Clare Foster

Clare Foster has been House & Garden's Garden Editor since 2005, having previously edited Gardens Illustrated. A specialist in growing from seed, she is the author of The Flower Garden: how to grow flowers from seed and one of the most experienced garden journalists working in Britain today.

Garden writer and plantswoman. Seed growing expert. Garden Editor of House & Garden magazine.

Course

How to Grow Flowers from Seed

Learn everything you need to know to be able to grow a vast array of flowers - from annuals to perennials to biennials - from seed. In this course you will discover the huge benefits of growing from seed and understand the process from end-to-end; from the key equipment you will need and the different plant groups to when to sow and germination principles. You will learn about the wide range of seed types and their varying sowing approaches, and be shown practical sowing demonstrations - both under cover and direct sowing. Clare will teach you step-by-step how to prick out, pot on and pinch out, and share recommendations for seed suppliers, how to gather and save your own seeds and the key moments in the seasonal sowing calendar.

33 Lessons

Included with membership

Lesson plan — 33 lessons

01 Getting started

01 Meet Clare
02 What to consider before you start sowing
03 Planning which flowers to grow
04 Planning a cut flower patch from seed
05 An overview of the sowing and growing process
06 The kit you'll need
07 What compost to use

02 Sowing techniques and essential skills

08 Sowing hardy annuals - marigolds
09 Sowing hardy annuals - Anchusa
10 Sowing hardy annuals - sweet peas
11 Sowing perennials - Echinacea
12 Direct-sowing nasturtiums in early April
13 Sowing half-hardy annuals in mid spring
14 Aftercare for seedlings: pricking out and potting on

03 Using flowers grown from seed in your garden

15 Planting out cosmos into the border
16 Flowers in the border grown from seed
17 The cut flower patch in June
18 Tying in and picking sweet peas
19 Sowing biennials
20 Planting up a container with seedlings
21 The gravel garden: a different way to garden
22 Filling gaps in the dahlia border
23 Growing hollyhocks in the gravel
24 Filling pots with home-grown combinations
25 Using flowers grown from seed as companion plants
26 Poppy 'Amazing Grey'
27 Sourcing seeds: Chiltern Seeds

04 Collecting and saving seeds

28 Collecting seeds: the theory
29 Collecting seeds: what to look for before harvesting
30 Collecting seeds: harvesting and storing effectively
31 Collecting seeds: harvesting later-flowering seeds
32 Planting out biennials in September
33 Final words

Start learning Watch a free lesson

“I really liked this one from Clare Foster. She has such a nice way about her. I have a large garden so wanted to learn how to grow plants from seed as buying plants is very expensive. I don't have a greenhouse and it is a bit of a faff propagating seeds inside but she has inspired me to have another go.”

Louise Brown

“I have subscribed to access all the courses so have watched one on interior design and this one with Butter Wakefield who specialises in small garden design. She has a lovely personality and comes across as being a ve...”

Louise Brown Apr 10, 2026

“I love CreateAcademy. I came in for the gardening and floristry courses, but am also watching an interior design one at present. And the photography course is an absolute must, best I've ever done.”

Wellesley Apr 1, 2026

“What a great investment, I have learned such a lot from the first three courses. My evenings have gone from not being able to find anything that captured my imagination on TV to learning and expanding my knowledge on ...”

sojojo Mar 30, 2026

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