Seeds or Starts? Which Route is Best, and Why?

Like the choice when growing vegetables, deciding to start your flowers from seeds or purchase young plants from the greenhouse depends on your preference. There are some advantages and disadvantages to both choices.
Advantages of Starting Flowers from Seed
  • Seeds are considerably cheaper to purchase than young plants. A pack of 100 or so seeds costs $2-$3, while a four-pack of annuals from the nursery may run the same price. Perennial plants can cost anywhere from a couple of dollars to $30.
  • There are many more seed varieties to choose from, especially if you shop online.
  • Many people find growing plants from seed to bloom immensely satisfying. If you have children in the house, it’s a fantastic learning experience.
  • Some plants do better when directly sown in the ground, typically those with long taproots.
  • You can swap extra seeds with friends or neighbors and increase your plant collection.
Best Flowers to Start from Seed Indoors
  • Marigolds
  • Zinnia
  • Cosmos
  • Nasturtiums
  • Pansies
  • Petunias
  • Snapdragons
  • Alyssum
  • Lobelia
Best Flowers to Direct Sow from Seed Outdoors
  • Columbine
  • Poppy
  • Sweet pea
  • Coneflower
  • Lupine
  • Sunflowers
Disadvantages of Starting Flowers from Seed
  • If you’re starting seeds indoors, you’ll need to spend extra money on supplies like containers, growing medium, and possibly grow lights.
  • Starting your seedlings indoors takes time. Many annual flowers need to be started six to eight weeks before they can be hardened off and moved outside to flower beds.
  • Not all flower seeds can be direct-sown into the garden.
  • Starting seeds indoors takes a great deal of space depending on how many you are starting, especially as the plants grow.
  • Indoor seedlings often require daily care, or at least every other day, to make sure seedlings are watered and thriving.
Advantages of Buying Transplants or Seedlings
  • Young plants provide instant color in your flower beds, giving you immediate satisfaction.
  • You save yourself the time and effort of starting seeds, especially if plants are hard to germinate or you need a lot of them.
  • These plants are usually closer to maturity, so you have more flexibility in planting time.
  • The chance of plants dying is less than starting seeds.
Disadvantages of Buying Transplants or Seedlings
  • Buying young plants is much more expensive than seed packets. This cost adds up if you need to purchase a lot of plants.
  • Buying plants can bring insect or disease problems from the greenhouse or nursery, spreading them to your other flower bed plants.
  • You are limited to varieties you can buy locally.
  • Most plants are hybrids, so you can’t save seeds from them to grow the following season.