listed on the basis of how they are usually grown in the UK. Some plants listed as annuals may therefore be perennials which are not able to survive the winter here, and some may be biennials. Plants listed as perennials are those usually considered perennial in the UK. There's more about that on this page.

50 Favourite Annuals

50 Favourite Perennials

African Daisy ~ Dimorphotheca sinuata Alyssum ~ Lobularia maritima Annual Chrysanthemum ~ Chrysanthemum carinatum Annual Mallow ~ Malope trifida Annual Phlox ~ Phlox drummondii Baby Blue Eyes ~ Nemophila menziesii Baby's Breath ~ Gypsophila elegans Bachelor's Buttons ~ Centaurea cyanus Bells of Ireland ~ Molucella laevis Bird's Eyes ~ Gilia tricolor Busy Lizzie ~ Impatiens Californian Poppy ~ Eschscholzia california Candytuft ~ Iberis umbellata Chinese Forget-me-Not ~ Cynoglossum amabile Corn Cockle ~ Agrostemma githago Cornflower ~ Centaurea cyanus Cosmos ~ Cosmos Doll's Eyes ~ Gilia tricolor English Marigold ~ Calendula officinalis Field Poppy ~ Papaver rhoeas Flanders Poppy ~ Papaver rhoeas Floss Flower ~ Ageratum houstonianum Flowering Tobacco ~ Nicotiana alata Foam Flower ~ Limnanthes douglasii Forget-me-Not ~ Myosotis sylvatica Foxglove ~ Digitalis purpurea Godetia ~ Clarkia bottae Heliophila ~ Heliophila coronopifolia Honeywort ~ Cerinthe major purpurascens Ice Plant ~ Dorotheanthus bellidiformis Lobelia ~ Lobelia erinus Love-in-a-Mist ~ Nigella damascena Marigold, English ~ Calendula officinalis Mesembryanthemum ~ Dorotheanthus bellidifolius Monkey Flower ~ Mimulus Musk Flower ~ Mimulus Nemesia ~ Nemesia strumosa Nolana ~ Nolana paradoxa Osteospermum ~ Osteospermum hybrid Palm Springs Daisy ~ Cladanthus arabicus Pansy ~ Viola x wittrockiana Petunia ~ Petunia Phlox, Annual ~ Phlox drummondii Poached Egg Plant ~ Limnanthes douglasii Poppy, Field ~ Papaver rhoeas Poppy, Flanders ~ Papaver rhoeas Pot Marigold ~ Calendula officinalis Prickly Poppy ~ Argemone grandiflora Purple Tansy ~ Phacelia tanacetifolia Queen Anne's Thimbles ~ Gilia capitata Scarlet Flax ~ Linum grandiflorum v. rubrum Shoo Fly Plant ~ Nicandra physalodes Snapdragon ~ Antirrhinum majus South African Foxglove ~ Ceratotheca triloba Spider Flower ~ Cleome hassleriana Stock, Virginian ~ Malcolmia maritima Sunflower ~ Helianthus annuus Swan River Daisy ~ Brachycome iberidifolia Sweet Alyssum ~ Lobularia maritima Sweet William ~ Dianthus barbatus Sweet William Catchfly ~ Silene armeria Toadflax ~ Linaria maroccana Tobacco Plant ~ Nicotiana alata Virginian Stock ~ Malcolmia maritima White Prickly Poppy ~ Argemone grandiflora

African Lily ~ Agapanthus Alpine Sea Holly ~ Eryngium alpinum Anise Hyssop ~ Agastache foeniculum Aubrieta ~ Aubrieta Balloon Flower ~ Platycodon grandiflora Beard Tongue ~ Penstemon serrulatus Bellflower ~ Campanula alliarifolia Bellflower, Greater ~ Campanula latifolia Bloody Cranesbill ~ Geranium sanguineum Cardinal Flower ~ Lobelia cardinalis Chives ~ Allium schoenoprasum Columbine ~ Aquilegia vulgaris Common Mallow ~ Malva sylvestris Coneflower ~ Echinacea purpurea Cranesbill ~ Geranium macrorrhizum Creeping Baby's Breath ~ Gypsophila repens Dame's Violet ~ Hesperis matronalis Damask Flower ~ Hesperis matronalis Day Flower ~ Commelina coelestis Dwarf Snapdragon ~ Chaenorhinum glareosum Flowering Onion ~ Allium 'Purple Sensation' Globe Flower ~ Trollius hondoensis Globe Thistle ~ Echinops ritro Goat's Beard ~ Aruncus dioicus Gold Dust ~ Alyssum saxatile Great Masterwort ~ Astrantia major Granny's Bonnets ~ Aquilegia vulgaris Greater Bellflower ~ Campanula latifolia Hellebore ~ Helleborus orientalis Hollyhock ~ Alcea rosea Ivory Bells ~ Campanula alliarifolia Jacob's Ladder ~ Polemonium caeruleum Lady's Mantle ~ Alchemilla mollis Lavender ~ Lavandula angustifolia Lenten Rose ~ Helleborus orientalis Lily of the Nile ~ Agapanthus Lupin ~ Lupinus Mallow, Common ~ Malva sylvestris Mallow, Musk ~ Malva moschata Martagon Lily ~ Lilium martagon Meadow Cranesbill ~ Geranium pratense Meadow Rue ~ Thalictrum flavum Milfoil ~ Achillea millefolium Mullein ~ Verbascum phoeniceum Musk Mallow ~ Malva moschata Oriental Poppy ~ Papaver orientale Pineapple Lily ~ Eucomis bicolor Pink ~ Dianthus Pink, Sea ~ Armeria maritima Poppy, Oriental ~ Papaver orientale Primrose ~ Primula vulgaris Purple Coneflower ~ Echinacea purpurea Red Hot Poker ~ Kniphofia Sea Pink ~ Armeria maritima Senecio ~ Senecio polyodon Shasta Daisy ~ Leucanthemum x superbum Soapwort ~ Saponaria ocymoides Stork's Bill ~ Erodium manascavii Sweet Rocket ~ Hesperis matronalis Thrift ~ Armeria maritima Tumbling Ted ~ Saponaria ocymoides Turk's Cap Lily ~ Lilium martagon Turtlehead ~ Chelone obliqua Yarrow ~ Achillea millefolium Yellow Chamomile ~ Anthemis tinctoria

Other entries which might be useful:

Perennial or Annual? - some popular plants with their common and Latin names
Common Names Index - the common names of plants mentioned in these pages, with their Latin name
Latin Names - the meanings of some common Latin botanical names
Plant Families - an introduction to Plant Families
Plant Classification - information about the botanical classification of flowering plants
The Botany section has explanations of technical terms and links to more information