Finding it hard to decide on something new to plant or sow in your greenhouse every month? Looking for some inspiration and a guide on the best flowers, fruit and veg for planting in your greenhouse? Well keep reading ,for some great information and our favourite things to plant throughout the whole year.

Brown finished greenhouse surrounded by plants and shrubs

 

Shelving in a Greenhouse

 

Tomato Plant

What to Plant in January

Start off your New Year with a blast by growing some extravagant flowers and plants to get your greenhouse blooming. Here are some fine examples; Lobelia, this interesting flower has some unusual names from around the world such as Indian Tobacco, Pukeweed, Gag-Root. It isn't just pretty to look a but also has great health benefits, a stimulant for the respiratory system, helping lung problems like asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia as well as milder issues such as coughs and colds. Another exciting flower you can start growing is Verbena. This also has some unique names, Eisenkraut, Enchanter's Plant and European Vervain, and when it flowers can again be used for medicinal purposes, treating problems like asthma, whooping cough and angina.

Strawberry Plant

Flowers to Sow in January:

  • Begonia
  • Geranium
  • Dianthus Laurentia
  • Sweet peas
  • Pansies

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in January:

  • Potatoes
  • Strawberries
  • Hardy Salads
  • Oriental greens:
  • Mustard Greens
  • Mibuna
  • Winter varieties of lettuce and land cress

What to Plant in February

Even though this may be the shortest month in the year, there's still lots of plants and veg you can grow inside your greenhouse! Antirrhinum, for example, also known as Snapdragons due to the resemblance to the face of a dragon when the mouth is opened and closed, is loved by children as they get the excitement of squeezing the side of the flower to resemble the dragons face opening, closing and snapping shut. They're also highly regarded for their pastel colours, red, pink, purple, orange as well as distinctive green foliage. Along with many other flowers to sow, Chrysanthemum is also popular, its name comes from the Greek meaning 'golden flower' and there are many different species, with a large variety of shapes, sizes and colours to choose and grow. An interesting fact about the Chrysanthemum is that the Chinese named their royal throne after this flower and the Japanese celebrate the Chrysanthemum as a national event held around September.

Flowers to Sow in February:

  • Begonia Tubers
  • Dahlia Tubers
  • Geraniums

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in February:

  • Asparagus
  • Aubergine
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Calabrese
  • Sweet peppers
  • Tomatoes

What to Plant in March

March was originally the first month in the Roman calendar, so if you're a bit late starting in your greenhouse this year don't worry, it's still the beginning of the year according to Roman calendar. Or if you're in need of a bit of luck this spring, get your shamrocks out as St. Patrick might bring you fortune. One interesting flower you can grow is the Dahlia which is related to the daisy, sunflower and the chrysanthemum. Penzance is the home of the National Collection of Dahlias where 10,000 of them bloom each year in September, a lovely sight for those who live there. Another flower to grow in your greenhouse could be a Coreopsis, these start to bloom in June and usually last until the first frost. Their bright colours will attract bees and butterflies into your garden. 

 

Cauliflower Plant

Flowers to Sow in March:

  • Ageratum
  • Brachyscome
  • Busy Lizzies
  • Petunias
  • Geraniums

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in March:

  • Aubergines
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Basil
  • Cauliflowers
  • Celery

What to Plant in April

This is the time to sow Sunflowers or Helianthus, "helianthus" meaning sun and "anthos" meaning flower in Greek referencing to its resemblance to the sun. Most Sunflowers are yellow but there can be varieties of orange or red, and they can grow up to 8 metres tall. Did you know that the reason why a Mexican Sunflower is smaller with more petals, and surprisingly no centre, is that it's grown to be purely ornamental. 

Calendula Flower

Flowers to Sow in April:

  • Marigolds
  • Nasturtiums
  • Scabiosa
  • Petunia
  • Salvia
  • Zinnia

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in April:

  • Courgette
  • Squash
  • Pumpkin
  • Gherkins
  • Melons
  • Strawberries
  • Tomato

What to Plant in May

If you dream of being away on holiday, bring the beach to your garden with Delphiniums, also known as the dolphin flower, as the Latin word 'delphis' means dolphin. This is due to the buds appearing to resemble dolphins. You can also make good use of them as a dried flower. Lupins are a similar shaped flower to the Delphinium and their name also derives from a Latin word, lupinus, meaning "belonging to a wolf" although any connection to the wild animal is unclear. 

Flowers to Sow in May:

  • Larkspur
  • Wallflowers
  • Foxgloves
  • Sweet William
  • Aquilegia
  • Primula
  • Muscari

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in May:

  • Sweetcorn
  • Runner Beans
  • French Beans
  • Kale
  • Lemon Balm
  • Rosemary
  • Melons

What to Plant in June

The start of the summer season and what a great time to get outdoors in your garden. You can spend all day outside, as the longest day of the year falls on the 21st or 22nd of June. So start the summer off by sowing Bellis Perennis, these are in the Daisy family which are found everywhere on Earth apart from Antarctica. Bellis is the Latin word for pretty or beautiful, but these flowers also have medicinal uses such as slowing down bleeding, helping coughs, relieving indigestion and also back pain. Forget-me-nots are surprisingly known to have romantic connections from a romantic tragedy with a knight and his lady, he tried to save the flower from the water but got swept out into sea and shouted "Vergiss mein nicht" meaning forget-me-not which could of been where the name originates.

