What Flowers to Plant in February UK

February is when the garden starts to wake up. The days get longer, the soil slowly begins to warm, and the planting window starts to crack open. It’s still too early for most direct sowing outdoors, but it’s a perfect time to kickstart flowers indoors or under cover.

Is it better to start Hardy flowers indoors

Sweet peas, antirrhinums (snapdragons), and calendula are strong choices to sow indoors this month. These can be started in seed trays or modules using a light, well-draining compost. Sweet peas benefit from soaking overnight before planting, and they’ll appreciate being pinched out when a few inches tall to encourage bushy growth.

Best Flowers for cold frames and greenhouses

If you’ve got a cold frame, greenhouse or polytunnel, you can sow hardy annuals like cornflowers, nigella, and larkspur. These don’t need heat to germinate, just protection from frost. You’ll be giving them a head start that translates to earlier and stronger blooms when spring fully arrives.

Bulbs

It’s a good month to pot up summer-flowering bulbs indoors—like begonias and lilies. These aren’t planted outside until April or May, but starting them now indoors gives them time to grow roots and foliage before being hardened off later

Is sowing later in the month better

If the weather is mild and the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged, you can risk sowing hardy seeds like poppies or honesty outdoors towards the end of February. Sow thinly and cover lightly. If unsure, wait until March or use cloches to warm the soil first.
A heated propagator expands your options. You can start flowers like dahlias from seed or even more tender varieties like impatiens. Keep them indoors with steady warmth and good light to avoid leggy growth. It’s a great tool for anyone looking to get serious about early colour.

Perennials to start from seed

February is also ideal for sowing perennial flowers such as echinacea, aquilegia, and delphiniums. They’ll take longer to establish but reward you with long-term garden colour. These are best started indoors and transplanted later in spring when they’re stronger.

Cut flowers

If you’re planning a cutting garden, this is the month to start planning layouts and sowing hardy varieties indoors. Cosmos, sweet peas, and cornflowers are all good early picks. Early planting helps them develop strong stems and good bloom cycles come summer.

The weather is unpredictable

February in the UK is a transitional month. One week might be mild and damp, the next frosty. This affects what can safely go in the ground. It’s smart to recommend monitoring soil temperatures — ideally above 7°C for germination — or using a soil thermometer if people want to be precise.

Chitting tubers like dahlias

While you can’t plant dahlias outside yet, February is a great time to start chitting them indoors. That means placing them in trays somewhere cool and bright so they begin to sprout — a head start before planting in spring.

Starting biennials for next year

Though most think of biennials as something you sow in summer, some keen gardeners start certain types now under cover. Foxgloves and wallflowers can be started this early indoors, especially if planning for big borders or wild-style planting.

Day length increases

The noticeable jump in daylight by the end of February helps young plants. This is a subtle but important factor — you’ll get sturdier, healthier growth compared to starting seeds too early in December or January, when light is too weak for strong stems.

Compost quality really matters

Because you’re starting many seeds indoors, using a seed-starting mix or fine, low-nutrient compost is crucial. General compost can hold too much moisture and cause damping off (a fungal rot that kills seedlings fast).

Good time for sowing meadow-style mixes

If your audience is into pollinator-friendly planting or wildflower meadows, some wildflower seed mixes can be scattered this month — especially if there’s a mild spell. Many native species benefit from cold stratification (they need a chill to germinate), so February’s perfect.

Fungus gnats and ventilation

When sowing indoors in February, people often overwater or don’t have enough airflow. This encourages fungus gnats and mould. Tips like bottom-watering, using a fan, or keeping lids vented help avoid that.

Flowers to Plant in February in the UK:

Hardy Annuals (sow indoors or under cover):

• Cornflowers

• Nigella (Love-in-a-Mist)

• Larkspur

• Clarkia

• Calendula

Half-Hardy Annuals (sow indoors with warmth):

• Antirrhinums (Snapdragons)

• Sweet peas

• Marigolds

• Petunias

• Geraniums (Pelargoniums)

Perennials (start from seed indoors):

• Echinacea

• Lupins

• Delphiniums

• Coreopsis

• Achillea

Summer-Flowering Bulbs and Tubers (start indoors):

• Dahlias (chitting or potting up)

• Begonias

• Lilies

• Gladioli

Wildflowers (can be scattered outdoors in mild areas):

• Poppies

• Oxeye daisy

• Yarrow

• Corn marigold

Early Bloomers and Winter Interest Plants (already flowering or emerging):

• Snowdrops

• Hellebores

• Cyclamen

• Winter aconites

Final thoughts

February planting is all about preparation and patience. You’re not planting for immediate blooms—you’re setting the foundation for a strong, colourful season ahead. With the right conditions indoors or under cover, you’ll be well ahead of the curve when spring finally hits full swing.