Flower Planting Guide

Does viewing this table on a small screen make you want to cry? We have wracked our brains and have not yet come up with a satisfactory way to display all of this tabular data on mobile devices. Perhaps you can use a device with a larger screen, or can download and print a copy of the table:

Click here to download this information as a PDF.
Click here to view our herb chart.
Click here to view our vegetable chart.

Seeding Notes

Scarify
Scuff up the seed with sandpaper or an emery board before planting.
Stratify
Seed needs alternating temps to germinate. Plant in moist soil and refrigerate for 3-4 weeks. For many wildflowers, you can skip stratification if you sow seed in the fall.
Chill
Put your seed packet in the fridge for a few weeks before planting seeds.
Surface sow
Seeds need light to germinate. Don’t cover them with soil. You can gently pat the seeds down. If seeds are small, water very carefully so they don’t float away.
Name mature height annual / perennial in Maine likely to self-sow native to North America shade tolerance containers / windowboxes drying / everlasting cutting other special traits direct sow (DS) and/or transplant (TP) ideal germ temp seeding notes
Achillea (Yarrow) 18-24" perennial -1 DS spring / TP 60-65° surface sow
Ageratum 2' annual -1 -1 TP 70-85° surface sow
Alyssum 2-4" annual part -1 fragrant DS spring / TP 55-70° surface sow
Amaranth 3-6' annual -1 -1 -1 edible DS after frost / TP 70-75° surface sow
Aster, New York 3-4' perennial -1 late TP 65-70° chill 2wks
Aster, China 12-30" annual part -1 DS after frost / TP 65-75°
Bachelor’s Button 2-3' annual -1 part -1 DS spring / TP 60-65°
Balloon Flower 30-42" perennial part -1 TP 65-70° surface sow
Basketflower, American 3-4' annual -1 part -1 fragrant DS after frost 60-70°
Bee Balm 24-30" perennial -1 -1 part -1 -1 DS after frost / TP 60-70° surface sow
Begonia 8-12" annual full shade -1 TP 70-85° surface sow in March
Bells of Ireland 30" annual -1 part -1 -1 DS spring / TP 50-65° chill 2wks, surface sow
Broom Corn / Sorghum 7-9' annual -1 DS after frost 70-85°
Bupleurum 2' annual part -1 -1 TP 60-65°
Butterfly Weed 18-30" perennial -1 -1 DS spring or fall 70-85° chill 4wks
Calendula 18-24" annual -1 -1 -1 edible DS spring / TP 60-65°
Campanula 6-8" perennial part -1 DS after frost / TP 65-70°
Canary Creeper 8' annual part vine DS after frost / TP 60-65°
Catmint, Persian 12" perennial -1 DS spring / TP 60-65°
Celosia 12-30" annual -1 -1 -1 TP 70-85°
Cerinthe 12-18" annual -1 DS after frost / TP 70-85°
Chinese Forget-Me-Not 16-18" annual -1 DS spring / TP 65-70°
Chinese Lantern 2' perennial part -1 -1 DS spring / TP 70-85° surface sow
Cleome 4' annual -1 DS after frost / TP 70-85° chill, surface sow
Coleus 10-12" annual full shade -1 TP 65-70° surface sow
Columbine 24-30" perennial -1 part -1 early DS spring / TP 70-85° ch 3-4wks, surface sow
Coneflower, Prairie 1-3' perennial -1 TP 70-85° chill 1wk
Coreopsis 18" perennial -1 TP 60-70° surface sow
Cosmos 2-5' annual -1 -1 DS after frost / TP 70-75° surface sow
Daisy 2-3' perennial -1 TP 70-85°
Delphinium 6' perennial part -1 TP 65-75° chill 2-4wks
Dianthus (Carnation) 14-20" annual -1 fragrant TP 65-70°
Drumstick Flower 18" annual -1 -1 TP 65-70°
Dyer’s Coreopsis 2-4' annual -1 -1 -1 dye DS after frost / TP 60-65° surface sow
Eucalyptus 2-3' annual -1 -1 TP 65-70° slow germ; sow in March
Flax, Blue 9-12" perennial DS spring / TP 60-65°
Forget-Me-Not 6-12" perennial -1 part -1 DS spring 65-70°
Four O’Clock 2-3' annual fragrant DS after frost / TP 70-85°
Gaillardia, perennial 2-3' perennial -1 -1 DS after frost / TP 70-85° surface sow
Gaillardia, annual 12" annual -1 TP 70-85° surface sow
