Martha is a flower expert who knows how to find the best seeds for her garden. In a recent post, she revealed that she purchases seeds through online catalogues and websites, such as Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. This is one of the places where she looks for unusual and hard-to-find options.

Martha orders seeds either in January or February. She stresses that it’s important to order as early as possible in order to avoid missing popular and rare varieties, which are often sold out. Martha seeds her garden to determine what will grow best and what she should plant the next season. Our founder, who is a proponent of spring, shared with us the beautiful flowers she’s currently starting in her greenhouse.

Get Martha’s best tips on compost tea, the secret to healthy fruit trees.

Dianthus

Martha Stewart says that dianthus is a flower “that belongs to the same family as carnations, and they are distinguished by their spicy scent.” Dianthus is often used as an annual or biennial in potted displays or borders. She explains that there are many types of dianthus, with pink, white, or red flowers and notched petals.

Yarrow

The yarrow or Achillea millefolium is a flowering herb in the Asteraceae family. There are over 32,000 species of Yarrow. Martha writes, “It’s a perennial that has fernlike foliage and colorful flowers.” The large flat-topped clusters of flowers are ideal for drying and cutting.

Sweet Pea

Sweet peas, or everlasting pea flowers, are small and have a vibrant colour. In autumn, they can be planted in pots with compost and then overwintered inside. Once spring comes, you can plant them directly into the ground. Martha writes: “The sweetpea is an herbaceous vine that can grow up to ten feet in length and has beautiful, bright flowers.”

Basil

Martha grows basil on her farm. She says, “I love using it for my cooking, and I try to grow as many varieties as possible.” This year, she is growing lettuce leaves and purple balls.

According to gardening experts, 10 vegetables to plant in March to reap a delicious spring harvest

Poppies

Martha’s garden has many poppies that she gets from Baker Creek. She writes, “Poppies look beautiful in the garden, as they are papery and tissue-like.

Snapdragons

Martha plans to plant snapdragons this year in her garden. She notes that snapdragons come in many colours, except for blue. They also go well with other garden flowers. Snapdragons have upper and lower petals that are wavy, like jaws. A single snapdragon stem averages 10 to 15 unique blooms.

Aster

Asters look like daisies and are an excellent source of pollen and nectar for bees. Martha says the seeds are light brown to dark brown and have long, pointed ends. Their larger size makes them easier to handle.