The Showstoppers Winter Flower Seed Mix - 5 Varieties

Five of the boldest winter flowers in one pack. The Showstoppers is our top-tier mixed flower seeds pack for Pakistani gardens — gazania, calendula, dahlia, pansy and aster, chosen because each one carries a bed on its own and together they flower from December right through to May. Sown in September or October, this single pack fills a 6 x 4 ft bed, a balcony run of pots, or the front strip of a lawn with colour that does not stop.

Every variety comes in its own labelled sachet inside the pack, so you can sow them at their own pace rather than all on the same afternoon.

What Is Inside the Pack

• Gazania (Gazania rigens). The treasure flower. Wide daisy blooms striped in orange, bronze, cream and pink that open with the sun. 20–25 cm, drought-tolerant, unbeatable in pots and along a hot driveway edge.
• Calendula (Calendula officinalis). Pot marigold. Warm orange and gold blooms on 30–45 cm plants, the easiest flower in this pack and the longest flowering. Petals are edible and dry well for tea.
• Dahlia, bedding type (Dahlia variabilis). Dwarf 30–40 cm plants in scarlet, purple, white and bicolour. Forms small tubers you can lift and replant next season, so one pack can last you years.
• Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana). The big-faced classic, 15–20 cm, flowering through the coldest weeks when little else does. Made for pots, window boxes and bed edges.
• Aster, China aster (Callistephus chinensis). Quilled and pompom blooms on 40–60 cm stems. The best cut flower in this pack — a week or more in a vase.

Growing Guide for Pakistan

• Sowing time: Mid-September to end of October in the Punjab plains (Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Sialkot). September to mid-October in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. October to November in Karachi and coastal Sindh. In Murree, Swat and Quetta, sow February to March instead.
• Method: Sow in seedling trays or small pots filled with a light coco peat and compost mix, then transplant at the 4–6 leaf stage. Pansy seed needs darkness — cover it completely. Gazania, calendula, dahlia and aster need only 3–5 mm of fine soil over them.
• Germination: 7–14 days at 18–22 degrees C for most; pansy takes 10–14 days and prefers the cooler end.
• Spacing: Pansy and gazania 20 cm apart, calendula and dahlia 30 cm, aster 25–30 cm.
• Flowering: Pansy from December, calendula and gazania from January, dahlia and aster from late February. Expect colour into May.
• Sun and water: Full sun, at least 5 hours. Water when the top inch of soil is dry — winter flowers rot faster from overwatering than they suffer from thirst. Deadhead spent blooms weekly and every one of these will flower harder.
• Feeding: A balanced NPK 20-20-20 every two weeks after the first true leaves, switching to a high-potash feed such as NPK 5-15-45 once buds appear.
• Safety: Flower seed is not edible. Keep packets away from children and pets.

Who This Pack Is For

Home gardeners who want a full season of colour without researching thirteen separate varieties. If you are planting a front bed, a rooftop container garden or your first proper winter garden, this is the pack that gives you the widest spread of height, colour and flowering time in one order. It is also our most popular gifting pack for gardeners.

Frequently Asked Questions

• When should I sow this pack in Pakistan? Between mid-September and the end of October across the plains. Sowing after mid-November usually means short plants and a rushed, brief flowering, because the seedlings will not have rooted before the coldest weeks arrive.
• How much ground will one pack cover? Comfortably a 6 x 4 ft bed, or around ten to twelve medium pots if you are gardening on a balcony or a rooftop. Sow in two batches a fortnight apart and you will stretch the flowering season by several weeks.
• Can I grow these in pots on a balcony? Yes, and four of the five are ideal for it. Use 8–10 inch pots for gazania, pansy and dahlia, and 10–12 inch for calendula and aster. Make sure every pot drains freely.
• Do I need a nursery tray, or can I sow straight into the bed? Trays give far better results with these five. Direct sowing into an open bed exposes tiny seedlings to birds, heavy watering and weed competition. Transplant once they have 4–6 true leaves.
• How long until they flower? Roughly 10–14 weeks from sowing. A late-September sowing in Lahore gives first pansy blooms by mid-December and full colour by February.
• Will they come back next year? Gazania often survives a mild Karachi or Lahore summer and returns. Dahlia forms tubers you can lift, store dry and replant. Calendula, pansy and aster are annuals — but calendula self-seeds freely, so you will usually see volunteers.
• Are these suitable for a complete beginner? Calendula, gazania and dahlia are genuinely easy. Pansy and aster need a little more attention to watering. If this is your first season, start all five in trays on the same day and you will learn quickly which corner of your garden suits which.
• What if the seeds do not germinate? Every batch we ship is germination-tested in Lahore before it goes out. Nine times out of ten a failure is sowing depth, overwatering or heat — all covered in our guide on why seeds fail to germinate in Pakistan. Message us on WhatsApp with a photo and we will work it out with you.

New to winter sowing? Start with what to sow in September in Pakistan. Browse the full range in our winter flowering seeds collection.

Packed and germination-tested in Lahore before shipping. The Garden by Chanan Din, serving Pakistani gardeners since 1932.