Beautiful cottage flowers that reseed themselves. A simple way to get masses of gorgeous flowers on a budget. Start with one and get a hundred more!
Cottage Flowers that Reseed Themselves. Have you seen some PINS on Pinterest that read something like this: “Don’t plant these 20 Flowers!” or “32 plants you should never grow!” then you read the article and they list tons of the plants I share here?
I really have a hard time with misinformation like that. Here is why.
For one, gardening is an ongoing endeavor. And anyone that has gardened for any length of time knows that any easy to seed plant can become a problem if you don’t keep them in check.
How do you keep them from getting to be a problem?
Easy, you dead head as the flowers begin to fade and before seed heads develop. I have an entire article on deadheading you can read here.
The added benefit to deadheading is it encourages the plants to continue blooming. So don’t be afraid to plant any of these (unless for some reason they have been listed as invasive in your area) and enjoy easy to grow flowers year after year. And the best part, it is free.
One thing I have found so very helpful in having a beautiful cottage garden is the discovery of cottage flowers that reseed themselves. There are tons of them, both annuals and perennials, but for today I am going to share just some.
1. Foxgloves
Foxgloves are a cottage garden staple. One flower that makes wonderful vertical accents in your garden borders.
They love dappled sun or part shade. Many are long lived and super long flowering.
Usually considered a bi-ennial some newer varieties will actually bloom for you the first summer if sown early enough.
For more on growing Foxgloves click here!
2. Morning Glory
If you are looking for a great, fast growing climber that will knock your socks off with an abundance of blooms, give Morning Glories a try.
Just make sure you have something for them to climb on to show off their gorgeousness.
Some states have deemed Morning Glories as invasive plant, check before planting in case your state is one.
More on Growing Morning Glories
3. Sweet Williams
Sweet Williams put on a dazzling show in borders, beds and containers. As the name suggests they add a beautiful sweet fragrance to your garden.
Though typically blooming in Spring and early Summer there are new varieties that are day neutral and will bloom all summer long with dead heading.
Pollinators love them!
More on Growing Sweet Williams
4. Sweet Peas
Sweet Peas live up to their name, they have the loveliest scent and keep on blooming all summer long with constant cutting. They make wonderful bouquets to bring indoors and enjoy.
Only the annual sweet peas have scent, the perennial one does not.
5. Hollyhocks
Hollyhocks are described as sturdy and stately old fashioned plants. With an array of colors and types (aka: doubles or singles) you won’t have a hard time finding something that will fit into your scheme.
Hollyhocks bloom over a long summer season. And like other reseeding flowers they cross pollinate so the volunteer seedlings that come up will often be different colors than what you originally planted. That is always a fun surprise in gardening.
6. Daisies
The Shasta Daisy is a classic, they happily spread by seed of their own volition but are not hard to dig up if they sprout where they are not wanted. One packet of seeds can produce plants that look a bit different from each other.
Daisies are great for cutting and summer bouquets which keeps them blooming longer. If you want to clone a particular daisy because of its unique beauty you can always take root divisions.
7. Black Eyed Susies
Black Eyed Susans are one of my favorite flowers in mid summer. They are reliable, tough as nails and so prolific that you can’t go wrong.
Their sunny disposition and drought tolerance make them a dry garden must have.
8. Echinacea aka Coneflower
Echinaceas come in a variety of colors and are another drought tolerant beauty. There are many sterile hybrids available that you can’t grow from seed but there are dozens of others that you can.
They are easy to direct sow in the garden in abundant drifts.
How to Grow Echinacea (aka Purple Coneflower)
9. Bachelors Buttons
Bachelor’s Buttons need little care. Flowers attract butterflies, are superb additions to fresh or dried arrangements. Plants are deer resistant.
In mild summer areas Bachelor’s Buttons will continue to flower until September when old blooms are removed. Sow seeds in fall in mild winter areas, and early spring everywhere.
10. Cosmos
Cosmos are wonderfully easy. They thrive in hot sun, poor soil and drought conditions.
They come in a variety of colors, heights and styles. They also attract pollinators and bloom until first freeze.
More flowers that reseed themselves beautifully:
Columbine
Toadflax (Linaria)
Larkspur
Cleome
Feverfew
What flowers do you grow that reseed and spread for you?
Happy Gardening!
Please PIN & share
Nancy Bailey says
Your list is great and I would add columbine. I have had great luck with all of the above reseeding prolifically. I mixed my foxglove in with columbine and both have filled my garden with their reseeding. If I don’t want a new plant there I just dig it up and replant it in an empty spot. I love to watch the wild canaries sitting on the tops of the cosmos and coneflowers picking out the seeds. Hurry Spring!
Pamela says
Great one! I have beautiful columbine too. I will add it next time. I am trying some others this year that are also supposed to reseed themselves with fervor and I hope they do. Like you I never worry about having too many, I just dig up, give away or relocate as well.
Amen to the Hurry Spring but winter here can last into May so I won’t hold my breath. 🙂
Gail says
Thanks, I am trying to get some flowers in the back of my neighbors yard. She is retired and doesn’t want to spend the money on flowers but I think she would love them. These all sound like great ones to start with. Keep your fingers crossed.