Flowers to Sow in June:

  • Canterbury Bells
  • Wintering-flowering pansies
  • Scabiosa
  • Delphiniums
  • Lupins

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in June:

  • Cucumber
  • Winter cabbage
  • Gherkin
  • Runner beans
  • French Beans

What to Plant in July

July, just as all the children start to break up from school offers a perfect time to get the kids outside planting rather than sitting inside staring at the TV screen! Start off with the Scabiosa flower, a summer-flowering perennial, this particular flower is also known as the pincushion flower because of prominent round stamens that resemble pins in a pincushion. They are available in many different colours, red, pink, white, lavender, burgundy and light blue. If you wish to coax butterflies into your garden this year, sow these Scabiosa flowers as they are rich in nectar. Echinacea, derived from the Greek word ekhinos meaning hedgehog or sea urchinis, is well known for is spikey centre, not only does this plant look delightful, it is also used for medicinal purposes as a supplement to combat the common cold and to boost the immune system. 

Weeding your Plants

Flowers to Sow in July:

  • Achillea
  • Geranium
  • Aquilegia
  • Bellis
  • Delphinium
  • Lupin
  • Forget-me-not
  • Wallflowers
  • Foxgloves
  • Sweet William

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in July:

  • Gherkin
  • Pick small fruits
  • Harvest
  • More can be sown/planted outdoors

What to Plant in August

Just before you all fly away on holiday, think about your greenhouse! There may not be much to plant because it may be too hot, but make sure you start to harvest any ripe fruit and vegetables (you could even use them for a snack on long journeys away) such as, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, french and runner beans. All of your salad crops will be ready, so there's no excuse not to have a healthy diet at this time of the year. But remember you can still grow some plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables in your greenhouse bysowing spring onions, radish, salad leaves, spring cabbage and fast-maturing carrots like adelaide.

Flowers to Sow in August:

  • Winter-flowering pansies
  • Violas

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in August:

  • Winter lettuce
  • Parsley
  • Coriander
  • Chervil
  • Dwarf beans

What to Plant in September

Late September is the start of autumn when the leaves fall from the trees, turning from green, to orange, to yellow and brown as they fall. And the days unfortunately become shorter and the nights get colder. One positive for autumn is that you can continue to harvest all of the crops that you have planted throughout the year. The Hollyhock is one plant perfect for growing in September, these are sometimes called outhouse flowers as they were often planted to hide unattractive outhouses. This flower can also be used as herbal medicine and a lotion can be made from the flowers to help heal sunburn and dry skin. Another interesting flower is the Helenium (also known as Helen's Flower because in Greek mythology this flower was thought to have emerged from the tears of Helen of Troy), along with False Sunflower and Sneezeweed, with leaves once used to make snuff.

Colourful plants in a bed

Flowers to Sow in September:

  • Dierama
  • Calendula
  • Violas
  • Lupins
  • Aquilegia
  • Aconitum
  • Eryngium
  • Echinops
  • Verbascum

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in September: 

  • Spinach
  • Pak Choi
  • Chinese cabbage
  • Spring cabbage
  • Fennel

What to Plant in October

As well as all the leaves falling we can't forget the spookiest occurrence in autumn... Halloween! Get your pumpkins at the ready for some serious carving or maybe even a pumpkin pie! The perfect time for children to dress up (and adults too!) in frightening costumes and do some apple bobbing! Anyway let's get back to gardening, Sweet Peas are a flower loved by all because of their sweet fragrance. They are available in a large variety of colours such as, purple, lavender, white and hot pink and interestingly each colour has a slightly different smell.

Flowers to Sow in October:

  • Aquilegia
  • Oriental Poppies
  • Hellebore
  • Lilies

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in October:

  • Winter Salad Leaves
  • Basil
  • Dill
  • Chives
  • Parsley
  • Spring Onion

What to Plant in November

Remember remember the Fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and the Guy Fawkes plot. Not only should you remember to celebrate bonfire night, creating a wonderful display of fireworks in your garden (just be careful of any hedgehogs around hibernating in your garden) but, you can also keep your greenhouse looking beautiful, by continuing your sowing journey even though the weather is getting colder. Why not try growing Verbascum? Not only does this plant look pretty but it used to have some pretty good uses back in Roman times, being used as torches by dipping them in grease. How well this worked we don't know but if you're ever in need of a torch you can now run down to your greenhouse and make your own! You can also grow the Foxglove named after the shape of the flower as they look like little gloves for the paws of foxes and other small animals.

Winter Berries

Flowers to Sow in November:

  • Laurentia
  • Delphinium
  • Cyclamen
  • Lupin

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in November:

  • Winter Gem
  • Winter Land Cress
  • Purslane
  • Corn Salad
  • Herbs- Basil, Dill, Chives
  • Pak Choi

What to Plant in December

The best month of the year in my opinion, can you guess why? Because it's the season to be jolly and celebrate Christmas! Not only will you be decorating your house this month but you can also keep your greenhouse looking festive. You won't only have stars on your Christmas tree but you can also start planting some in your greenhouse. Such as Laurentia which is also known as the blue starflower due to its appearance, being star-shaped and having colours ranging from light blue to a darker purple-blue. Another interesting flower to grow in December is Cyclamen, which is also known as sowbread due to it normally being fed to pigs to enhance the pork flavour, it has also been used in herbal medicine to heal boils and wounds.

Flowers to Sow in December:

  • Antirrhinums
  • Begonias
  • Geraniums

Fruit and Vegetables to Sow in December:

  • Onions
  • Salad Leaves
  • Lettuce
  • Winter Gem
  • Artic King
  • Herbs

A little Summary...

A greenhouse, whether constructed from aluminium or wood will allow you to produce a fabulous variety of flowers, plants, vegetables or fruit throughout the year. This useful guide gives you an insight to what you can get up to in your greenhouse all year round, one thing to remember some months do overlap.

Why not take a little look at or share our helpful infographics below for some seasonal information.

What you can grow in you greenhouse in spring
What you can grow in your greenhouse in Summer
What you can grow in your greenhouse in Autumn

     

What you can grow in your greenhouse in Winter