Gazania 8-10" annual -1 TP 70-85° surface sow
Globe Amaranth 2' annual -1 -1 TP 60-70° chill 4-6wks
Godetia 20-30" annual -1 TP 60-70°
Helen’s Flower 4-5' perennial -1 -1 TP 65-70°
Hibiscus 2-3' perennial TP 70-85°
Hollyhock 4-8' biennial -1 DS fall / TP spring 65-85° stratify
Honesty (Silver Dollar) 3' biennial -1 -1 DS spring / TP 65-70°
Indigo 1-2' annual dye TP 70-85°
Jewels of Opar 32-40" annual -1 -1 edible TP 70-85° surface sow
Job’s Tears 2-3' annual -1 -1 beads! TP 60-65°
Joe Pye Weed 5-9' perennial -1 -1 part -1 DS spring or fall 65-70° surface sow, stratify
Johnny-Jump-Up 4-6" perennial -1 part edible DS spring or fall 65-70°
Kiss-Me-over-the-Garden-Gate 6-7' annual part DS spring / TP 70-75° stratify
Laceflower 2-3' annual -1 -1 DS after frost 65-70°
Larkspur 3-4' annual -1 part -1 -1 DS spring / TP 55-65° Chill 1 wk
Lavatera 2' annual -1 DS spring / TP 65-75°
Lobelia, Cardinal Flower 2-4' perennial -1 -1 part DS spring or fall 60-65° surface sow, stratify
Lobelia, Cascade Mix 6-8" annual part -1 TP 65-70° surface sow, start early
Love-in-a-Mist 18" annual -1 -1 -1 -1 DS spring / TP 60-65°
Lupine 3' perennial -1 -1 DS spring / TP 60-70° soak seed, peat pots
Madder 3-4' perennial dye DS after frost / TP 70-80°
Maltese Cross 3' perennial -1 TP 65-70°
Marigold 8-30" annual -1 -1 DS after frost / TP 75-80°
Mignonette 10" annual -1 fragrant DS after frost 65-70° surface sow
Milkweed, Common 3-5' perennial -1 -1 fragrant DS spring/fall / TP 65-70° stratify
Millet, Purple Majesty 3-5' annual part -1 TP 70-85°
Morning Glory 8-15' annual -1 vine DS after frost / TP 70-85° scarify, stratify
Morning Glory, Bush 18" annual -1 DS after frost / TP 70-85°
Nasturtium 12-16" annual -1 -1 edible DS after frost / TP 65-70°
Nicotiana, Only Lonely 4-6' annual fragrant DS spring / TP 65-70° surface sow
Nicotiana, Lime Light 3' annual -1 part -1 TP 70-85° surface sow
Pansy 4-6" annual part -1 -1 TP 60-65°
Petunia 6-15" annual -1 TP 70-75° surface sow
Phacelia 18-30" annual -1 DS spring 60-65° chill and soak
Phlox, annual 6-8" annual -1 -1 -1 fragrant DS spring / TP 60-65°
Phlox, perennial 3' perennial -1 DS fall / TP 60-65° stratify
Pincushion Flower 30-36" annual -1 -1 TP 65-70° chill 1 wk
Poppy, Oriental 16" perennial DS spring 60-65° surface sow
Poppy, annual 2-4' annual -1 -1 -1 DS spring or fall 60-65°
Poppy, California 8-18" annual DS spring 60-65°
Queen Anne’s Lace 3' annual -1 DS spring 60-65°
Red Hot Poker 32-40" perennial -1 DS after frost / TP 70-75°
Rudbeckia, perennial 2' perennial -1 TP 70-85° surface sow
Rudbeckia, annual 12-30" annual -1 TP 70-85°
Salvia 18-36" annual -1 -1 TP 65-70° surface sow, start early
Snakeroot 2-4' perennial -1 -1 part -1 DS spring or fall 65-70° stratify
Snapdragon 20-36" annual -1 -1 TP 65-75° Chill 2wk, surface sow
Soapwort (Bouncing Bet) 1-3' perennial -1 part fragrant TP 65-70° stratify
Statice 24-30" annual -1 -1 TP 65-85° surface sow
Stock 15-20" annual -1 -1 fragrant DS spring / TP 60-65° surface sow
Strawflower 24-40" annual -1 -1 TP 70-75° surface sow
Sunflower 2-12' annual -1 -1 DS after frost / TP 65-75°
Sweet Annie 3-5' annual -1 part -1 fragrant DS fall / TP 60-65° surface sow, stratify
Sweet Pea, annual 1-6' annual -1 vine DS spring / TP 60-65° soak seed 24 hrs
Sweet Pea, perennial 5-6' perennial -1 vine DS spring 60-65° soak seed 24 hrs
Sweet William 18" biennial -1 -1 fragrant DS spring / TP 65-70°
Thyme, Creeping 2" perennial DS spring / TP 60-65° surface sow, start early
Tithonia 4-6' annual -1 DS after frost / TP 70-85°
Verbena 8", 48" annual part -1 -1 TP 65-70° Chill 3wk, surface sow
Wallflower 9-12" biennial -1 DS spring / TP 60-65°
Winged Everlasting 2' annual -1 -1 TP 65-70°
Zinnia 20-42" annual -1 DS after frost / TP 80-85°