Debbie says
I have Cosmos year round. Tons in my yard now but not quit ready to bloom yet. Old Faithfuls!
Thelma Day says
It’s so nice to see flowers at this time of year. We are in snow here. I bought a new type of nasturtium seeds today at the local grocery store. They are called Day and Night mix. Deep maroon and soft cream color.
Because of our zone, Cosmos does not reseed here. Most of the others you mentioned do.
Thanks for sharing.
Pamela says
Nasturtiums don’t reseed for me either but I love how easy they are to grow from seeds I collected the Fall before and/or buying new varities! Those ones you bought sure sound like a pretty combo.
Mrs Shoes says
I would add Datura, commonly called Angel’s Trumpet. I planted 2 small plants who showed average strong their first year, then it was as though I never saw them. Until 3 years later when Trumpets started volunteering in my front & side gardens all on their own – it’d been so long I’d forgotten about them!
I came to visit you from Bloghetti bloghop – hope you’ll make time to someday stop by my place & let me know you were there.
Pamela says
I have tried Datura, a gorgeous pink one and a yellow one. I could not get them to reseed but it just might be my zone, who knows. They are lovely, I may have to try again. 🙂
Debbie says
How about the many colors and varieties of Zinnias, and marigolds. I have them in the same area as my cosmos. Cosmos was the first flower that my grandaughter planted and she had so much fun deadheading and making sure the seeds went back in the soil. And the following year she found them all over the place where they had blown too. She’s 13 now and I think the cosmos will always be the flower she loves!! Great little learning to love plants flower for a little 3 or 4 year old. We still have alot of those cosmos all over our little 10 acre area that are from those very first plants when she came to live with us.
Pamela says
Unfortunately Zinnias and Marigolds don’t really reseed for me here of their own accord. Not sure why, maybe our winters are too cold. But I do love them and plant the seeds myself straight into the garden each season when it is warm enough. I am so glad they reseed for you. When I lived in the San Joaquin Valley they did reseed for me but the winters were much warmer. I love Cosmos, they are such a great flower and easy too.
Mary Angels says
Where is a good place to buy seeds? I love all the flowers shown especially the blue ones.
thanks, Pan
Pamela says
I have had great success with many seed vendors, I especially like Renee’s Seeds, Botanical Interests, and Swallowtail Garden Seeds but Burpee and Park Seeds are really good too.
mua hoa says
The flowers look so cute, I like the fresh purple flowers. The fragrance of the flowers makes our spirits more comfortable, thanks for your article.
Kathy Webster says
Trumpet Vine is hideously and totally invasive. Datura is another story all together. Many folks call them Moon Flowers!!! I have no issues with Moon Plants or Moon Flowers (Datura), but I would be very, very happy if I could totally eradicate the Trumpet Vine that someone planted long ago in this area! It is hateful and insidious!!!
It tries to kill my rose bush every year. It has roots under my house and it grows everywhere it can travel! The roots travel along the ground and it comes up everywhere!!! I have been trying to kill it for years!!!
Pamela says
I love my trumpet vine but I have it contained in barrels and I prune it hard each Fall before seeds develop. One friend of mine that had issues with it coming across the fence from a neighbors was to cut off the suckers then paint the cut end with gysophylate. Here is an article she referenced: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/trumpet-vine/kill-trumpet-vine.htm
I hope you get it eradicated from you garden. I dislike when plants get out of control! We have a perennial sweet pea here that is a nuisance so I totally get what you are saying.
Nancy Kelley says
How about Forget-me-nots! They fill the nooks and crannies of my garden and are one of the first flowers to come out in the spring. (Northern California) One packet of seeds and you will have Forget-me-nots forever! I also love our California Poppies, foxglove, and daisys.
Pamela says
I love Forget me Nots, I have a ton in my front flower bed and yes they do spread so well by seed. I should add them to this post.
frank peterson says
My Mom has found that her Bleeding hearts reseed themselves SO heavily that she is pulling them out of the lawn where she really does not want them, and she gives plants away every year because she has more than she will ever want or need.
Pamela says
Yes, the downside many face with plants that reseed easily is they will come up in other areas. Deadheading is the only way to keep that from happening.
Linda J Jackson says
Add linaria or toadflax. They are a perennial which reseeds freely. I have pink and purple. they are easy to pull out if they grow where you don’t want them.
Kate Q says
In zone 6 I have Bupleurum, Clary Sage, and Lunaria that self seed all over the place! Bupleurum is a spring annual, terrific cut flower, easily removed where not wanted (ie evey path!) It can also be deliberately Clary Sage and Lunaria are both biennial, and easily controlled the first year. Clary sage is an amazing cut flower, blooms for weeks, as well as lower shoots when cut. The leaves smell like grapefruit when bruised, and the first year plants transplant wonderfully. They also like the pathways. Lunaria self seeds quite well, flowers in a lovely pink early spring second year, about 3′. The oval green seed pods must be left to dry on the plant if you want the Silver Dollar which is between the pods outer coverings. All of these plants do well in part sun, on minimal care. when I control seed these plants I just sprinkle the seeds generously on the soil and let nature do the rest.
Pamela says
Great recommendations, thank you.